WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Organizations, Congressional Leaders, Business Leaders Applaud President Biden's Executive Order on Improving Customer Experience and Service Delivery for the American People

Today, a wide range of organizations, Congressional leaders, and business leaders applauded President Biden's new Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government—part of the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to ensuring an effective, equitable, and accountable Government that meets the needs of its people.

The Executive Order directs Federal agencies to put people at the center of everything the Government does. Specifically, the Executive Order includes 36 customer experience (CX) improvement commitments across 17 Federal agencies, all of which aim to improve people's lives and the delivery of Government services. It also creates a sustained, cross-government service delivery process that aligns to the moments that matter most in people's lives—like turning 65, having a child, or applying for a small business loan.

See below for what they are saying:

Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee: "Americans are counting on the government to provide them with effective, accessible services. Chairman @SenGaryPeters applauds @POTUS for taking these important actions to ensure Americans can receive critical federal services quickly and equitably." [Statement, 12/13/21]

Virginia Congressman Gerry Connolly, Chairman of the House Government Operations subcommittee: "With trust in government at an all-time low, it is crucial that the Administration and Congress work together to improve how the public interacts and receives services from the federal government," said Connolly. "Government services should be human-centered and minimize complexity and administrative burden and costs. I have led key legislative efforts that would enable all levels of government to design services around the customer. President Biden's EO advances the opportunity for federal agencies to deliver a world-class customer experience and ultimately improve trust in government." [Statement, 12/13/21]

Rob Larew, President, National Farmers Union: "Federal programs need to be accessible to those they are designed to serve. The executive order announced today by President Biden is an encouraging step forward. Family farmers and ranchers must be able to efficiently apply for U. S. Department of Agriculture loans and services online, and efforts to improve that process are welcome. National Farmers Union looks forward to working with the Biden Administration to ensure the order is carried out effectively to better serve family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities." [Statement, 12/13/21]

Brad J. Kieserman, Vice President, Disaster Operations & Logistics, American Red Cross: In the face of increasing disasters, the American Red Cross welcomes and supports this important and compassionate effort by the Federal government to improve the experience of those suffering in the wake of disasters by streamlining the process and reducing barriers to access for assistance. [Statement, 12/13/21]

Amanda Renteria, Chief Executive Officer, Code for America: The executive order signed today clearly indicates that streamlining access and customer experience is a goal that will be supported and advanced through federal leadership and public-private partnerships, and we look forward to continuing to provide support to states across the country. Looking ahead, we understand that the signing of an executive order is just the beginning. Transformation doesn't happen overnight. The hard work of this effort–as it is with every effort to provide government services–comes in reimagining service delivery and ultimately in implementation….If done thoughtfully, this initiative could fundamentally transform the relationship between people and their government, helping to restore faith in our institutions and deliver more equitable outcomes for millions of people in America. Let's get to work. [Statement, 12/13/201]

David Garrison, Senior Vice President of Corporate Safety and Security, Delta Airlines: "We applaud the administration for taking decisive action to improve the customer experience for all Americans, including across the travel ribbon, and we look forward to our continued collaboration. At Delta Air Lines, we have never wavered in our commitment to deliver a seamless and enjoyable experience for our customers. As more customers return to the skies, we're making travel easier by evolving the airport experience to meet changing needs, removing most change fees, and providing more flexibility with policy changes and loyalty benefits. We're also making brand-differentiating investments in technology to enable efficiency and improve our digital capabilities. And we're working closely with our partners at TSA, CBP and elsewhere to improve the experience at security and at international checkpoints, especially as borders reopen. We're always learning from our experiences and using those insights to constantly improve how we serve our customers. And our people are key to our success – they're the best in the industry, and they work hard to deliver on our brand promise to our customers every day." [Statement, 12/13/21]

Nicholas E. Calio, President and CEO, Airlines for America: "As U.S. airlines prepare to reunite families, friends and loved ones over the holiday travel season, we want to applaud the Administration and federal agencies – including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – for their efforts to prioritize a safe, seamless air travel experience for all travelers. We appreciate the initiatives in today's Executive Order, "Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government," that will make the passport renewal process more efficient for travelers. In addition, advanced security technologies will help relieve congestion at TSA checkpoints and provide for a smoother journey. We are encouraged that Americans have been returning to the skies at a rapid pace over the past several months and look forward to welcoming back even more customers during the holidays. We will continue to work collaboratively with the Administration and federal agencies as we look toward a full recovery of the airline industry." [Statement, 12/13/21]

Max Stier, President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service: "Partnership for Public Service applauds executive order on improving federal customer experience and rebuilding trust in government WASHINGTON – Max Stier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, released the following statement about the executive order on improving the customer experience in federal services and rebuilding trust in the government that President Joe Biden plans to sign this afternoon. "To restore faith in our government while trust is at historic lows, federal agencies must use every interaction with the public to prove that they are proactively addressing their needs," Stier said. "Whether it's renewing a passport, managing student loans or providing disaster relief, the services provided by our government change lives every day. By putting the public—the customers of the federal government—at the center of every interaction, we have the opportunity to rebuild trust and strengthen our democracy. "The Biden administration has made it a priority to improve the federal customer experience by laying out specific goals in the recently released President's Management Agenda. Today's executive order is an important step toward accomplishing those goals, and the Partnership for Public Service looks forward to working with the administration to improve trust, ensure equity and empower public servants to help the government more effectively serve the public." The Partnership for Public Service and Accenture Federal Services issue an annual "Government for the People" report that examines customer experience best practices and opportunities for improvement across the federal government. The 2021 report, released in November, studied how trust in government is related to the public's experience using federal services with a special focus on equity in service delivery. This year's "Government for the People" report profiled 15 federal agencies and their efforts to improve the experience for their customers. Insights from the report include: • Agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs have demonstrated it is possible to shift the mindset of an entire agency to a customer-first ethos. Its enterprise-wide, comprehensive customer experience initiatives have raised trust in the VA among veterans by 24% since 2016. • Government customers deserve to expect easy and positive experiences with a government that thinks of customer needs and measure the success of these efforts to reduce administrative burden on customers. More than a decade of work to understand and reimagine the experience of applying for federal student loans has resulted in Federal Student Aid transforming the end-to-end financial aid experience, including redesigning the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. What used to be a complex, paper-based process is now a simple one that can be completed on a smartphone. Customer satisfaction with the mobile app scored 89 out of 100. • Federal agencies are making progress in building inclusive research and listening strategies, starting with what they need to know about all possible eligible customers, not what's easy to access. In 2018, only the VA collected and published customer experience feedback. In 2021, 18 organizations providing high-impact services are doing so. During the past 20 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government works by providing agencies with the data insights they need to succeed, developing effective leaders, inspiring the next generation to public service, facilitating smooth presidential transitions and recognizing exceptional federal employees. Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more." [Statement, 12/13/21]

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices: "America's small businesses are ready, willing, and able to bounce back and build back better. Many of us are still struggling to recover from the pandemic, and need access to capital to thrive in the future. The 10,000 Small Businesses Voices community welcomes this commitment from the Biden Administration to be responsive to the needs of small businesses and improve the process of applying for critical funding." [Statement, 12/13/21]

Anne Zimmer, co-chair, Small Business for America's Future: "Small business owners, who have spent years navigating a complex and tedious bureaucracy to gain access to capital and secure federal pandemic relief, will welcome the Biden Administration's directive for federal agencies to streamline their customer service processes with small businesses in mind. The executive order will help relieve the administrative burden that comes from navigating federal programs and should help small business owners spend more time on managing and growing their businesses. It cuts the "time tax" small business owners pay by navigating complicated and time-consuming bureaucratic processes to receive federal support. Small business owners are the backbone of the nation's economy, driving economic growth and job creation--and entrepreneurship is a powerful vehicle to expand economic opportunity to all Americans. As an organization with a network of more than 80,000 small business owners, actions such as this executive order help improve access to federal support, which is crucial at all times, but especially as small businesses build back from the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge swift implementation by the Biden Administration." [Statement, 12/13/12]

Eddie Monroy, Executive Director, NextGen Chamber of Commerce: "Today's Executive Order to put people first and improve customer experience is exactly what the American public deserves. Businesses and the public will benefit from this people centric initiative which seeks to reduce time and barriers when interacting with government programs. This bold step will make it easier for businesses and the public to access government services." [Statement, 12/13/12]

Liz Fairchild, Executive Director, Business Forward: "President Biden's Executive Order, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, takes a whole-of-government approach to improving the delivery of essential services to the American people. The announcement includes improvements to accessing and managing benefits, tax services, and financing small businesses. These actions, especially those aimed at updating IRS services and health care systems, will ensure taxpayer dollars are being used to make government more responsive to working families. American taxpayers will be provided with new online tools and the option to schedule customer support calls. More patients will have the option to use telehealth, protecting the health and wellbeing of workers who otherwise struggle to see health care providers, like those in rural areas and with disabilities." [Statement, 12/13/12]

Tara Dawson McGuinness, Fellow and Senior Adviser, New Practice Lab and Hana Schank, Director of Strategy, Public Interest Technology, New America: President Lincoln, leading a country of 31 million, became perhaps the first U.S. President to conduct user research when he opened the doors to the White House for post-breakfast meetings with citizens. Just as it was in Lincoln's time, there is no serving the American people without support from the top. After years spent studying how governments successfully solve problems and serve their citizens, the lesson is simple: true transformation requires leadership from the top. Today, President Biden is sending a clear message to the leaders of every agency to focus on people and improve their experience with their government. Today, the White House published an executive order that opens the door for federal agencies to radically transform how they serve the American public. [Statement, 12/13/12]

Rick Parrish, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Government Customer Experience: This executive order is a bold and transformative step in making it easier for customers to work with the federal government. Improving federal XC is a win for everyone: customers have better experiences, employees have better workplaces, and agencies perform more efficiently. [Link, 12/13/2021]