2007 Innovations Awards Program
APPLICATION
ID # (assigned by CSG): 07- S-44GACUSTOMERSERVICE
State: Georgia
Program Category: Government Operations, Administration
1. Program Name
Faster, Friendlier, Easier Service to Georgians – The Governor's Customer Service Initiative
2. Administering Agency
Administered by the Governor’s Office of Customer Service
3. Contact (Name and Title)
Joseph Doyle, Director
4. Address
The Governor’s Office of Customer Service
2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Suite 356 East Floyd Tower
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
5. Telephone Number
404-656-1760
6. FAX Number
404-463-8683
7. E-mail Address
Joe.Doyle@oca.state.ga.us
8. Web Site Address
At this time, the program is focused on state agencies and state employees. All Georgia government
workers have access to a state intranet site, the "Team Georgia Connection." The site includes a special
section devoted to "Customer Service." Here, employees can learn about the initiative, read news and
successes, share their own success stories, and download communication and marketing materials.
To access this site as a "guest" user, go to http://team.georgia.gov. Please use the following login
credentials:
 E-mail address: success@ocs.ga.gov
 Password: customer
Once you access the home page, click on the "Customer Service" tab at the top of the page to visit the
"Customer Service" section.
**Screenshots from this web site are included in the appendix. Please see Exhibit 1.
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9. Please provide a two-sentence description of the program.
The Governor's Customer Service Initiative is a unique effort to engage all state of Georgia employees in
improving service to citizens through a three-pronged strategy to become faster (speeding up services);
friendlier (developing a customer-focused culture); and easier (adopting an enterprise approach to
managing call centers). This program encompasses a statewide communications strategy; uniform
customer and employee job satisfaction surveying; customer service focused pre-employment screening,
orientation, training and performance measurement; and creation of a central point of access for state
services by telephone and the internet.
10. How long has this program been operational (month and year)? Note: the program must be
between 9 months and 5 years old on April 2, 2007, to be considered.
The Governor’s Office of Customer Service (OCS) was established in January 2006 to implement this
program.
11. Why was the program created? What problem[s] or issue[s] was it designed to address?
Upon election in 2002, Governor Sonny Perdue set the goal for Georgia to become the best managed
state in the nation. He established the Commission for a New Georgia to engage a public/private
partnership in achieving that goal. Among the findings was the need to elevate the level of customer
service Georgians experience when dealing with state government.
Faster, Friendlier, Easier Service to Georgians – The Governor's Customer Service Initiative is a
response to some common negative perceptions about government:



Government is too slow; it takes too long to get anything done.
Employees often are not helpful.
Government is confusing; it is difficult to figure out who to contact for service.
And, because citizens tend to view all agencies collectively as “state government,” the program had to
involve every state agency.
Supporting these general impressions is hard data, gathered in 2005, that the hold time in the state’s 27
call centers (handling about 10 million calls a year) ranged from a few seconds to 56 minutes; that about
1.5 million calls to the state were never answered; and that almost one million calls were sent to the
wrong place.
The Governor’s Office of Customer Service (OCS) was created to guide all state agencies through a
change process. Rather than doing it for them, the goal is to provide tools and techniques to empower
agencies to create and sustain a long-term transformation in how state government serves Georgians.
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12. Describe the specific activities and operations of the program in chronological order.
Chronology
Events and Milestones
Calendar Year 2005
Initial research conducted by the Governor’s Customer Service Task Force. Gathered data
about citizen contacts with government and developed a business plan for improving customer
service. Involved a dozen agency heads and was staffed by loaned employees from eight state
agencies and the University System.
July 2005
"Rapid Process Improvement" approach first tested in Department of Driver Services. Using
principles from Lean and Six Sigma process methodologies, Rapid Process Improvement singles
out a specific, fixable process to streamline and involves teams of frontline staff and managers.

Early success: Typical waits of 1 to 2 hours were virtually eliminated at Driver Services'
Customer Service Centers, where citizens go to take driving tests, get licenses, etc.
Average time to be served is now just over 6 minutes. Online services were also added,
including license renewals, address changes, lost license replacements, and driver
history reports.
October 2005
Customer Service Task Force findings and recommendations approved by the Governor and
the Commission for a New Georgia.
January 2006
Executive Order creating the Governor's Office of Customer Service signed on January 25.
Governor Perdue convened a three-day Customer Service Summit, bringing together
Commissioners of 42 executive branch agencies that employ more than 90% of the state
government’s workforce.
February 2006
Call Center Solutions Team formed with representatives from the state’s 27 call centers. The
group works together to establish common goals and objectives, review industry standards, and
recommend call center performance standards in technology, processes, and metrics for state call
centers.
March 2006
Customer Service "Champions" appointed within executive agencies. The Champion's role is
to develop an agency-specific Customer Service Improvement Plan for State Fiscal Year 2007
(July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007). These strategic plans focus on programs with high external
customer contact.
Monthly Customer Service newsletter launched to promote the program, agency successes,
individual successes, and best practices.
**Sample newsletters are included in the appendix. Please see Exhibit 2.
April 2006
Call Center Improvement approach piloted at Department of Driver Services. Analyzed and
made recommendations about systems, technology, and training.

Early success: The Call Center Improvement team empowered call center frontline staff
and supervisors by directly involving them in making recommendations about every
aspect of call center customer service.
University Champions named. The University System of Georgia – with 35 campuses and
44,000 employees – expanded its participation in the initiative by designating Champions and
creating individual Customer Service Improvement Plans at each campus.
May 2006
Attributes of customer service identified. Agency Customer Service Champions agreed upon
statewide, common commitments to human interaction events with customers. All employees are
committed to being: Courteous, Helpful, Accessible, Responsive, and Knowledgeable.
Key Performance Indicators established in state call centers. These standards will be
measured and reported monthly. Goals reflecting industry standards for governmental agencies
were set for Georgia.
Faster, Friendlier, Easier Service to Georgians – The Governor's Customer Service Initiative
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June 2006
Agency Customer Service Improvement Plans signed by Commissioners and delivered to
Governor Perdue’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
Qualified vendors selected for pre-employment screening tool for use in hiring individuals with
aptitude for customer service.
July 2006
Formal statewide "kick-off" event hosted. Governor Perdue reconvened all agency heads and
leadership teams, in addition to selected customer-facing employees. This event was webcast to all
employees through the state’s intranet.
Implementation phase branded as “Team Georgia. Ready To Serve.” This message was
communicated to all employees on more than 250 banners and 4,000 posters on display
throughout the state.
**Sample promotional materials are included in the appendix. Please see Exhibit 3.
August-September
2006
Local "kick-off" meetings conducted in state agencies. Champions present Customer Service
Initiative to employees to generate excitement and participation.
October 2006
Four "standards of service" adopted by all state agencies to guide employee behavior for a
consistent customer experience:
GREET your customers promptly and courteously.
LISTEN and verify your understanding of the customer’s needs.
HELP customers with your answers and actions.
HONOR your commitments in a timely manner.
**Sample promotional materials are included in the appendix. Please see Exhibit 3.
"Rapid Process Improvement" approach applied in the Office of Child Support Services, one of
the largest programs within the Department of Human Resources, in partnership with the Georgia
Institute of Technology's Enterprise Innovation Institute.

Early success: Child Support managers and frontline staff identified and recommended
a solution to reduce parents' wait times for preparing child support orders for court from
more than four months to same-day service. The Office is also piloting solutions to
reduce the time to locate and validate addresses for non-custodial parents and to
prevent/reduce late payments through an "early intervention" strategy.
Governor's video message e-mailed to all state employees. This was part of a strategy to
communicate directly to state employees. The e-mail came from Governor Perdue, directing
employees to a video message about the Customer Service Initiative, with a link to the state
intranet customer service section.

November 2006
Early success: 42% of employees opened the e-mail and 33% clicked through to view
the video. These percentages are notably higher than average for e-mail communication
campaigns.
Second Call Center Improvement study launched at Division of Family & Children Services,
another major program of the Department of Human Resources. Objectives are to observe the
current call center environment and identify options for improvement in process, environment, and
technology.

Early success: Changing the focus from an "office" environment to a "call center"
environment resulted in significant service improvements for customers of the Division of
Family & Children Services. Within six months: hold times decreased by 87%; the
number of calls answered increased from 60% to 90%; and 87,000+ more clients were
served on average.
Customer Satisfaction Survey tool and process piloted among four agencies. Tool provides
common questions and shared metrics for gauging service quality and customer satisfaction.
Project conducted in partnership with research faculty at Georgia State University.
December 2006
Employee Job Satisfaction Survey tested by employees of five agencies. The goal is a
statewide measure of job satisfaction across programs and regions.
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January 2007
Phase I of data collection for knowledge base completed. Process of validating the data
extends over the next several months. The knowledge base is an encyclopedia of all state services
linked to telephone numbers and includes key words and frequently asked questions. The
knowledge base is to become the core of a General Information Call Center, which will provide
access to services through a single telephone number and a single web site.
First comparison data for the state’s 27 call centers available for a full calendar year.
Progress is seen in key performance indicators for “speed to answer” and “calls not answered.”

Early success: State call centers reduced their average speed to answer from 4
minutes, 42 seconds, to 1 minute, 39 seconds, after implementing new industry best
practices from January to December 2006. Average calls not answered reduced from
17% to 11%.
**A "dashboard" view of call center improvement results is included in the
appendix. Please see Exhibit 4.
February 2007
Call Center Improvement and Process Improvement efforts launched in the Taxpayer Services
Unit of the Department of Revenue. Call Center Improvement Team and Process Improvement
Team work jointly to improve service.
March 2007
Agency Customer Service Champions group expanded in a second phase to reach some of the
employees working in agencies headed by elected officials, other than the Governor.

April 2007
Early success: Five agencies—two headed by elected officials—accept the Governor's
invitation to join the Customer Service Initiative.
Procurement to be completed for a statewide outsourced, Multi-Channel Contact Center
(MCCC) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution for all call handling within the
state of Georgia. The advantages of this solution include reduced costs-per-call, increased
efficiency, and increased quality assurance in the state’s call centers. It also offers an opportunity
to consolidate technology across agencies, making centralized information and uniform data
collection possible.
Call Center Improvement and Process Improvement Teams to swap divisions within the
Department of Human Resources, so that the Office of Child Support Services and the Division
of Family & Children Services have an opportunity to apply both approaches within their programs.
Each program has also participated in the Customer Satisfaction Survey process.
Training in the use of Customer Satisfaction and Employee Job Satisfaction scores to be
conducted for the agencies participating in piloting of the survey tools.
May 2007
Customer Service Training modules to be launched. “The Art of Exceptional Customer
Service” is a common customer service training series available to all agencies for employee
training. It was developed with the Department of Technical and Adult Education and piloted in
April. "Train-the-trainer" program will also be conducted within each agency, many of which
have their own training staff and programs.
13. Why is the program a new and creative approach or method?
The Governor's Customer Service Initiative encompasses all state services and fosters a culture change
throughout state government. The initiative sets a new direction and system-wide expectations for
employees of the executive branch. Agencies have never before been expected to view themselves as a
single entity: “Team Georgia.” The unified approach is evident in: a) focus on the customer’s point of
view; b) consistent performance measures; c) standard messages to employees; and d) the centralized
point of contact for all state services whether by phone, fax, email, or the internet.
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Uniting state agencies as one "Team Georgia"
 Direct and continuous personal involvement of Governor Sonny Perdue
Team Georgia engages agencies with 110,000 employees and 750 different services. Participation
includes 47 state agencies and 35 campuses of the University System of Georgia. The Office of
Customer Service serves as a resource; provides tools and techniques; and sets statewide goals that
agencies meet in their own ways. This is monitored through the annual Customer Service Improvement
Plans that each agency submits to the Governor. Each plan begins by looking at services from the
citizen’s point of view.
Agency and employee involvement: thinking globally, acting locally
 Strong “buy-in” from both agency heads and frontline employees
The point of synergy for this program is the Agency Customer Service Champion, who is appointed by the
agency head and is responsible for developing and implementing an annual Customer Service
Improvement Plan. These plans are built on a uniform template and share common elements. The
expectations for service are identical, whether a program involves education and human services or law
enforcement and regulatory agencies. Large agencies with regional locations and small single-function
offices share the same goals, values, and commitments to customers. The Champions meet regularly
and work in teams to help create tools and approaches all can use.
Statewide communications and training: presenting "the big picture"
 Unified communications effort to reach all employees, no matter their job title or agency
responsibility
Employees comprise a single group sharing the goal of having the best customer service of any state in
the nation. A section of the Team Georgia Connection, the state’s intranet, is dedicated to customer
service and a monthly newsletter focuses on recognizing customer service success. In addition, the
Governor has sent two e-mails with videotaped messages directly to all state employees. The Office of
Customer Service has designed and distributed collateral materials, including banners, posters, table
tents, and coasters, to support various messages,.
Customer and employee satisfaction surveys: a common measure for success
 Common customer expectations measured across programs based on common values and
metrics
These performance expectations are to be reflected in a statewide dashboard to monitor state services.
The single unified Team Georgia approach is reflected in the direct participation by representatives of a
variety of agencies with the Office of Customer Service in the development, review and testing of tools
before they are offered statewide. These tools include the Pre-employment Screening for Customer
Service employees; the Georgia Service Quality Index (customer satisfaction survey); the employee job
satisfaction survey; and the 6-module customer service training program.
Rapid Process Improvement: quick results customers can see
 Processes that directly impact citizen services selected for the improvement process
Government has frequently attempted to apply business process and tools to its service environment—
with limited success. This program is different because the approach to streamlining processes has
adapted Lean management practices to public services. Applying an industrial “rapid process
improvement” (guided by engineers from the Georgia Institute of Technology) has allowed programs with
complex or lengthy processes to empower teams of employees and managers who focus on separate
processes that can show significant improvement in a short amount of time – weeks, not years.
Process Improvement Teams and Call Center Improvement Teams are testing working jointly in the same
program.
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866-411-PEACH: one number to reach Georgia government
 Creation of a General Information Center or Contact Center, which will improve citizen access
whether by telephone, fax, email or via the internet
The existing Directory Assistance operation for the state of Georgia will be transformed into a central
point of access for state government services, with a single toll free telephone number (866-411-PEACH)
when it becomes operational in January 2008. This is the place to go for citizens who do not know how to
reach a service. A special feature is the “warm transfer,” which ensures that people talk to people. This is
critical because research has shown that 47% of Georgia citizens prefer to access government services
by telephone. (Peach State Poll, conducted by University of Georgia, August 2005-March 2006)
Technology will bring this operation up to the standards for private call centers. This technology will be
made available to all state agencies to provide more modern, less costly, more scalable and compatible
solutions to replace the current array of diverse systems used throughout the state. Such common
telephone technology permits eventual consolidation of the state’s call centers, assistance to each other
during peak seasons, and disaster recovery options. It will also allow the state to expand its work-away
program.
Public self-service: user-friendly access to state "KnowledgeBase"
 Development of first-ever database or encyclopedia of state services
The "KnowledgeBase" supports the General Information Center or Contact Center. After validation and
testing, it will ultimately be available online to the public for self-service. As a single site, it will not require
a citizen to visit several different agency sites or even know what agency or department offers a particular
service in order to access it.
Work-away program: technology supports virtual call center

Job opportunities for individuals to work at home
The technology for a statewide outsourced, Multi-Channel Contact Center (MCCC) and Customer
Relationship Management (CRM) solution for all call handling will support remote workers, expanding
employment opportunities. Already, DHR’s Office of Child Support Services has offered a work-away
program for its 70 call center employees. Implemented in April 2006 with a few agents, the call center
now has over 87% of its agents working from home.
14. What were the program’s start-up costs? (Provide details about specific purchases for this
program, staffing needs and other financial expenditures, as well as existing materials,
technology and staff already in place.)
The start-up budget for FY06 was $ 1.1 million.
The director, deputy director and communications director of the Office of Customer Service were loaned
by other agencies, as were four other staff members. A customer service expert from private industry, the
Georgia Power Company, was on loan for the first year. Two call center experts from private industry
were hired, and the services of a financial analyst, a data analyst and a systems analyst were gained
through contract as was administrative support. Agencies support their own customer service champions.
Space was provided by another agency; computer equipment was purchased for the staff.
15. What are the program’s annual operational costs?
The Office of Customer Service budget for FY07 is $ 3 million.
- to speed up processes
- tools and support to create the culture
- to improve call handling on an enterprise-wide basis
$
190,000
790,000
2,020,000
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16. How is the program funded?
The program is funded through annual appropriation by the Georgia General Assembly.
17. Did this program require the passage of legislation, executive order or regulations? If YES,
please indicate the citation number.
Yes. The Governor’s Office of Customer Service was created by Executive Order number 01 25 06 01
issued on January 25, 2006.
18. What equipment, technology and software are used to operate and administer this program?
State employee intranet:
All Georgia government workers have access to a state intranet site, the "Team Georgia Connection."
The site includes a special section devoted to "Customer Service." Here, employees can learn about the
initiative, read news and successes, share their own success stories, and download communication and
marketing materials.
General Information Center infrastructure:
This technology includes:
Multi-Channel Contact Center (MCCC)

ACD, Web Chat, E-mail, Recorded Monitoring, Random Announcement, Interactive Voice Response,
Automated Attendant, Remote Work, and Administrative Tools
Contact Relationship Management (CRM)

Request Tracking, Historical Reporting, Analytical Reporting, Knowledge Base, Identify First Call
Resolution, Workflow Management, Efficient Work Processes, and Scripting Tools
Knowledge Base:

Oracle database accessed via the Contact Relationship Management (CRM) Tool
19. To the best of your knowledge, did this program originate in your state? If YES, please
indicate the innovator's name, present address, telephone number and e-mail address.
Yes. The Governor’s Office is unaware of any state undertaking an initiative of this scope, involving not
just technology, but also people and processes.
Innovator:
Governor Sonny Perdue
Georgia State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
20. Are you aware of similar programs in other states? If YES, which ones and how does this
program differ?
No. We are not aware of similar programs in other states.
21. Has the program been fully implemented? If NO, what actions remain to be taken?
The long-range goal of the Governor's Customer Service Initiative is to institutionalize all of the activities
launched to date so that continuously improving customer service becomes the way we do business in
Georgia.
Because much of the initial work has involved validating approaches through pilot efforts in agencies and
because comparable baseline data did not always exist across programs, full implementation will be
accomplished over a multi-year time frame. Each major initiative—call center improvement, rapid process
improvement, customer and employee satisfaction surveying, and customer service training—will be
expanded until it encompasses the entire state.
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The schedule below shows both short and long-term actions.
Action: Rapid Process Improvement (Faster)
Target Dates
Process Improvement Team to work in four key state organizations each year to speed up
service delivery. This will continue for at least the next four years.
Fiscal Year 2008
Long-term
Measurement and reporting on process time for the state’s key programs to continue.
Continuous
Action: Change in Customer Service Culture (Friendlier)
Agencies to submit Customer Service Improvement Plans for FY08.
June 2007
New Employee Orientation program to set expectations for customer service by newly hired
state employees.
December 2007
Use of customer satisfaction survey tool and process (Georgia Service Quality Index) to
expand to all agencies.
May 2008
Report to be developed of overall customer satisfaction scores statewide.
Use of employee job satisfaction survey tool and process to expand to all agencies.
May 2008
Statewide report card to be developed for agencies to report employee satisfaction scores.
“The Art of Exceptional Customer Service” training program to begin statewide implementation.
July 2007
State to continue employee focus on the five core attributes for excellent customer service
(courteous, helpful, accessible, responsive, and knowledgeable).
Continuous
Employee performance management guides to be developed based on the attributes for
excellent customer service.
December 2008
Employee performance management system to be implemented in all agencies for periodic
evaluations of employees.
Continuous
Action: Telephone Call Handling (Easier)
Call Center Improvement Team to work in four key state organizations to recommend systems
for technology and training. This will continue for at least the next four years.
Fiscal Year 08
Long-term
Work toward goal for all call handling operations to perform to industry standards for service
and cost.
Continuous
New call handling systems and technology to be installed in four major state call centers.
This technology will be available to all other agencies and supports a remote worker program.
May 2007
Key Performance Indicator Report to continue monthly, with addition of data for cost-per-call.
June 2007
Database of state services linked to telephone numbers to open to state agencies.
State’s knowledge base to be available online to the public.
June 2007
January 2008
General Information Call Center, a central point of contact for access to state government
services, to undergo "soft launch." This will involve testing the “warm transfer” of calls to pilot
agencies.
July 2007
General Information Call Center to be fully operational. Technology permits a seamless
remote worker program.
December 2007
Marketing campaign for the General Information Call Center to begin.
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22. Briefly evaluate (pro and con) the program’s effectiveness in addressing the defined
problem[s] or issue[s]. Provide tangible examples.
PROS:
The response by agency heads and state employees has been overwhelmingly positive. The OCS staff is
receiving more requests for technical assistance by the Call Center Improvement and Continuous
Improvement Teams than can be met. Agency Customer Service Champions are cooperating across
agencies and programs; for example, they are exchanging ideas for training and sharing speakers.
Agency Improvement Plans for the first year have been implemented.
**The Atlanta Journal-Constitution featured a favorable opinion-editorial article about the
Governor's Customer Service Initiative. Please see exhibit 4.
Below are a few examples of results from the Governor's Customer Service Initiative.
Faster – Improvement in the state’s 27 call centers:
IMPROVING OUR 27 CALL CENTERS
Measure
January 2006
December 2006
Industry Standard
Speed to answer (min:sec)
4:42
1:39
0:37
Calls not answered
17%
11%
7.5%

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

Time on hold reduced 65%, saving constituents 3 minutes per call
Abandonment rates down; 500,000 more constituent calls answered
Accomplished with the same staff and same money
The Call Center Solutions Team has brought together managers who had never met before, much
less shared experience and expertise. In partnership with the state’s human resources agency, a
new series of job descriptions for customer service representatives was developed. The series
provides a career track and is available for use in all agency call centers.
Friendlier – Standards of service

Four "customer service standards" for all Georgia state employees are being imbedded in
agencies. A recent telephone survey to Customer Service Champions in each agency confirmed that
nearly all agencies (at least 75% - all that responded) have successfully implemented the customer
service standards in their internal communication and training programs, starting with the first
standard, "GREET your customer promptly and courteously." Agencies are either implementing
standard "greeting scripts" or educating staff about general guidelines for prompt and courteous
greetings.

Customer satisfaction surveys are measuring the quality of customer experiences and levels of
satisfaction. Piloted in four different programs, the result is a customer satisfaction score that has
been validated by research faculty at Georgia State University. Baseline data have been collected;
by next year, improvements to citizens' experiences will be measured against that data.

Employees are being recognized for excellent customer service. A number of agencies have
revised their employee recognition and reward programs to focus on customer service. A statewide
employee recognition program is now in development.
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Easier – Improvement in processes:

Department of Driver Services Customer Service Centers:
o
o

Average time to be served now just over six minutes; typical waits of 1 to 2 hours virtually
eliminated.
More services available online.
Office of Child Support Services, Department of Human Resources:
o
o
o
Same-day service goal to prepare orders for court or settlement: Before rapid process
improvement efforts, the in-house "order establishment" process took an average of 71 days
to complete. A key change is to train agents on the entire process, rather than segments, so
that one agent can take an application from start to finish.
Locating non-custodial parents more quickly using technology: The new process for
locating non-custodial parents will focus on "validation," a simpler online check that the given
address exists, instead of "verification," which involves waiting for the Post Office to send
written address verification. In the first two weeks of piloting this process, cases delayed for
parent location decreased by an average of 10 per day.
Early intervention, effective enforcement: Improved processes are expected to reduce
child support enforcement actions by two-thirds, from 90 days to 30 days. A simple, key
change is to call non-custodial parents instead of mailing letters to them. An "early
intervention" process and Fatherhood Program help non-custodial parents understand
expectations, find skills training and employment, and prepare to make payments on time.
These successes can be duplicated throughout state programs and call centers.
CONS:
There is no doubt that all of these approaches will ultimately be effective throughout state government
services; however, this is an evolution and will require sustained long-term commitment. The process for
procuring the call center systems, for example, has taken one year instead of the anticipated five months.
A true culture change in employee attitude will take consistent effort; and the annual state budget cycle
sometimes precludes quick adjustments in agency priorities. Nevertheless, tangible results will continue
to accrue.
23. How has the program grown and/or changed since its inception?
The program’s goals and strategic direction have not changed from the path set in January 2006.
The program has, however, grown. It has evolved from a loaned staff to a full-time professional team. As
a “start-up” organization, the Office of Customer Service has had the ability to recruit and hire
professionals with skill sets specific to the needs of the program.
A recent realization is the need for an intensive communication effort focused on employees who handle
the state’s telephone calls before the General Information Center or 866-411-PEACH service is
established. An internal communications plan is being developed prior to the launch of this service.
24. What limitations or obstacles might other states expect to encounter if they attempt to adopt
this program?
The Governor's Customer Service Initiative should be regarded as a long-term and continuous effort.
According to Governor Perdue, improving customer service must be “viewed as a journey, not an event.”

States interested in implementing this initiative should be prepared to emphasize the fact that this is
not merely a “feel good” program, but involves substantive strategies and tactics. The tendency of
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some who have been through other “improvement” programs to sit back and wait must be redirected
by a strong positioning event and high-impact communications throughout.

Maintaining the strong support and leadership from the Governor, his/her key advisors and senior
management is vital. This must continue despite potential future changes in administration. This
program must be positioned to survive a transition.

Success also depends on recognition that state government comprises widely varying programs,
customers, and types of employees. Implementation requires some flexibility in execution to meet the
needs of vastly different organizations and styles of management.

Frontline employees must be motivated, and middle managers must be fully engaged. Leaders of
such an initiative should be prepared to counter the arguments that it cannot be done without bigger
budgets or salary increases.

A critical issue is the sustainability of the initial enthusiasm for this project. This underscores the
importance of continuing to show results in the call centers and in agency processes, and to keep the
Customer Service Champions energized until these values are institutionalized and a permanent part
of the culture of state government.
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