GOVERNMENT CONTACT CENTER NEWS - May 2006

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• The purpose of this monthly eletter is to foster progressive front line customer support in the public sector.
• Please forward it to others you know in help desks and call centers at all levels of Government.
• Be sure to visit the web site for our community of practice at www.fedhelpdesk.osf.noaa.gov
• Your comments, items for sharing, and subscription changes are always welcome at Daryl.L.Covey@noaa.gov.
• Issue date is usually very near the first of each month.

-- CLICK & LEARN! --

Service Levels
If you’re a Government employee or Government contract employee, CLICK HERE and respond with the following -- a summary of your responses will be in the June issue.

1. At what level of Government do you work (Federal, state, or local)?
2. What type of operation do you work in (help desk, call center, web portal, etc.)
3. Does your organization share published service levels (wait time, response time, etc.) with your customers?
4. If so, for what contact channels (phone, email, etc.)
5. If so, for what key parameters (wait time, response time, etc.)
6. If not, are there plans to do so in the near future?

-- COMMUNITY NEWS --

GCSC PROGRAM – COMPLETE AND GREAT!
The impressive list of Government presenters at next month’s Government Customer Support Conference is at the end of this eletter. A list of industry experts speaking there will follow next month. You can still get a $300 discount off registration with code “GCSN” if you register no later than May 15 at http://www.hthts.com/gcs.htm

WORLD BANK IT TOUR
On the morning following GCSC [June 16], a tour of the World Bank’s IT support center is available to the first 20 GCSC attendees to email me. We’ll travel as a group, and the only cost will be your Metro fare. It will be over around 11:00 am for those catching flights out. THANKS to the World Bank for hosting!

HELP DESK EVENT BENEFITS KATRINA RELIEF
The Capital Area (DC) Chapter of the Help Desk Institute will host a special luncheon, speaker, and trade show to benefit Red Cross Katrina relief on Wednesday, May 17. RSVP to rsvp@hdicapitalarea.com by May 7 for a special discount.

GCSC EVENING OUTING
If you’re attending GCSC ’06 next month and wish to join a networking group for sightseeing and dinner on Wednesday evening, email me. It will be informal, via public transportation, and on your own nickel.

CSLIC MARCHES ON!
The work of the Federal Citizen Service Level Interagency Committee continues, with separate working groups now addressing (1) practice implementation, (2) an awards program, (3) a newsletter and web space, and (4) additional recommended practices, respectively. You can see the current CSLIC guidelines in full at http://www.usaservices.gov/cslic.htm. For more information, email Karen.trebon@gsa.gov or see http://www.usaservices.gov/contact.htm.

UPCOMING FREE WEBINARS
Join my co-presenters from the Virginia Beach Public Information Office and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and me on Tuesday, May 30 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Eastern for “Government Contact Centers: Improving Quality and Efficiency in Customer Care.” Registration is at http://www.xtalks.com/governmentcontactcenters.ashx Join Dr Fred Van Bennekom for "The Dirty Dozen of Surveying Mistakes" on Thursday, May 11 at 2:00 pm Eastern. Registration is at http://www.unipress.com/cgi-bin/download_fp.pl?&ACTION=WEBINAR&WEBDATE=20060511

FINALIST CORRECTION
The full name of the first GCSE Award customer focus finalist listed last month should have been "Connecticut Business Response Center/Smart Start Licensing Center."

-- INFORMATION --

CITIZEN CELL PHONE USE
-- http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Cell_phone_study.pdf

BROADBAND DEMOGRAPHICS
-- http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/04/12/iceland.broadband.reut/index.html

WEB SUCCESS AT IRS
-- http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=5928&TopicID=9

EMAIL AUTHENTICATION RATES
-- http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=99154

DIGITAL COUNTIES SURVEY NOW OPEN
-- http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/surv/?id=50

STATE IT AWARD NOMINATION CALL
-- http://www.nascio.org/awards/index.cfm

DALLAS WEB SITE REDESIGN
-- http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=99234

PKI UPDATE
-- http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/40429-1.html

XML TOOL KIT ON LINE
-- http://www.thexmltoolkit.org/

WEB POSTING PITFALL
-- http://www.fcw.com/article93983-04-10-06-Print&secnewsletter%3Dyes

MICHIGAN IT STRATEGIC PLAN
-- http://www.michigan.gov/itstrategicplan/0,1607,7-222-39810---,00.html

-- JOB OPPORTUNITY --

Applications for a senior IT specialist position at the City of Jacksonville, NC close on May 12. If you’re interested, email hebunting@ci.jacksonville.nc.us

-- GOOD REFERENCE --

To track citizen internet use trends, bookmark http://www.pewinternet.org/

-- COMING EVENTS --

Next Generation 9-1-1 Roundtable, Washington, May 3
-- jamie.radice@e911institute.org

SOCAP Symposium, Washington, May 7-10
-- http://www.socap.org/
[Fed discount – call 703-519-3700]

Telecom Expense Management Summit, Atlanta, May 8-10
-- http://www.thevoicereport.com/conferences/TEM/

Effective Communications Around ITIL, Dallas, May 10
-- jewing@ccncorp.com

Call Center Conference, Orlando, May 15-17
-- http://www.callcenterdemo.com/

GSA Expo, San Antonio, May 15-18
-- http://www.expo.gsa.gov/

Getting Results with the Multisector Workforce, Washington, May 16-17
-- http://www.digitalgovernment.com/

Mobile & Wireless Conference, Orlando, May 22-24
-- http://survey.computerworld.com/surveys/MWWCallforPresentations06/mwwcallforpresentations06.htm

Streaming Media East, New York, May 23-24
-- www.streamingmedia.com/east

IT Leadership Conference, Washington, May 24
-- http://www.gcn.com/ITLeadership

Government Customer Support Conference, Washington, June 14-15
-- http://www.governmentconference.com
-- [$300 discount with code “GCSN”]

GMIS 2006, Charleston, June 25-28
-- http://www.gmis2006.org/

-- PARTING THOUGHT --

"There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen,
and those who ask, 'What happened?" -- Casey Stengel

Have a Wonderful May!

Government Presenters at Government Customer Support Conference 2006:

• Captain Geoffrey Abbott / Coast Guard
• Eileen Dewey / General Services Administration
• Carole Dobbs / General Services Administration
• Janet Harp / Internal Revenue Service
• Ernie Hayden / Port of Seattle
• Judy Hogan / Federal Aviation Administration
• Gary Hogge / State of Utah
• Joe McCann / Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• Liz Nisley / City of Hampton, Virginia
• Phil Smith / NOAA Fisheries
• Les Solomon / Census Bureau
• Stuart Willoughby / General Services Administration

-- Last Month's "Click and Learn" Responses --

The top Government customer support challenges cited in your responses are:

Communications

• Customer feedback
• Communication with partners, stakeholders, other departments, etc.
• Getting information to residents

• Hurricane damage to infrastructure

• Directing customers to the right entity for their issue
• Providing quick and cost-effective service
• Service consistency across the agency
• Handling customer complaints
• Making internal system users effective
• 24x7 operations
• Customer needs beyond assigned responsibilities
• Managing customer expectations
• Ensuring system technician followup
• Supporting remote system users
• Need for standardized processes
• Need for more services on line

• Accurate information
• Changing information
• Information sharing

• Getting contract staff to understand government
• Team motivation
• Adequate staffing

• Integration with back-end software
• Supporting legacy/outdated equipment
• Acquisition and licensing

• Changing government
• Changing customer support paradigms
• Changing priorities
• Changing citizen needs
• Budget issues
• Overshadowed by other customer support (311 vs. 911)