Serving large populations comes with unique challenges. For government agencies that support entire cities or counties, managing a customer base can be time-consuming and costly. The public depends on these agencies to provide crucial services, often leading to a staff overwhelmed by phone calls and office visits with customers who want answers quickly. Proactive messaging solutions, whether through email, phone, or SMS messages, can address these communication challenges, providing greater transparency for customers and alleviating staff workload.

Community Development Automation

For agencies that manage inspections and permits, creating greater transparency in the process can resolve many questions or concerns for customers and contractors. With an automated, proactive messaging solution, they will receive updates on inspection results as soon as they’re available. This can be incredibly helpful to customers, especially if they are managing multiple job sites.

Automated messaging creates benefits for agency staff as well. As customers begin to understand they will receive results automatically, the need to contact the agency for updates decreases. In fact, creating more transparency enhances customer trust. As their needs are getting met faster they grow to trust the process and the agency more.

Depending on your agency’s processes, there could be several automated notices that could support your customer base. Two examples of these are inspection results or an issued permit notification, both of which reduce office calls. Notices that alert customers to expiring permits can also be incredibly helpful in spurring customers to take necessary action while also boosting revenue.  

Inspector-Initiated Alerts

Arming inspectors with a way to securely notify contractors of their ETA is an option that many agencies are eager to offer, though they don’t have the technology. With an “up next” notification, agencies can bridge the gap between inspector and contractor, allowing them to plan more effectively and be ready for the inspector when they arrive. This inspector-initiated alert enhances customer satisfaction, providing further means of building trust between the agency and the communities they serve.

Enhancing the Customer Experience

In an era where customer expectations are higher than ever, supporting transparent communication can foster strong, positive relationships with customers. Through building proactive messaging into inspection or permitting processes, customers feel valued and respected. With reduced status update calls, staff can focus their time on customers who need direct support, further increasing positive regard for the agency. On-boarding automated messaging solutions can make a beneficial and generative impact on operations today and into a bright future.