Federal agencies are lagging behind the private sector in improving customer service, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey.
On a scale of 1 to 100, the federal government scored 64, trailing nine private-sector classifications, and also behind local government.
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Improving the citizen experience is a high-priority goal for agencies, but despite White House mandates in 2011 and 2015, progress has been slow and uneven, said Abby Herriman, senior vice president of delivery and innovation with HighPoint Global.
"We recognize there is a problem, and that is a good place to be," she said.
Within the government, the Defense, Agriculture and State departments rate highly, with Treasury and Veterans Affairs far below. The U.S Postal Service, meanwhile, is leading much of the rest of government in innovative customer service improvements. It has benefited from private-sector competitive pressure that other agencies do not have, Herriman said.
