The UK government is declaring war on infuriating public sector customer service, launching a new unit that will harness artificial intelligence to consign long phone waits and cumbersome paperwork to history.
CustomerFirst: A Blueprint for Digital Transformation
Ministers have established CustomerFirst, a dedicated team within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Its mission is to identify and implement AI-driven solutions to make clunky, inefficient public services faster and easier for citizens to use.
The initiative aims to foster a significant cultural shift, moving away from a frustrating 'computer says no' mentality that too often blocks access to essential services. Minister for Digital Government, Ian Murray, stated that people are frequently put off by the "frustration that comes with waiting on hold, filling in endless forms, and jumping through hoop after hoop."
DVLA to Pilot AI-Driven Service Improvements
The first organisation to benefit from the CustomerFirst overhaul will be the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The unit will focus on streamlining customer interactions related to driving licences, vehicle registration, and other motoring services.
DVLA CEO Tim Moss said the agency has "a track record of delivering great digital services" and is eager to "further develop the next generation of high-quality services that citizens should expect." Success at the DVLA is intended to create a blueprint for rolling out similar improvements across Whitehall, with the potential to unlock £4 billion in cost savings by moving more operations online.
Learning from Private Sector Success
The government plans to emulate the customer service excellence seen in leading private sector companies. CustomerFirst will be led by Tristan Thomas, formerly of digital bank Monzo, and co-chaired by Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy.
Octopus Energy provides a compelling case study: the company already uses generative AI tools to draft 35 per cent of all customer emails, which has significantly reduced waiting times. Mr Jackson's firm now boasts customer satisfaction ratings of 70 per cent, a benchmark the public sector will strive to match.
The government has announced it is open to expressions of interest from further experts wanting to contribute to this ambitious programme of digital transformation and service improvement.
