The worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, but one of the outcomes that stubbornly persists is a labor shortage. This can adversely impact the ability of courts and other public sector departments to provide constituents with the services and information they need.
One of the reasons courts are particularly impacted is the desire for remote working positions. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a May 2023 report titled “Understanding America’s Labor Shortage” that referenced a Gallop study in 2022 indicating “that 91% of U.S. workers hoped they could continue working some of their hours from home, and three in 10 workers signaled they would seek new employment if they were recalled to the office.” A hybrid workforce though can be difficult for courts to manage given the onsite support needed.
Questions and constituent needs are communicated by phone, through email and websites, and onsite. As courts have re-opened nationally over the past couple of years, they are often faced with administrative challenges that require fewer team members to do more.
Front-end staffs are particularly affected
These administrative challenges specifically impact “front-end” employees who are often among the first to provide service to or answer questions from visitors at a physical location. The days of having a greeter whose sole responsibility is to direct visitors to the right location have passed. Front-end staff members now are likely tasked with multiple roles, and thus may underdeliver customer service to visitors seeking help.
Staff turnover is often high
We’ve seen this in multiple industries – not just the public sector. Lower-paying, entry-level jobs across all industries are more plentiful, which means they come with higher turnover. While this has been true for decades, it became more pronounced during the pandemic when “front-line” staff greeting visitors was seen by some workers as being more dangerous because of the virus threat. Over time, employers and employees realized such roles may not be as important or desirable.
Not all questions are easily answered
Perhaps nothing threatens an organization’s reputation as much as sub-standard customer service. Not answering a visitor’s question or giving incorrection information can lead to significant frustration and brand damage for any organization or employer. In today’s online world, this can also lead to poor Google Reviews or other online comments. While such scenarios may not completely ruin an organization, public perception, especially in the public sector space, matters.
The solution is AI
We’ve all read about artificial intelligence or AI. The “reality” is that it takes many shapes and sizes. For courts and public administration buildings, it can be the solution to help solve the “front-end staffing” customer service conundrum. A self-service, AI-generated kiosk can be implemented to answer visitor questions, directing guests to the information they need, when they need it.
This is a long-term investment with a significant shelf life because updates continuously improve the product. For example, if a new department moves into the building, the kiosk can be programmed to provide the appropriate support for visitors seeking information about that department. The AI-powered kiosk can also easily handle repetitive tasks that employees previously were required to complete.
Best of all, the financial payback for this investment can be significant and short-term especially when it eliminates the necessity for new hires, and/or frees up existing staff members for more strategic and thought-provoking tasks.
In today’s world of remote and hybrid workforces, there is still the need for onsite customer service in the public sector. Against the backdrop of labor shortages, high-tech yet affordable tools exist to bridge the gap between customer service expectations and the availability of labor.