Services Australia are on a mission to rethink new ways of operating their service centres.

Julie Hockey, General Manager of Face to Face Transformation at Services Australia presented at the Government Customer Contact Week Summit how her team were re-imagining face to face service delivery by merging digital and in-person experiences together.

Julie says their team focus on 4 customer service fundamental principles, which includes:

1. People First, Process Second

2. Digital to Delight

3. Offering Options

4. Creating the Right Environment

By aligning their organisation to these core principles, her team were able to design new service centres that will offer citizens the opportunity to learn more about how to use their digital services at home. In service centres across Australia, they are in the process of rolling out digital coaching appointments, the ability to request support to use their digital services, and centres that include kiosks and computers for those that do not have the technology at home.

Julie said her team’s approach focuses creating warm and inviting support centres that are also visually appealing.

“Spaces and furniture have been designed to be fresh and contemporary, to meet accessibility standards and provide private spaces while maintaining appropriate security,” she says.

By putting in place greenery, such as plants, and blue walls and timber floorboards, they were able to design service centres that made customers feel calm and welcomed.

“It’s a stark contrast to what it used to be, and we’re just so proud and passionate on what we’re doing to make the experience better.”