I recently had to use the government digital services from both the United Kingdom and New Zealand to complete some personal admin.
As with anything related to income, taxes, licences, or identity verification, things can be complex. And sometimes, you just need to speak to someone to get things sorted.
The UK’s Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had me on the phone for almost an hour without a resolution in sight. I’ve previously blogged about issues I’ve had with HMRC, and it felt like much the same.
New Zealand’s service, on the other hand, was a completely different experience. The customer service desk was up and running at 5am New Zealand time when I called. The agent quickly diagnosed the issue. They then gave me step-by-step instructions to resolve my issue.
Both institutions have the same marketing spiel: to make it safe, easy, and simple to access the government’s digital services.
But the actual product and service experience was night and day.
My lesson and reflection for today: Marketing will fade. So focus on the product, invest in your craft, and let the results speak for themselves.