Favourability is your currency

Public sector customers do not have the same choices as they do for their utility provider, restaurant or car insurance policy.  They are a relatively captive audience and, in being so, local authorities do not have to worry too much about losing them. 

Which is perhaps one of the reasons that the public sector has been historically lacking in their marketing and communications.

In today’s app driven, social networking Big Society, it is not enough to deliver required services. Customers will voice their dissatisfaction if their expectations are not met, but will not think anything special when they are. And you won’t really know what those expectations are until you find out that you didn’t meet them!

One of the difficulties in building a positive reputation is that the overwhelming majority of residents consume council and local authority services on an arm’s length basis. Their bins get collected, the street lights work, the grass gets cut, etc. 


There only seem to be with the local authority if customers are on benefit, need housing, are building something or something major is planned for their area. Or if there's a problem.

Given that the successful delivery of services to a majority of customers goes unnoticed - and there is little direct communications to say what has been done - it is no wonder that local authorities generally have a low perception among their residents.

How do you turn this perception around?  Well, for a start, begin to get yourself noticed.

Be proactive in your communications; tell customers what is being done on their behalf; and that a considerable amount of time, effort, logistical coordination, etc goes into each aspect of service delivery.

Put forward the position that you are actually pretty good at looking after them; explain the complexities and challenges that are part of every decision made. Begin to give insight into how you work and, more pointedly, what people are getting for their money.

The benefit to being regarded favourably is that customers are more likely to be accommodating of your requests; more accepting of your explanations; and more collaborative in their interactions with you. 


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