Skip to main content

Customer Experience Frameworks at USDA

Frameworks are supporting structures to guide conversations, activities, and practices. At USDA, we use these frameworks to help us understand and implement customer experience strategy.

Creating a Shared CX Vocabulary
  • Human-Centered Design (HCD): An interdisciplinary methodology of putting people, including those who will use or be impacted by what one creates, at the center of any process to solve challenging problems.
    • At USDA, human-centered design is at the core of the frameworks we develop to approach customer experiences. We aim to work with customers, utilizing methods including co-design and an iterative approach to find the best solutions to the challenges we face in our day-to-day work.

What is the main framework used by the USDA?

The main customer experience framework used by the USDA is the “Listen Better, Serve Better” framework. This framework puts the customer at the center of all we do. It creates a 360-degree understanding of the customer’s experience to help us learn and how to continuously improve our interactions.

The Listen Better, Serve Better Framework includes three main elements: (1) Listen - collect feedback; (2) Learn - analyze the input; and (3) Serve - grow customer service.

How might you apply the “Listen Better, Serve Better” framework in your own work? Use this fillable version to guide using the framework.

Are there any other frameworks?

Human-Centered Design (HCD) frameworks, as seen below, are often helpful for understanding customer needs.

Most human-centered design frameworks contain the elements: (1) Kick-off; (2) Research; (3) Synthesize; (4) Ideate; (5) Prototype; and (6) Deliver.

These frameworks put customers at the center of the development process to help the USDA create experiences and services that are tailored to their customers’ needs. We encourage you to explore other human-centered design frameworks that can work together with “Listen Better, Serve Better” to build a framework that works best for the needs of you and your customers.

What are the policies that guide the creation and use of these frameworks?

The “Listen Better, Serve Better” framework is a tool for USDA staff, but there are other policies that help guide our customer experience work. These policies help the USDA and OCX outline and organize their efforts to improve customer experience: