Government agencies are investing more in customer experience than ever before. Digital transformation budgets are at record highs, new platforms are launching regularly, and there's a genuine commitment to improving community services.
Yet something interesting is happening with satisfaction scores. They're staying remarkably steady. The latest data shows some fascinating patterns that every Solver should understand.
What's behind the CSAT plateau, and more importantly, how can data-driven decision making unlock better outcomes for your community?
In this edition of the Scoop we’ll explore:
- Why satisfaction scores are stuck, and what it really means for CS
- How Darwin turned more requests into stronger community trust
- A sneak peek at CSAT insights, just a click away in the Portal
- How Waimakariri is using transparency to boost public confidence
- A brand new video in your Solver kit to help boost local engagement
The digital investment paradox
Here’s the puzzle keeping CS leaders up at night: despite record investment in digital government services, satisfaction scores aren’t rising.
The latest Forrester Customer Experience Index shows the average CX score for the Australian government sector fell by 3.5 points compared to the previous year, its lowest level on record. All ten government agencies included in the study were rated as either ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.
So why isn’t satisfaction improving?
While digital channels do perform better (86% satisfaction vs. 79% for non-digital), tech alone isn’t shifting the dial. One reason? Many initiatives are still designed from the inside out.
As Deloitte puts it:
“The ‘inside-out’ approach contributes to the challenges faced by local government, which involves making most changes ‘by government for government."When digital services are shaped around internal systems and processes, not customer needs, they often miss what really matters to communities.
That’s where customer-centred design makes the difference. By starting from the outside in, listening first, then designing, councils can build services that are more intuitive, responsive, and impactful. It’s this shift in mindset that sets the stage for better CSAT outcomes.
Because satisfaction isn’t just about access, it’s about experience. And when communities feel heard and supported, trust follows.
Why Darwin welcomes more requests
The City of Darwin is flipping the script on customer service workload: more requests don’t mean more problems, they mean more insight.
In a recent webinar, Keith Whannell, Manager of Digital Innovation, shared this key learning.
Instead of treating high request volumes as a burden, the City of Darwin embraced them as opportunities to listen, respond, and build community trust. They actively encourage feedback and ratings, using every submission as actionable information.
“The work is already out there. It’s just the channel of approach was refined.”
Watch the full webinar to see how they transformed their approach to community feedback and plan to turn reporting into relationship building.
Get ready: CSAT insights are coming to the Portal
We're bringing customer satisfaction insights directly to your fingertips, with our new and upcoming Portal dashboard.
Here’s what’s releasing soon:
- All your monthly CSAT data, available on demand
- Custom date ranges so you can drill into the details
- Plus, if you're on our Enterprise plan, you’ll also get trending data and deeper insights to spot patterns and improve service proactively
Whether you're prepping for a meeting, monitoring shifts in sentiment, or planning your next improvement, this is satisfaction data, working on your schedule.
It’s all about smarter, faster, more responsive decision-making.
Building trust through transparency
Waimakariri District Council is setting a new standard for community engagement by publicly sharing their Snap Send Solve data. Rather than keeping performance metrics internal, they're celebrating their 93% Solve rate as a shared achievement with the community.
This kind of transparency does more than highlight strong performance. It shows accountability and proves that when residents report issues, it leads to real outcomes. Openly sharing data builds trust and reassures communities that their input matters.
New in your Solver Kit
There's a fresh addition to the Solver kit, a new video showing how simple it is for communities to report issues quickly, confidently, and on the go. Designed to support your messaging and boost local engagement, this video helps make proactive reporting feel like second nature for residents.
Use it on your website, in social campaigns, or at community events to show how simple community reporting can be.
Ready to make data-driven decisions about satisfaction?
Whether you're curious about improving your CSAT insights, want to explore community engagement strategies, or need support turning satisfaction data into actionable improvements, we're here to help.
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