The UK government is launching a new unit – CustomerFirst – to modernise public services and improve the experience of millions of people who rely on them.

CustomerFirst is a new unit within Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), led by Tristan Thomas, formerly of Monzo, with Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, as first co-chair.

The announcement comes as part of the government’s  Roadmap for a Modern Digital Government, setting out how technology will be used to transform services across the state.

Bringing together the best civil service operators alongside leading private sector disruptors and transformation specialists, it will test innovative ways to tackle delays and frustrations by partnering with departments to rewire the government services on which millions rely.

CustomerFirst will look to build services that make use of AI and modern solutions to mirror excellent customer services in the best of the private sector – from modern banking and online shopping to utilities.

At energy firm Octopus, for example, generative AI tools assist in drafting 35% of all customer emails, slashing wait times and receiving customer satisfaction ratings of 70%.

CustomerFirst will help the employees delivering services, not just end customers – ensuring dedicated customer service staff have the right tools to do their job well.

It will also deliver savings for taxpayers through end‑to‑end reform and smarter use of technology by departments. There is a potential £4 billion saving from moving service processing online, rather than phone, post or in person.

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“Too often people are put off from interacting with the services they need by the frustration that comes with waiting on hold, filling in endless forms, and jumping through hoop after hoop,” minister for digital government Ian Murray said.

“A culture of ‘computer says no’ is not good enough, and this Roadmap sets out the wide range of brilliant work happening across government to improve public services and citizens’ interaction with them.

“Alongside that we’re launching CustomerFirst – taking bold steps in how we redesign services so they meet the demands of modern life – fast, simple, and stress-free.”

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is the first to partner with CustomerFirst, aiming to make life easier for motorists by deploying technology on the front lines of customer service.