The customer comes first at forum

One of the ways government is like business is that they both have customers, particularly when government offers enhanced services online. That’s why customer relationship management has become a hot topic in government circles—it not only helps managers focus on delivering citizen-centric services, it can help agencies achieve paperless processes and other IT goals.CRM was the subject of a recent all-day forum in Washington presented by the Digital Government Institute, the Council for Excellence in Government and GCN, along with several federal IT groups.Top left: Carol Koehler, information platform business manager in sales and marketing for the Postal Service, desbribes USPS’ CRM implementation.Top middle: Jerry Songy, director of taxpayer education and communication for the IRS Small Business/Self Employment Division, talks about the service’s project.Top right: Gayle Sienicki, program manager for the Transportation Department’s Do It Yourself Web site, offers another best practice.Bottom right: Richard W. Culp, director of telecommunications at the Veterans Benefits Administration, talks about VBA’s progress.Bottom middle: Sandra Borden, project manager for the Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Services Project, moderates the session on best practices. Bottom left: Tony Trenkle, director of electronic services for the Social Security Administration, speaks on managing expectations.