Citizen satisfaction in any municipality is directly related to how that local government delivers the services it offers. While the concept is easy to grasp, the real work begins when trying to put this principle into practice. Agency managers and administrators may need to ask their service teams how they can better support citizens’ 311 requests.

Technology is changing the way that citizens are interacting with their local government agencies. Today, citizens require anywhere-and-anytime access to information on municipality websites. Implementing a self-service CRM (Citizen Relationship Management software solution) provides constituents with a better user experience and creates strong channels for them to engage directly with government service departments. In return, agencies can cut down on the need to provide manual customer service, resulting in benefits for both sides.

Analyze your customer service from a citizen’s viewpoint

Open up your municipality website and answer the following questions about when a citizen visits your website.

• Are you serving them helpful answers to their most asked questions, or just providing information about what the organization or department does?

•  Are you engaging residents in productive partnership or are you just pushing information out to people?

• What steps must individuals take to engage with your department if they wish to communicate their needs for the services you provide?

To really understand the citizen communication journey, examine friction points a citizen must endure to report issues, such as maintenance of a pothole or code violation, or to ask questions of the waste management department. The first step to improve is to put yourself in the shoes of a citizen and engage your internal service department.

What is a Self-Service CRM?

Citizen request management software solutions enable automated service delivery for local governments. In many municipalities, traditional 311 programs remain a phone number that residents can call to report issues, such as a car illegally parked or a street light that has burned out. Self-service CRM software tools have amplified the capabilities of the traditional 311 phone number. The software creates fully automated internal and external communication and service order tracking tools. By integrating a self-service CRM into your website, citizens can submit tickets at their convenience through any mobile device. Internally, agency workers can route tickets to the right department. Externally, citizens get automatic communication through email or text about the status of their ticket. 

Turn Citizen Complaints into Service Orders

One of the biggest challenges for agency staff is successfully managing the high volume and variety of service requests that they receive daily. Citizens used to call or physically walk into a public office to file a complaint. They now expect a contactless web- and mobile-friendly solution that is easy for them to submit tickets at their convenience with visibility throughout the entire ticket lifecycle.

Municipalities can then convert relevant complaints into trackable service order requests for various departments, ensuring accountability and transparency. Agency staff receive the benefits of automated workflows and data management, and residents get clear transparency and expedited response times.

How Does Self-Service CRM Software Benefit Municipal Staff?

For municipal staff, a self-service CRM offers:

• The ability to convert resident inquiries directly into internal service order requests

• Insightful data that can be used to identify trends in resident concerns and community repair issues

• The ability to conserve limited staffing funds by automating workflows that formerly needed to be managed manually by staff

How Does Self-Service CRM Software Benefit Citizens?

For residents, a self-service CRM offers:

• Guaranteed automated follow-up and response

• Direct access to local government staff

• The ability to report issues when identified and even include photos and geotagged locations for streamlined request documentation accuracy.

Explore More Benefits of Self-Service CRM

Citizens understand that digital experiences can be customized and made personal. Initiating a direct-to-citizen approach allows agencies the opportunity to open lines of communication that were previously only available through phone calls, email, or direct interaction. Doing so lets you automatically track and respond to all interactions with individuals through a secure portal, and improve engagement rates. 

At Comcate, we believe in equipping local government agencies with technology to better serve their citizens. Interested in learning more about our Citizen Request Management software solution? Fill out the form below to schedule a demo.

Schedule a Meeting with Comcate Today!

Learn how Comcate can help make government delivery simple, and offer a modern digital experience to help you increase transparency, efficiency, and performance across your departments. If you have any questions about implementing our software, please fill out the form below or call us directly at (415) 632-1248.

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