Executive Insight: Daryl Covey on The Challenge of Multi-Channel Service Delivery: Life Outside the Beltway

Daryl Covey is NEXRAD Hotline Manager, National Weather Service, NOAA, Department of Commerce and Facilitator, Cgov Community of Practice for government customer support. He’s managed the NEXRAD Hotline since 1989. Covey will be Master of Ceremonies at DGI's December 2nd Government Customer Service Conference, and will moderate the opening session "The Challenge of Multi-Channel Service Delivery: Life Outside the Beltway".  Read DGI’s interview with him on customer services.  

DGI: One size never fits all so how do you design a customer support operation that passes muster for the biggest number of clients?

DC: We have to design for satisfying customers (effectiveness) in balance with the effectiveness of our resource utilization.  The real ground truth for meeting their needs can only come from the customer. In government, the most overlooked resource for evolving our support operations is the people at the front lines who interact constantly with customers and know them and their preferences. I don’t think we typically ask the front lines often enough or give them enough of a role in the design and implementation of services. Their customer familiarity is an excellent compass for this.

DGI: Is it possible to design a customer service model that is fluid, changes as customer needs change and is flexible enough to handle bumps in the road?

DC: If a customer service operation is to survive and thrive, it's the only way!  In supporting customers, we have to be adaptable and embrace change. This type of design is possible and there are people doing it quite well.  Social media can be a priceless as a resource for gleaning the directions in which customers want our services to evolve over time.  Those willing to take risks and exploit it for this will be the winners of the future!

DGI: With every agency facing tough budgets, how is it possible to get the biggest bang for the buck in customer service designs? What happens when customer needs change?

DC: Tough budgets are pretty universal right now in our sector.  The greatest return on what we have to invest will come from moving in directions dictated by the greatest customer needs.  From crowd sourcing all the way down to focus groups, we need to get guidance from them.  The people at the frontlines can tell us what's working as well as what's most needed.  There are some organizations which do nothing when change is needed.  The best ones, however, don’t wait for the customer to demand it. They look continuously ahead and anticipate it.

DGI: How important is it to embrace social media needs and build them into a system?

DC: There’s potential value to social media in supporting our customers, but I’m not comfortable with seeing social media embraced just to say you did it. Customer support is built on the culture and the people and the knowledge base. If you are going to have a successful service and support presence in the social media realm, someone has to be on top of what's posted online at all times.

DGI: Technology is always improving so how does a client choose a technology that fits the bill now and evolves?

DC: Customer service should not be built from a specific technology. It’s important to first know your customer and their needs and where you want to be tomorrow.  It requires an internal strategic view of where you (and they) are going.  Technology is an enabler, not an end. The big rock in the road is typically integration – adding capabilities, expanding capacities, etc.  It's important to look carefully at the corporate culture of the technology resource you're considering as well as to network with others in government about what they've had success within similar service scenarios.  This conference is one excellent place to talk to others about their technology. The time to shop is not when you need it. Keep an eye on the market at all times.

DGI: What’s your best advice to a federal agency as they embark on upgrading, refreshing, rebuilding their customer service?

DC: Focus on the people on both ends of the contact channel, regardless of which one it is. Learn from the customer and from the people who work directly with the customer. Know where you are going based on feedback from both. Customer support is always people helping people, regardless of the channel. If we keep that always in mind, everything else will fall in place.

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