This is the first in a series of articles on customer service in government, sponsored by Microsoft. Learn more and download a customer service planning guide at Microsoft Government today.

When President Obama issued an executive order in April this year compelling federal agencies to improve customer service, the future seemed a long way off. But as the first leaves begin to change color here in Washington, a deadline for action looms. By October 24, agencies are ordered to publish a plan for how they will provide "streamline service delivery" and "improve the experience" of their customers — namely, the other agencies, state and local governments, and citizens they are responsible for serving. 

The executive order is ambitious in scope, yet reasonable in its approach and timeline, given how important it is to have a well-functioning, responsive government. Take away the Presidential seal at the top of the page and a few alphabet-soupy acronyms, and what's left resembles a customer service pledge you might find at a big box retailer more than your typical executive order.

How can agencies comply with the demands set forth in President Obama's order (E.O. #13571 if you are keeping score at home)? Here is a plain English guide to 7 things that government agencies can do to embrace the spirit and letter of this important presidential mandate...

1. Create FAQs and publish them prominently in multiple formats.

Whether your agency's core constituency is other government agencies, citizens at large, or some combination of the two, all are well-served by simple access to the most frequently asked questions — with answers, of course! Publishing a list of FAQs is an easy win. Constituents will appreciate being able to find the information fast, without having to make phone calls or wait on hold. Done right, FAQs will cut down on the number of phone calls and emails that agency personnel must respond to. cutting costs, freeing up time, and reducing duplicate work. ("Reducing the need for customer calls" is right there in the E.O.!)

Don't just throw the FAQs up on a hidden corner of your agency website either. Put them front and center. While you're at it, make them available via email, Facebook, even text message... the more access, the better.

2. Centralize your customer and case management, so profiles are in one place, accessible to anyone who needs them. 

When you do need to process calls or emails from customers, you want to maximize the effect of each touchpoint. Customers don't like having to repeat themselves over and over when talking to different agency contacts, never mind that it also eats up valuable time and adds to call center costs. A clear, complete history of interactions also leads to just plain better service. Having centralized case management that is accessible to everyone in the direct service chain is a best practice throughout industry. And wouldn't you know... the president's E.O. directs agencies to adopt "proven best practices." 

3. Post your own agency customer service pledge... and include some stretch goals. 

Goals make a difference. Publicly posted goals — especially when echoed repeatedly by management at all levels — really make a difference. And stretch goals, ones that seem impossible at the outset, light a fire under employees and managers like nothing else. They tend to inspire ingenuity and build to a sense of confidence and accomplishment as the goal gets closer and closer.

Putting up progress boards around the office is an effective way to create a sense of shared ownership and accountability around the goals, especially if done creatively. Basic thermometer charts are fine for the local bakesale fund-raiser, but something with added graphic pizzazz will have greater effect in an office setting. The E.O. calls for "setting clear customer service standards and expectations" — don't just set them, have fun with them and your employees will respond to the challenge!

4. Use visuals to explain complex issues and processes.

While we're on the topic of graphics... When faced with absorbing new information, people don't want to read fine print; they want to look at pictures. This is for good reason: a well-drawn diagram is informative, succinct and aids comprehension, whereas large blocks of official-looking text bring about negative reactions. People distrust the fine print because it's usually the bearer of bad news — telling us of the extra fees, conditions, taxes, limitations, exceptions, restrictions and penalties. So take the opportunity to clearly present things in graphical form, whether it's the process your customers must follow to file a service request, or get reimbursed for claims, or even locate the proper contact within your agency's org chart. The possibilities are endless.

The president's mandate calls for "improving the customer experience" — and a picture can be worth a thousand words (of fine print) when it comes to creating a better experience.

5. Solicit lots of feedback - then listen carefully and use it to improve.

There is no limit to the amount of useful feedback an agency can get from its customers, so long as the methods for giving feedback are accessible and clear. Start by leaving comment cards everywhere! That is, provide ample means for your customers to offer feedback, through as many platforms as are possible and contextually relevant: Web forms, email inbox, voice mailbox, call center, social media like Facebook and Twitter, the news media, and good ol' fashioned snail mail. Behind the scenes, capture this information and convert it into standardized formats so you can organize and extract the best possible data. You're probably already doing some, even most, of these things to collect feedback. Now ask yourself: "Do we meaningfully analyze and use this feedback to improve our services on a regular basis?" If not, there's an opportunity for you, one that is specifically called for by President Obama.

6. Make use of Mobile technology in every available way.

Agencies have a HUGE opportunity to improve customer service through one single focus: making your content and services mobile-friendly. We are a nation on-the-go; most Americans now own a mobile phone or two, often with full web browsing... and at a minimum, texting. There are a number of innovative ways to push services to agency customers via mobile technology. Working mobile versions of websites are just the start. Smart phone apps, text message notifications, and location-based services are all maturing to a level where they are ripe for smart use by government. Upsides include lowering costs and speeding delivery times, both goals singled out in the executive order.

7. Empower your employees with a leading-edge CRM tool.

The key to making lasting improvements in customer service is staying organized. You want all the hard work you do — connecting with customers, providing answers, resolving issues, soliciting feedback — to be captured and stored so that it can inform future efforts. All the above improvements can go to waste if your agency is not equipped to efficiently respond to customer requests and deliver the necessary service. The leading customer relationship management (CRM) platforms on the market provide a suite of tools to do all the customer service essentials: centralize contacts, automate emails and other communications, flag contacts for follow-ups, track progress, view customer history... and more. If your agency is looking for a signature initiative that will "use technology to improve the customer experience," in order to comply with the President's executive order, then setting up a CRM tool is a great place to start.

Learn more about Microsoft's customer relationship management tools for the public sector at Microsoft Government.