Turning Service Breakdowns into User Breakthroughs

In the world of public services, few things frustrate the user experience more than the promise of one thing and the delivery of another. 

Whether it’s a website where you just can’t find the answer to your specific question, a call centre that falls short of expectations, or taking half a day off of work to access an essential service, these speed bumps don’t just leave users frustrated—they erode trust. 

And trust is the cornerstone of public services. It’s the invisible thread that connects citizens to the institutions meant to serve them. At Button, we had a team member who had to go back to the physical front counter three times to get a driver’s license after moving between provinces. They were asked for a slightly different set of documents each time, necessitating multiple trips. One U.S. state would only mail your driving record to your last known address in that state, where the person had not lived for 10 years. (What a service breakdown!) It became a running joke in our office that this particular team member could be found at the licensing office if anybody needed them. 

But here’s the paradox: each breakdown holds the potential to spark a breakthrough. The key lies in how we choose to respond. When services fail to meet expectations, it creates a unique opportunity—not just to fix what’s broken, but to reimagine how services are delivered in a way that is more user-centred, empathetic, and purpose-driven: to make sure that programs  are relevant, efficient, and improve the experience of those who engage with government for services.

The Nature of Service Breakdowns

We’ve all encountered it: the frustration of trying to navigate a service that just seems harder to use than it should be. Take the employee who had to visit the licensing office multiple times to figure out how to obtain a driver’s license. The result was a breakdown not just in the service, but in the relationship between the service provider and the user through confusing expectations and an exorbitant amount of time to access a seemingly simple service. 

Effective government services provide access to citizens across a jurisdiction, using considered engagement with key partners, empathy and innovation to deliver cost-effective, citizen-oriented processes.

The Promise of User-Centred Service Design

The heart of turning service breakdowns into breakthroughs lies in empathy. When we focus on the user experience—understanding not just the technical or operational problems, but the human emotions and needs behind those problems—we can design better, more responsive services.

User-centred design isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a fundamental shift in how we approach problem-solving. It means putting the needs, frustrations, and aspirations of the users front and centre in every decision we make. This approach requires us to view every breakdown not just as a failure to meet expectations, but as a valuable data point that informs how we can do better next time.

Consider, for example, a local government agency that has been struggling with a complicated online process for renewing business licenses. The system is outdated, clunky, and hard to navigate, resulting in significant frustration for users. For years, the agency’s leaders have focused on fixing the technical glitches, but each patch only addresses part of the problem. What if, instead of focusing solely on the fixes, the agency took the time to sit down with users—local business owners—and truly understand their pain points? What if the team observed firsthand the frustrations people face, rather than assuming they know the answers?

By engaging in this process of discovery, the agency could uncover critical insights that go beyond technical issues. Perhaps the business owners are frustrated by the lack of transparency in the process, or maybe they feel unsupported by the automated system that fails to answer their most pressing questions. These insights would allow the agency to not only address the specific technical issues but to reimagine the service as a whole. It could lead to a more streamlined, transparent, and empathetic experience that doesn’t just fix the old system, but offers a new solution that genuinely meets the needs of users. 

The Role of Empathy in Turning Setbacks into Opportunities

Empathy is a powerful tool in service design, but it’s often underappreciated in the context of government services. Too often, decisions are made from a technical or bureaucratic perspective, with little consideration for how users experience the service on a human level. When we don’t put ourselves in the shoes of the people we serve, we miss the opportunity to address not just their stated needs, but their unspoken ones.

Service breakdowns provide a clear opportunity to reconnect with users and rebuild trust. When an agency or service provider acknowledges a breakdown and actively listens to the frustrations of its users, it demonstrates vulnerability and a commitment to improvement. This is where empathy can transform a setback into an opportunity. By leaning into the discomfort of a breakdown, public sector leaders can start to reframe the problem—not as a failure, but as a chance to engage in meaningful dialogue and real change.

One powerful example comes from the world of healthcare. During the pandemic, many healthcare organizations were forced to rapidly digitize services to accommodate an unprecedented demand. While some organizations struggled to keep pace with this shift, others took a user-centred approach to redesigning their digital interfaces. They didn’t just try to patch things up—they took the time to understand how patients, doctors, and staff interacted with their systems. They asked questions, tested new ideas, and iterated based on feedback. As a result, they didn’t just improve the technology; they rebuilt trust with users by showing that they were listening, responding, and evolving in real time. 

Turning Breakdowns into Breakthroughs

At Button, we’ve spent countless hours doing user research, requirements gathering, user interviews and business process design. But we always find it helpful to practice our skills, get together as a group, and discuss some of the real-world practices, tools, and techniques to make sure we’re helping clients deliver the most effective, efficient, and empathetic services.

We help each other shift our thinking from a “fix-it” mentality to a “reimagine-it” mindset, to embrace the idea that each breakdown holds the chance to learn, grow, and create a deeper connection with users.

But this mindset shift doesn’t happen on its own. It requires leadership, vision, and a commitment to ongoing improvement. It means fostering a culture where failure is seen not as a setback but as a stepping stone to better service. It means committing to continuous empathy and engagement with the people we serve, so we can truly understand their needs and aspirations.

At Button, we’re excited to explore these ideas further. We encourage you to begin this journey today by asking yourself: How can you turn the service breakdowns you’re facing into breakthroughs for your users? How can you embrace empathy to rebuild trust and create services that truly meet the needs of the communities you serve?

Because in every breakdown lies the potential for a breakthrough—an opportunity to create a service that isn’t just functional but meaningful. And that’s the kind of transformation that leads to lasting, impactful change.

Want to chat about it? Contact us today!