SYDNEY, JUNE 12 2008: According to a new Deloitte report, governments which cater to the ‘customer experience’ can not only significantly reduce costs but also improve effectiveness.

The report titled, One Size Fits Few: Using Customer Insight to Transform Government, provides a collection of case studies, methods and tools government executives can use to convert an idea on how to improve the customer experience into an actual service enhancement, while reducing operational costs.

It demonstrates how public managers can utilise leading customer management practices to bolster decision-making capabilities, enhance government’s ability to execute on major program and policy initiatives, improve service delivery and reduce costs.

Author Bill Eggers, Deloitte Global Director for Public Sector Research, said making effective use of these approaches requires public managers to first understand the full range of tools and techniques available to them and how and when to apply them.

“The study illustrates how leading governments are examining the challenges they face from the user’s perspective, drawing from a robust customer experience toolkit as warranted, to improve the delivery and effectiveness of public services,” Mr Eggers said.

Deloitte Government Services Consulting Partner, Simon Cook, said the global research demonstrates that leading businesses have trained people to expect high quality, personalised services, and these are standards which citizens are now applying to government.

“At the same time, governments around the world are confronting significant short and long-term fiscal pressures from managing rising health care costs to rebuilding public infrastructure.

Managing Director Global Public Sector, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Greg Pellegrino said customer strategy is at the heart of the next wave of government transformation.

“A more customer-focused approach actually reduces costs and improves the level of service they offer to their clients simply by adapting some of the reforms pioneered by leading commercial companies.