Senators Lankford and Hassan Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Better Assess and Improve Federal Government’s Customer Service

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), ranking member of the HSGAC Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management introduced bipartisan legislation today to better assess and improve the customer service experience Americans receive when dealing with federal agencies.  

The bipartisan Federal Agency Customer Experience (FACE) Act of 2019 would allow agencies to efficiently and effectively assess customer satisfaction with government services through brief surveys developed in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA). It also increases transparency within the federal government by requiring participating agencies to publish their customer feedback online and with OMB.

“Our federal employees work hard to provide good service, but there are always going to be areas any of us can improve,” Lankford said. “Customer service should not be reserved for the private sector; the federal government should pay attention to its customers: American taxpayers. My office routinely hears from taxpayers who have identified federal agency customer service concerns, including timeliness of benefit processing, quality of communication, and general responsiveness. Congress cannot fix what it cannot see, and the FACE Act brings sunlight to the quality of federal agencies’ day-to-day interactions with constituents and gives American taxpayers greater ability to have their voices heard regarding their customer service experience with agencies.”

“The bipartisan FACE Act will help identify changes or improvements that federal agencies need to make by allowing agencies to receive feedback directly from American taxpayers,” Hassan said. “I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this measure and help the government better serve the American people.” 

The bipartisan legislation directs agencies to develop short, voluntary, and anonymous surveys that include standard questions developed by OMB and GSA that should address (1) overall satisfaction; (2) whether an individual accomplished his/her intended purpose; (3) whether an individual was treated with respect and professionalism; and (4) timeliness of service.

Congressmen Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) plan to introduce a companion bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives.

“The American people deserve a federal government that provides efficient, effective, and high-quality service. Unfortunately, the federal government ranks among the bottom of all U.S.-industries when it comes to customer satisfaction,” Fitzpatrick said. “The Federal Agency Customer Experience Act ensures that federal agencies collect voluntary feedback from individuals about their interactions with the government. By gathering user comments, agencies will be able to gauge customer service concerns and publicly report the feedback they receive. The result is a win-win. The American public receives better services and customer care, while agencies achieve greater impact and ability to fulfill their missions.” 

“Improving customer service at federal agencies is not a partisan issue,” Connolly said. “Federal employees are dedicated civil servants who want to deliver services to taxpayers as best they can. The FACE Act will improve customer service by allowing agencies to collect feedback, measure customer satisfaction, and use the feedback to improve their service.”

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