How government can meet the rising demand for digital services

The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated digital transformation for organizations of all sizes and across all sectors. With that change, Canadians’ expectations for streamlined, simple digital services are shifting, too.

Citizens are now looking for consumer-grade experiences from government. With demand for digital experiences increasing across all generations of Canadians, government has an opportunity to streamline their services for the digital age.

We recently polled Canadians to better understand the overall citizen experience while accessing government services. And it’s clear there are some challenges with current processes. But many Canadians believe their experience navigating government services would be simplified if more digital choices were available, such as live chat functions and mobile-friendly options.

Click the image below to see our infographic that uncovers more about the opportunities Canadians see for accessing government services and where digital workflows have the potential to transform the experience through speed and simplicity. You can also download the complete Citizen experience in Canada report

Accessibility note: The infographic is transcribed below the graphic.

Transcript of infographic

Citizen experience: Unpacking access to government services

With the global pandemic putting digital transformation on the fast track, expectations are shifting—including for government. See how Canadians feel about access to government services and where there’s opportunity to deliver great experiences.

Experiences matter

A great citizen experience has a positive impact on opinions.
61% of Canadians say positive experiences with public services improve their overall perception of government.
And 56% of Canadians say good experiences increase the chance of future interactions with government.
But accessing services can be a challenge.
46% of Canadians rely on someone else to help them access public services.
Why?
3 in 10 need help because the process is too complicated.
2 in 10 say they don’t know how to do it or where to go.

Starting off on the wrong foot

Challenges accessing government services start early.
6 in 10 Canadians have faced challenges making contact with the right government department.
Why?
52% say it was hard to get through to support, and phone lines were busy.
25% couldn’t find the right contact information they needed.
24% got bounced around to different departments.
And 40% say they faced a technical challenge, including using the website or portal.

Digital can make a difference

Demand for digital is here, with most Canadians preferring to access government services online and on mobile.
8 in 10 Canadians think navigating government services would be simpler with more digital tools.
What services would help?
8 in 10 say greater use of automation or live chat functions.
And 3 in 4 want mobile-friendly options.

The global pandemic has shifted expectations long term.
3 in 4 say the pandemic has made them more open to accessing government services digitally.
And 85% want access to government services digitally after the pandemic ends.

The digital customer service opportunity

Consumer brands are doing a better job of customer service than government.
8 in 10 believe consumer companies provide better customer service than government.
4 in 10 say better customer service would have improved their recent dealings with government.

Governments have an opportunity to deliver the customer service Canadians want with digital tools.
84% want real-time support, such as live online chat formats or SMS text messages for real-time support.

Deliver a better government digital service experience.
See how ServiceNow can help.
servicenow.com/solutions/industry/gov.html

This online survey was facilitated by Edelman in collaboration with Angus Reid. The study was in field between March 15 and 20, 2021, in collaboration with Angus Reid. It included a nationally representative sample of 1,500 Canadian adults aged 18+, and was offered in both English and French.