The Public Access Banner describing the three service channels tells Canadians that there are three easy ways to contact the government, and research shows that Canadians often choose more than one method of contact. In other words, they want choice.
Choice is part of the “respectful” attribute. Canadians must also feel they can speak to a real person even if they would like to begin their service experience on the Internet.
The three service channels have been featured in most major campaigns over the past year, and usage statistics on both the Canada site and 1 800 O-Canada suggest that more and more people are contacting the government to access a wide range of services.
The TV vignettes series, featuring public servants in various service roles, appears to have achieved two key goals: raising awareness of services, and letting people know that a real person will answer the telephone. For instance, many callers asked specifically to speak to the information officer featured in the vignette, and almost 10% of callers indicated that they heard about 1 800 O-Canada from a television ad.