Federal Agency Customer Experience Act of 2018
Floor Speech
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I rise today in support of H.R. 2846, sponsored by Congressman Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
The Federal Government is in the service industry. Members of this Chamber and our staffs work every day, both here and in our respective districts, to serve our constituents, the American people. The same can be said of the executive branch.
For instance, the Department of Veterans Affairs serves this Nation's military men and women by providing healthcare services, funding education under the GI Bill, and helping veterans and their families afford homes.
However, the 2017 American Customer Satisfaction Index found that the Federal Government ranks near the bottom of all industries in the United States when it comes to customer service. The Federal Government can and must do better for the very people who pay its bills.
In the private sector, companies understand the importance of customer service. As Americans, we can barely go one day without being asked by a company to provide feedback, whether it is when we make a purchase online, when we call our banks or credit card companies, or when we go out to eat at a restaurant. But Federal agencies often don't prioritize customer feedback because they don't have to compete for customers.
The Federal Agency Customer Experience Act will change that by requiring certain high-impact agencies to collect voluntary feedback on the services they provide, while also making it easier for other agencies to do the same if they choose to.
Using feedback provided by the public, agencies will know more about which aspects of their services are working and which need to be improved. The voluntary questionnaires created under this bill will address the individual's satisfaction with a specific agency interaction and ensure they were treated with professionalism and respect.
Finally, the Government Accountability Office will create governmentwide customer experience scorecards to show everyone which agencies excel and which agencies need to improve.
I thank the bipartisan group of my colleagues who supported H.R. 2846 during committee consideration of the bill, and I urge all Members to support this legislation.
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