Government recruits top business leaders to improve public services

The government is tapping up the private sector in an effort to modernise customer-facing public services and reduce the frustration for both citizens and frontline staff.

It has announced the launch of CustomerFirst, a new unit within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which aims to tackle pain points like long waits on hold, repeating the same information across multiple forms, and processes that still rely heavily on paper.

The said it will work with departments to redesign services, using tech and delivery approaches more commonly seen in the private sector.

Indeed, CustomerFirst will be led by Tristan Thomas, formerly of digital bank Monzo, with Octopus Energy founder and CEO Greg Jackson appointed as its first co-chair. The unit brings together civil servants with private sector transformation specialists, who will test new models and work away from legacy systems.

The focus will be on tackling delays and poor user experiences by deploying AI and modern digital solutions, drawing lessons from sectors such as banking, online retail and utilities. At Octopus Energy, for example, generative AI tools now assist in drafting around 35 percent of all customer emails, reducing waiting times and helping deliver customer satisfaction scores of 70 percent.

Government touts £4 billion saving

As well as improving services for the public, CustomerFirst aims to better support the staff delivering them. By equipping customer service teams with modern tools and reducing manual, repetitive work, the government hopes to improve job satisfaction and service quality at the same time.

The reforms are also expected to deliver savings for taxpayers. The government estimates there is potential to save up to £4 billion by moving more service processing online rather than relying on phone, post or in-person channels.

Minister for Digital Government Ian Murray said people were too often discouraged from engaging with essential services because of unnecessary complexity and delays. He said the launch of CustomerFirst marked a move away from a “computer says no” culture, with services redesigned to meet the expectations of modern life.

DVLA – a blueprint for government reform

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will be the first organisation to partner with CustomerFirst. The team will take a fresh look at how the agency handles millions of interactions each year relating to driving licences, vehicle registration and other motoring services, deploying technology directly on the front line. The work will build on existing government AI tools already supporting contact centre staff.

DVLA chief executive Tim Moss CBE said the agency was keen to build on its track record of digital delivery and develop the next generation of high-quality services. Minister for Roads and Buses Simon Lightwood added that the changes should make it easier and quicker for motorists to manage their licences and get support.

The DVLA transformation is intended to act as a blueprint for wider reform across government. CustomerFirst will support other departments to deliver similar improvements, ensuring more people benefit from simpler and faster interactions with the state.

The announcement forms part of the government’s Roadmap for a Modern Digital Government, published today, which sets out how technology will be used to transform services across the public sector — from digitising planning to improving how people manage benefits and tax online.

While the approach is digital-first, the government said services will remain accessible to all, with telephone and face-to-face options continuing for those who need them. CustomerFirst is also recruiting senior specialists in service design, solutions architecture and product management, as it looks to build long-term capability to drive transformation across government.