Policy and Practice February 2019

client corner By Whitney Page and Stacy Taylor

Valuing Customer Experience in Human Services

D elightful customer service has become the new normal in consumer-facing services. In many industries, companies prioritize customer service over price and even quality. 1 Many go to what may have once been considered extreme measures. For example, Zappos employees will often mail baby blankets to customer homes if they hear a baby crying in the background on a service call; Costco goes out of its way to listen to user feedback and will often proactively reach out to customers directly if, for example, an item purchased has been recalled; and Trader Joe’s employees take time to connect with shoppers to create a personalized shopping experience, often recommending new products and recipes based on items in the customer’s basket. 2 Consumers have come to expect this level of service: friendly, comprehensive, and personal. In addition—and more important for human services—new research shows that how a customer experiences a program can be just as important as the service itself. Well-designed customer experi- ences change consumer buy-in and behavior, multiplying the effects of a program with seemingly small design tweaks. 3 What are the implications and opportunities for human services with this new generation of expecta- tions and insights? The bar is high, the barriers are more challenging, and the consequences are greater. But the field is stepping up to the task in innovative and ground- breaking ways.

Start by Listening to Your Customers Companies across industries invest millions of dollars in gathering customer feedback through user tests, focus groups, and in-depth inter- viewing. One of the easiest places to start is with a customer survey. Surveys provide a glimpse into how customers are feeling, good and bad. They can be used to measure changes over time, see short-term impacts of changes, see how experiences differ across sites, get feedback on proposed future changes and—not to be under- estimated—give a feeling of power and buy-in to respondents. 4 When used

well, they are a simple, straightfor- ward, impactful tool. The Tennessee Department of Human Services has used a Customer Experience Survey to gather ongoing feedback from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and other human services participants across Tennessee. The survey, distributed online and at service sites, has given state policymakers a glimpse into what to celebrate and where to target change efforts. 5 However, one challenge

See Customer Service on page 34

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February 2019 Policy&Practice