A recent Gallup survey of nearly 42,000 Americans conducted to examine public attitudes about the "overall customer experience" across all federal agencies found that Americans are generally not satisfied with the performance of government agencies, save for the military.

Nearly half of Americans polled viewed federal agencies neutrally (46 percent), with significantly more negative views (34 percent) than positive ones (20 percent).

By stark contrast, the military fared well in the poll, as 78 percent expressed positive views of its performance.

Interestingly, the highest rated agency was the National Park Service with a 90 percent satisfaction rating. Perhaps fresh air really is the key to success.

Of special mention, the Environmental Protection Agency, Internal Revenue Service, and Health and Human Services Department were among those ranked lowest in customer satisfaction, although HHS and the Social Security Administration were seen having the greatest potential impact on the daily lives of those polled.

When asked which agency is most important to the future of the country, the Department of Defense (DoD) stood out again with the Department of Education a close second. Surprisingly the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Agriculture were tied for the lowest rating.

A Little Branding Goes a Long Way

According to the survey, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was viewed as the employer of choice, that is, the agency they would most want to work for.  A far cry from the EPA who took another last place seat. Clearly the mystique of covert activities like those seen on "Splinter Cell" video games or the action hero's like Vince Flynn novels featuring Mitch Rapp have better appeal than the perceived bureaucrat pushing a piece of paper or gathering an environmental sample, which leads to the survey's golden nugget: branding and image building.

The survey identified an opportunity for the federal agencies to build a positive brand image in the eyes of Americans. Not that a survey was needed, since government blunders like Hurricane Katrina, the Challenger, and most recently the deployment of the H1N1 vaccine remain in the forethoughts of most Americans. But the survey does provide empirical evidence for agency leadership to understand the necessity to brand and market their agencies, especially as government is trying to recruit and retain talent.

While the survey found awareness of most agencies was high, it did not equate to a positive brand or a differentiation between agencies. Given the importance of public perceptions and their impact on brand image, this may be one of the more insightful pieces of information to gleam from the study. Unfortunately, government leaders typically do not see the merit in branding themselves as Coke, Budweiser, or other notable brands like Google, beyond their annual request to convince Congress for their share of limited government funds during appropriations hearings.

Limited Interaction With Agencies Confounds Results

Interestingly, the survey reveled that most interactions with the federal government were either to visit a national park, monument, or historic landmark, or to pass through a border checkpoint, customs control, or airport security. This lack of direct interaction with the vast majority of other government agencies we depend on daily also makes the case for agency investment in branding to make the public aware of the other two million federal employees (including USPS) and the importance of their services.

In measuring satisfaction through direct interaction with agency, Gallop looked at measures such as, delivering on promises, treating people with respect, and providing accurate information. They also looked at transactional assessments, such as the time it takes to get a response, the ability to connect with a live person, problem resolution, availability, treatment, and follow through.

So what's the take home message of all this?

The government needs to find better ways to measure performance, improve customer service and do a better job of marketing and branding.