Statutory Authority

Executive Order 12862: Setting Customer Service StdsArchive
Title:Executive Order 12862: Setting Customer Service Stds.
Author: The White House
Date: 11 Sept 1993
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 4113
Apparently-To: edowd@ace.esusda.gov
Status: RO
Subject: Executive Order of Sept 11, 1993 Setting Customer Service Stds.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 11, 1993
EXECUTIVE ORDER
SETTING CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS
Putting people first means ensuring that the Federal Government provides the highest
quality service possible to the American people. Public officials must embark upon a
revolution within the Federal Government to change the way it does business. This will
require continual reform of the executive branch's management practices and operations
to provide service to the public that matches or exceeds the best service available in the
private sector. NOW, THEREFORE, to establish and implement customer service
standards to guide the operations of the executive branch, and by the authority vested in
me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, it is hereby
ordered:
Section 1. Customer Service Standards.
In order to carry out the principles of the National Performance Review, the Federal
Government must be customer-driven. The standard of quality for services provided to
the public shall be: Customer service equal to the best in business. For the purposes of
this order, "customer" shall mean an individual or entity who is directly served by a
department or agency. "Best in business" shall mean the highest quality of service
delivered to customers by private organizations providing a comparable or analogous
service. All executive departments and agencies (hereinafter referred to collectively as
"agency" or "agencies") that provide significant services directly to the public shall
provide those services in a manner that seeks to meet the customer service standard
established herein and shall take the following actions: identify the customers who are,
or should be, served by the agency; survey customers to determine the kind and quality
of services they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services; post service
standards and measure results against them; benchmark customer service performance
gainst the best in business; survey front-line employees on barriers to, and ideas for,
matching the best in business; provide customers with choices in both the sources of

service and the means of delivery; make information, services, and complaint systems
easily accessible; and provide means to address customer complaints.
Sec. 2. Report on Customer Service Surveys.
By March 8, 1994, each agency subject to this order shall report on its customer surveys
to the President. As information about customer satisfaction becomes available, each
agency shall use that information in judging the performance of agency management and
in making resource allocations.
Sec. 3. Customer Service Plans.
By September 8, 1994, each agency subject to this order shall publish a customer service
plan that can be readily understood by its customers. The plan shall include customer
service standards and describe future plans for customer surveys. It also shall identify the
private and public sector standards that the agency used to benchmark its performance
against the best in business. In connection with the plan, each agency is encouraged to
provide training resources for programs needed by employees who directly serve
customers and by managers making use of customer survey information to promote the
principles and objectives contained herein.
Sec. 4. Independent Agencies.
Independent agencies are requested to adhere to this order.
Sec. 5. Judicial Review.
This order is for the internal management of the executive branch and does not create any
right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by a party against the United
States, its agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 11, 1993.