Last month’s “City and County Citizen Services” conference at The Performance Institute examined the latest trends and innovation in customer service for local government. Providing more open and responsive government is becoming increasingly important for governments as technological advances and private sector improvements raise the bar for satisfactory customer service.

Oakland County, Michigan Chief Information Officer Phil Bertolini kicked off the conference with a presentation on “Making Government Citizen-Centered.” Among his numerous recommendations for improving customer service in local government, Phil described several trends, such as Customer Resource Management (CRM) systems which store and track detailed information about customers in order match their needs with the right service and Citizen Service/3-1-1 Call Centers, which provide a one-stop shopping experience for citizens seeking a service from the government.

Improving customer service in government is a significant challenge, but an understanding of the best strategies and technologies can ease the path to a customer-oriented government. Read More

The Performance Institute is a private, non-partisan think tank seeking to improve government performance through the principles of performance, competition, accountability, and transparency. Based in Washington, D.C. and San Diego, the Institute serves as the nation's leading authority and repository on performance-based management practices for government.