    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [September 20, 1994]
    [Pages 1581-1583]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Announcing the Report on Customer Service Standards
    September 20, 1994

        Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank all of you for being here.
    Under Secretary Frank Newman and all those who were on the subcommittee
    on customer service to the Presi-

    [[Page 1582]]

    dent's Management Council, in particular, I thank you for your work.
        Today we are releasing a report that I think is literally unique in
    the annals of the Federal Government. It is called ``Putting Customers
    First: Standards for Serving the American People.'' It contains specific
    new commitments for more than 100 agencies to improve the way Government
    serves the American people.
        The Vice President released a report of the National Performance
    Review a year ago this month. It included dozens of extremely important
    reforms that have already had a profound impact on our Federal deficit,
    on funding the crime bill, and on making Washington work better for
    ordinary citizens. Of all the recommendations it contained, however, one
    I chose to enact immediately by Executive order was designed to force
    the Government to respect the needs of ordinary citizens again by
    treating them as valued customers. This report describes what has taken
    place as a result of that order.
        The order called for a fundamental change in Government. It set
    forth a requirement that Government services shall be equal to the best
    in business. And it commanded the agencies, for the first time, to set
    and publish specific standards for the services they provide to the
    public. Over the past two decades, there has been a renaissance in
    quality and customer service in corporate America. There's no reason
    these same principles cannot apply with equal force in our Government.
    There's no reason for an application to Government agencies to take
    months or for a phone call to go unanswered.
        We face many great challenges as a nation, and we can and will meet
    them. But in order for Government to do the big things well and in
    partnership with the American people, it must do the small things better
    as well, in ways that increase the confidence of the American people. It
    must earn that confidence in many ways, one customer at a time. This
    report will help us to do that.
        Better customer service will also save us money. For example,
    Veterans Affairs is already redesigning the way it handles benefit
    applications so that veterans get faster and more personalized service.
    The new system takes 8 steps instead of 25, requires fewer people, costs
    20 percent less. When the IRS stopped generating puzzling form letters
    in response to taxpayers' questions and--[laughter]--I used to be one of
    those taxpayers that got those published--and let their employees write
    and sign sensible answers instead, believe it or not, the cost decreased
    by $600,000. That's the equivalent of what 100 average families pay in
    Federal taxes each year.
        These examples demonstrate a larger truth. That is, employees of the
    Federal Government have become partners in the search for better
    service. They also are fed up with the redtape. They, too, want to serve
    customers better, and the National Performance Review has empowered them
    to do so.
        Let me give you another example closer to home. This report recounts
    the story of Jackie Collins-Miller, the branch manager of Baltimore's
    Social Security office. Not long ago, she got a call from a woman who
    had received someone else's check by mistake. Jackie Collins-Miller
    jumped in her car, picked up the check, mailed it to the rightful owner,
    and called a few days later to make sure it had arrived. That's service
    that rivals anything you'll see in the private sector.
        This story reflects the work that has been done throughout the
    Government, simply to listen to the people who pay the bills and are
    supposed to receive the service. When taxpayers said they wanted forms
    and instructions that were easier to understand, the IRS listened. When
    businesses going through customs in Miami said they wanted to get in and
    out quicker, the U.S. Customs listened. When veterans said they wanted
    more personal attention, Veterans Affairs listened.
        This report contains more than 1,500 new standards for customer
    service that reflect the direct input of the American people. The
    standards are promises and commitments. In the days ahead, we'll measure
    our performance against these standards and report back to our
    customers.
        The principles represent a major step toward the goal that Congress
    set in the Government Performance and Results Act to promote a new focus
    on results, service quality, and customer satisfaction in Government.
    And these standards help to fulfill the promise that the Vice President
    and I made a long time ago, to put the American people first again.
        Again, this report was not written to sit on a shelf; it's meant to
    be read, used, and followed. Its written and organized to be customer-
    friendly, with chapters labeled Business, Veterans, and so on. Its
    contents are arranged not

    [[Page 1583]]

    by agency or department but by customer group. It's organized for those
    who use Government, not for those in Government.
        Finally, if you're wondering where the Cabinet Secretaries are and
    the agency heads are while I am bragging about what they're doing,
    they're not hiding in a bunker and hoping this will go away. [Laughter]
    Instead, they're busy. We have declared this day Customer Service Day
    all over the United States. And our Cabinet Secretaries are out there
    serving their customers. In Chicago, the Veterans Affairs Secretary,
    Jesse Brown, will help veterans file benefit claims in the regional
    office. In New Britain, Connecticut, HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros will
    help renovate the home of Steven and Rachel Rival, recent recipients of
    a loan which allows people with low or moderate incomes to renovate
    distressed property. Altogether, there are 24 Customer Service Day
    activities taking place across our Nation today.
        Let me close by thanking the Vice President for the extraordinary
    work that he and the National Performance Review folks have done since
    we embarked upon this task. Most people gave our efforts to reduce and
    improve Government service little chance to succeed. But he has proven
    them wrong; all of you have proven them wrong; events have proven them
    wrong. We just have to keep doing what we've been doing.
        I want to thank him for the job he's done in general, and
    specifically for this report, which he will discuss in a moment.
        I said when we introduced the NPR on March 3d, 1933--1993, I'm not
    that old--[laughter]--although I feel that old today--[laughter]--and I
    quote, ``We must change the way Government does business and make the
    taxpayer the valued customer and the boss again.'' We have made a very
    strong beginning. And with the energy and dedication of the people in
    this room and the leadership of the Vice President, we intend to keep on
    doing that as long as we are here.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:50 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House.