Enhancing Customer Experience (CX)

Why are we focusing on Customer Experience?

Think of the last time you called your doctor’s office. How was your interaction? Or maybe you don’t call anymore because you can chat online or use a patient portal. Do you use those things? Are they convenient? In just one interaction, you may have positive or poor service, but your overall experience includes making an appointment, going online to pay a bill, checking your patient portal, as well as showing up to see the doctor. People and technology, conversations, and automated processes all play a role in customer experience, for your doctor’s office and in OIT.

Our goal is to become the preferred support partner for CMS. To reach this goal, we need to create a consistent, positive experience with OIT, so teams feel confident that we understand their needs and are here to help. The OIT Customer Experience (CX) Optimization team recently gathered feedback directly from CMS components to find out where we can improve and how we can more clearly convey how our products and services solve their needs. Through these customer interviews, and our previous experiences with programs like Navigator and Partner Relationship Management (PRM), we have learned a lot about perceptions of OIT and ways that we could improve our customer experience.

Read on for highlights from this round of customer interviews.

Who do I call?

OIT is so broad and often divided by specialties that even within our team, we don’t always know what other teams do or who to reach out to for specific expertise. This makes it hard to give our partners (and even each other) quick, accurate answers or to provide fully integrated solutions. Often, people find themselves “phoning a friend” and hoping for the best, rather than trying to determine the right place to get started engaging with OIT. While leveraging personal relationships works for some, it is not inclusive for those we are looking to build new or stronger relationships.

Where are we going with technology?

CMS stakeholders don’t always know what OIT’s current products and services are. They expressed a need for a roadmap that outlines both OIT’s current and upcoming capabilities. This roadmap would help other offices and components make more informed technology decisions and align their planning with OIT’s offerings. With clear visibility into OIT’s roadmap, customers can anticipate changes, adjust budgets, and more effectively use our services to meet their goals.

How else might we…?

We introduced the concept of a “Fusion Team” during interviews, based on Gartner’s model. When asked about applying the Fusion Team model within OIT, CMS components gave this model positive feedback, especially appreciating the consistent, long-term engagement it enables. Fusion Teams would allow us to stay connected with customers throughout their entire journey with OIT, ensuring ongoing support and collaboration. This idea really resonated with our customers.

What’s Next?

Our CX Optimization Fusion Team will continue to analyze these insights, share findings, and explore piloting the Fusion Model with interested CMS components. By focusing on transparency, collaboration, and a customer-centered approach, we aim to become a trusted partner to CMS and build stronger, more responsive relationships that support our collective CMS mission.

This article is the first in a series of articles about Customer Experience (CX) in OIT. To learn more about the CX Optimization Surge and Fusion efforts, reach out to your Deputy Group Director.