For the past 12 months, our senior leaders have participated in our new Service Delivery Immersion Program.

The program gives senior leaders a deeper understanding of how we deliver services and how the decisions they make affect Australians.

In the program, senior leaders experience customer service roles firsthand and talk with staff about pressures and difficulties they face. Senior leaders are then using these insights to address challenges impacting customer experience.

Jordan Hatch, General Manager of Customer and Staff Digital Programs, says he gained valuable customer perspectives from the program.

‘Customers will come into a service centre for a variety of reasons,’ Jordan said, ‘their situations are often complex.

‘Our staff do their best to connect the dots. However, that can be difficult when they’re working across multiple systems or using tools that aren’t fit for purpose.

‘I saw a number of customers come in with myGov related enquiries. The tools staff used to help customers couldn’t show them what was going on in the customer’s myGov account.

‘We’re now rolling out a tool that lets staff see what’s happening in the customer’s account. This helps staff identify the problem faster and provide more tailored support to the customer.

‘We’re also piloting system improvements across 18 different locations that reduce the need for staff to switch between multiple systems when assisting customers.

‘This means staff can spend more time supporting our customers and less time navigating complex systems and processes,” Jordan said.

The program is also building relationships between senior leaders and service delivery staff. The insights from this immersive experience are helping us implement changes that make life easier for staff and customers alike.