Every element of the public sector had to respond dramatically to the COVID-19 pandemic – but undoubtedly, Government organisations throughout the UK had to enact one of the most comprehensive responses.
In this climate, it is more important than ever that organisations are able to demonstrate empathy in their ‘customer service.’ Empathy means helping citizens and service users feel that their concerns are heard and understood – even where these cannot always be fully met.
Due to Government recommendations such as the ‘cloud first’ policy and the smarter working directive – both in effect since as long ago as 2013 – Government was perhaps ahead of some other areas of the public sector in being enabled to meet the needs of citizens digitally during lockdown periods. However, there is more to ensuring empathy in communication than the appropriate technology.
The ways in which citizens’ interactions with the public sector have changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how public sector organisations have changed in their responses, are the key focus of the ‘Experience as a Service’ survey 2021, produced by GovNewsDirect in partnership with Genesys. In this supplement to the ‘Experience as a Service’ survey 2021 report, we examine the survey responses specifically from workers in Central Government, including Non-Departmental Public Bodies and related agencies and regulators, and examine the key issues the findings highlight for those working in this field.
