What You Need to Know: In honor of International Customer Experience Day, the Employment Development Department is proud to highlight recent customer experience improvements designed to deliver easier and more satisfying interactions with the Department. Those efforts include simplifying benefit applications, implementing clear plain language, and a 24/7 multilingual virtual assistant (chatbot). All done to deliver a smoother, faster, and more user-friendly customer experience.
SACRAMENTO — Today, the Employment Development Department (EDD) is joining countless others across the globe as they take time out to celebrate the importance of putting customers at the heart of an organization. Observed during Customer Service Week, International Customer Experience (CX) Day, is a great opportunity to recognize the dedication, innovation, and teamwork that drive customer-first service every day. The EDD is proud to spotlight its efforts in transforming into an even more customer-centered department with initiatives focused on improving the overall experience for Californians.
Last year’s enhancements included the launching of direct deposit, expanding and improving customer surveys, and strengthening language access to best serve California’s diverse population. These were just some of the latest enhancements delivered by EDDNext, the Department’s multi-year modernization effort to transform the customer and employee experience.
“Our customers count on us, and we’re delivering on that trust by modernizing our programs to provide a seamless, reliable experience. We remain dedicated to ensuring people can access the services they need — quickly, efficiently, and in the way that works best for them.”
Evolving the Customer Experience
Many customers express that they want effective self-serve options and EDD continues to deliver on that request as part of overall modernization efforts. So far, EDD has rolled out a variety of CX improvements, including:
- Streamlined Online Benefit Applications – Applied 4,500 hours of customer research to reduce questions, simplify the language, and clarify instructions on online applications for unemployment and disability benefits for a faster and better customer experience. Customers are expressing gratitude for the changes and more than 80% rate their experience as excellent or good.
- Upgraded the EDD Virtual Assistant – Added self-service options for getting highly requested updates on the status of a disability or Paid Family Leave benefit claim, made the chatbot available in California’s top eight languages so our diverse customer base can access the help available, and are piloting a new live chat option for those needing additional assistance on their unemployment claim.
- Enhanced Online Eligibility Questionnaires - Provided help so far to nearly 300,000 unemployment customers to resolve their eligibility issues faster and move forward with their claim. These online questionnaires are now available for all eligibility issues, avoiding the need to schedule a telephone interview.
- Launched a Plain Language Initiative – EDD has launched a plain language initiative aimed at making program information easier to understand for everyone. The Department’s been honored with a Best of California Award for its commitment to making government services more accessible, inclusive, and human-centered. Notices, forms, and instructions have been rewritten so they’re easier to read and understand with less jargon and more step-by-step guidance.
- Improved Disability Insurance Contact Centers – EDD has modernized its disability contact centers so Californians can check their disability claim status 24/7 without talking to an agent. These same improvements will soon be launched for Paid Family Leave customers.
Major enhancements continue in the months ahead as EDD moves towards announcing a major technology upgrade to EDD’s claims management systems. A new advanced system will help speed up the claims processes, sync various programs, and make identity checks faster and easier. This effort will significantly enhance the customer experience and increase the efficiency of EDD programs and services.
EDD is committed to incorporating customer-centered principles into daily operations, establishing a dedicated Customer Experience Division to help lead Department efforts. The team engages in customer research to learn what is important to those seeking EDD services, as well as gathers critical feedback through an enhanced Voice of the Customer program to help the EDD measure and fine-tune its development efforts.
“EDD is committed to modernizing our services with a focus on what best meets our customers’ needs. That means we’re testing our approaches with our customers, collecting their input, and applying insights to the design, development, and refinement of our improving systems.”
EDD CX Officer Mai Do
EDD invites Californians to keep updated on its modernization efforts and improvements through its bi-monthly Benefiting Californians newsletter and its EDDNext webpage.