A city government exists to provide services to its citizens, though it may not feel that way after spending an afternoon applying for a construction permit. Paper-driven, anachronistic processes continue to paint local governments in a negative light, making citizens’ lives more frustrating. What if cities had compassion for their citizens and approached providing services with user empathy? Existing mechanical processes such as obtaining a small business license or contesting a parking ticket are ripe for a revolution.
Superior user experiences demonstrate compassion for customers. Companies that focus on this have revolutionized industries. Think about Amazon, Google, or Apple. When cities put a priority on creating a great experience for every interaction, they become more compassionate and accessible in the process.
What might happen if compassion were a core operating tenet of local governments? It would be an unorthodox approach to think of citizens as customers, tenaciously working to ensure they do not lose them to a competitor (i.e., moving to another city). But with this mindset, city leaders would be required to truly understand and empathize with their customers. A customer-focused city would deliver solutions that make lives better.
[For more of this story, written by Tom Cochran, go to http://www.citylab.com/tech/20...onate-cities/511073/]
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