Merlin Stone, Ashley Semmens and Neil Woodcock

All of us in the public sector with an interest in, or responsibility for, providing services to members of the public will find much to interest them in this report. It is divided into two parts. First, it compares the approach to customer service in the private sector and public sector and considers what the latter might learn from the former. Second, it explores the complex world of stakeholder management and its potential importance in adding value to policy formulation and implementation.

There are those who argue that the use of the term ‘customer’ in the public service context has been counter-productive. The Oxford English Dictionary describes a customer as ‘One who customarily purchases anywhere’. In most situations in the public sector this is a luxury not available members of the public. There is only one source for a whole range of services and these are provided by a monopoly supplier—you can’t shop around for a passport or a driving licence! That is why the term ‘customer’ is a misnomer in the public service, which traditionally used functional descriptions such as ‘applicant’, ‘claimant’, ‘beneficiary’ and even ‘passenger’! Some argue moving away from this culture has been a distraction and, looking at what is postulated here as to lessons one sector could learn from the other, does not show a clear direction of travel.

With regard to stakeholder management, this report provides a rich quarry of analysis and description which will reward close study. There is a clear exposition of the types and models available, together with helpful checklists covering choice of model, areas of confusion and some straightforward questions to consider. The authors modestly conclude that they hope their report ‘will give you some ideas about how to ensure that your stakeholder management programmes succeed’. All those involved in this area will gain from this work and owe the authors a debt of gratitude.