Creating a Better Citizen Experience with a CRM

Trust is hard to win and easy to lose. In 2024, only 58% of Australians said they trust government services, a number that hasn’t shifted since the year before. For many, this is because their experience with their local government is outdated or confusing. Citizens often don’t know who to contact, how to contribute, or where to go for answers.

To change this, governments are turning to CRMs to rebuild trust and modernise the way they serve their community. With a single view of each citizen, CRM software makes it possible to personalise services, cut down wait times, and connect with the community consistently across multi-channels (website, social media, call centres, and more).

In this article, we’re going to take a look at what citizen experience is, the factors that shape it, and how governments can start using CRMs to improve the way they deliver their services.

Citizen experience (CX) is how people see and feel about their interactions with government services, whether that’s online, over the phone, or in person. It’s shaped by clarity, fairness, respect, and whether people feel their needs are met. All of these considerations together influence how much trust citizens place in their government.

Each citizen's experience is also shaped by historical context. In Australia, trust has been damaged by government actions and policies that have harmed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and this history still influences how communities engage with public services today.

As services move online, governments have a responsibility to make sure their services are accessible and inclusive. This is just one stepping stone in helping to rebuild trust and ensure everyone in the community feels supported.

Citizen experience is shaped by how easy, fair, and responsive government services feel. On top of this, one person's experience might be completely different from the next.

Research from the APS shows that trust is linked to life satisfaction, age, and major life events. Women reported lower levels of trust (53%) than men (63%), and people in regional areas also trusted public services less (53%) than those in metro areas (60%).

These differences in trust are shaped by context. For women, a history of being overlooked, feeling unsafe, or struggling to access services that meet their needs can create the sense that systems aren’t built for them. For regional communities, long travel times, limited local services, and fewer digital options often make it harder to get support, also leaving people feeling left behind.

Alongside these differences, there are some universal factors that shape whether people see their experience with the government as positive or negative.

• Digital accessibility: People now expect government services to keep up with the digital experiences they have in other parts of their lives. That means you need self-service options that are simple to navigate and available at any time.
• Personalisation: When services are tailored to people’s circumstances and needs, it helps them feel that the government understands their lives and is fit to support them.
• Efficiency and wait times: Delays, complex processes, or being asked to repeat the same information damage trust and make services feel frustrating or unresponsive.
• Transparency: An outline of steps and regular updates gives citizens the confidence that their request is being taken seriously and not forgotten.
• Feedback loops: When governments listen to people's feedback and show how it actually shaped the outcome, people feel their voice matters and are more likely to engage again.

A customer relationship management (CRM) system is software that helps organisations manage their interactions with the people they serve.

This all-in-one software can replace hundreds of disconnected files and systems, and offer a single, secure view of each citizen. This helps frontline staff deliver more accurate and helpful support. At the same time, back-office teams can analyse the data in the platform to develop better policies that reflect what the community needs.

At a high level, CRMs help government organisations:

• Bring citizen information into one secure place
• Track cases and requests so nothing slips through the cracks
• Connect communication across all channels
• Show what’s working through reporting and analytics
• Automate routine tasks to save time
• Keep data safe and meet privacy requirements

More of a visual learner? Watch the demo to see how Salesforce CRM for government helps organisations deliver better citizen experiences.

CRMs give governments the tools to make services easier to access, more transparent, and responsive. Here are seven practical ways to use your CRM to improve your citizens' experience.

1. Map the citizen journey
2. Use AI to improve services
3. Bring all your data into one place
4. Make processes simpler
5. Connect services across every channel
6. Support staff with training and guidance
7. Keep improving through feedback

The first way to use a CRM to improve services is by mapping the key steps people take when they interact with your organisation. Your CRM will give you visibility into citizens’ online journeys. This could be applying for a permit, reporting an issue, or requesting information.

Identifying pain points and places people bounce or drop off will help you understand where the process breaks down and where small changes could make a big difference. Using Salesforce Public Sector Solutions, you can bring the way your community interacts with your agency into focus and make meaningful change.

Built-in AI can help you resolve complex requests, recommend next steps, and predict what people might need, even before they ask.

AI can also analyse citizen sentiment and flag issues early, giving your staff more time to focus on where human interaction is the most valuable. Agentforce for the public sector is designed to help organisations put this into practice.

We even found that 83% of government IT leaders say that AI will serve a prominent role at their organisation in the near future.

Citizens don’t appreciate having to repeat the same information across different departments or channels. A CRM helps bring data together from multiple systems, creating a single, accurate record that staff can rely on. This supports the ‘tell us once principle ’, outlined by the Digital Transformation Agency , which aims to make government services simpler and more accessible.

If your agency already has a lot of data, MuleSoft (our automation platform) makes it easier to link old systems together. This feature will allow all your information to work as one and help you start providing a more consistent experience.

Manual steps or paper-heavy processes slow everything down, and honestly, communities now expect their government to be working through digital systems. We found that 75% of people expect their government's digital services to match the best private sector digital experiences.

A CRM can update your digital experience by taking care of routine tasks like passing requests to the right department, sending updates, or confirming appointments, so staff spend less time on admin and citizens get a more modern experience.

Citizens expect the same experience no matter how they get in touch, whether that’s online, over the phone, or in person. For example, if someone reports a pothole and calls a week later for an update, staff should be able to see the full history in the system and provide an answer straight away.

A CRM brings all these channels together so staff always have the full context when responding. With Service Cloud, governments can manage communication across all their channels, giving their citizens an easy and consistent experience.

Your CRM will work best when your staff feel confident using it. Along with software that’s easy to use, they need training to understand how to use the platform day to day. This is part of the change management process, helping teams move away from outdated practices and adopt new ways of working.

When you use our CRM, you won’t be left guessing. Trailhead gives staff the chance to learn in a hands-on way, building confidence and providing the guidance they need to get the most out of the platform.

The needs and expectations of your community change over time, and your CRM will need to keep up.

Using the built-in analytics, you’ll be able to see what actions your team are taking that are working well and where people are dropping off. Pair this with regular feedback from your community, and you’ll have the insight you need to refine services, close gaps, and keep building trust. Salesforce CRM Analytics makes it easier to track performance and turn feedback into action.

Once your CRM is in place, the next step is understanding the impact it’s having. Measuring success helps you see what’s working, where you could refine your services, and how to keep building trust with your community.

Salesforce makes it easy to track the metrics that matter most. Here’s how:

Across New South Wales, government teams are finding new ways to deliver faster, more consistent services. Here are two strong examples of digital transformation in NSW.

When the pandemic hit, Transport for NSW needed a way to keep essential transport running and adapt to constant public health changes.

Using Salesforce Experience Cloud, Service Cloud, and Tableau, they were able to build an emergency response platform in just 12 days. The system managed more than 35,000 employee records, logged 115,000 rapid antigen test results, and issued 10,000+ authorised worker letters.

Since then, they’ve used the same platform for cleaning schedules and flood response, turning a short-term fix into a lasting foundation of their service.

The NSW Government wanted to make it easier for citizens to recognise and trust digital services across all agencies.

The problem was that each department had its own look and feel, which led to confusion from people trying to use each site. To solve this problem, the NSW Government built their own design system as a toolkit to distribute to designers across agencies.

Salesforce then built a version of this system so that agencies can create portals and forms that are instantly compliant with NSW Government standards.

Instead of weeks of design and development, teams can now spin up branded, accessible services in minutes. This saves costs, cuts down repetitive design work, and gives people using the digital services a consistent experience, no matter who they’re dealing with.

Rolling out a CRM in government takes careful planning, but the payoff can be huge. Armed with the right approach to security, integrations, and staff training, a CRM can quickly become a tool people use every day.

Agencies should also weigh up more than features. Security, integration, usability, and long-term support are what make a CRM an investment that lasts.

Here are some key areas to consider before implementing your new CRM software.

Any government CRM needs to meet strict requirements under the Privacy Act and other regulations. With tools like Shield 2.0 for encryption and monitoring, and the Einstein Trust Layer for safe AI use, Salesforce helps agencies keep sensitive data secure and compliant.

Older infrastructure often leads to data silos. Salesforce connects all your systems through its APIs and integration tools, bringing everything into one consistent view.

When staff are used to manual or outdated systems, change can be hard. Salesforce makes new workflows easier with customisation and a user-friendly design.

Adoption only works when people feel supported. Our learning platform, Trailhead, gives staff hands-on training, while ongoing support keeps skills and confidence growing.

CRMs are reshaping how governments connect with their communities. Instead of jumping between different systems, staff and citizens can use a single, secure platform to get things done. The result is faster services, less admin, and a better experience for everyone.

Looking ahead, people will expect services that are smarter and more personal, powered by built-in AI that still keeps their data safe through tools with features like the Einstein Trust Layer.

A CRM makes all this possible today, while also preparing your agency for tomorrow. As your needs evolve, the platform can evolve with you, keeping your services modern and trustworthy.

CRMs give governments a better way to deliver services by bringing data, staff, and communities into one secure platform. With the right system and approach, you’ll be able to cut down on admin, improve citizen experiences, and keep services future-proof with AI and trusted data safeguards.

If you’re ready to modernise how your agency connects with the community, explore Salesforce Public Sector Solutions and see how the platform can support your goals today and into the future.