Since COVID-19 and the associated necessary restrictions impacted every element of public life and business, and because a huge number of different services fall under Central Government’s remit, the ways in which Government departments and Non-Departmental Public Bodies interact with citizens and service users had to be thoroughly considered. In addition, these changes take place against an ongoing process of technological advancements and changes in customer behaviour that affect the ways in which citizens and service users contact public sector organisations.

In this climate, it is more important than ever that organisations are able to demonstrate empathy in their ‘customer service.’ Empathy means helping citizens and service users feel that their concerns are heard and understood – even where these cannot always be fully met.