How Public Sector Teams Can Use Generative AI for Customer Support

Public sector agencies everywhere face the same paradox: citizens expect faster, on-demand, multilingual services — yet most teams are operating under frozen headcounts and shrinking budgets. 

Traditional call centers and ticket systems can’t keep up with surging inquiries, and hiring more staff is rarely an option. This is where generative AI is changing the equation for government support teams. 

Why Generative AI Matters for Public Sector Support

Government agencies sit at the intersection of rising citizen expectations and shrinking resources. 

Citizens want the same experience they get from banks or online retailers: fast, accurate, and accessible support. But unlike private companies, agencies often face hiring freezes, strict compliance requirements, and outdated infrastructure.

Generative AI offers a way to bridge this gap. Unlike scripted bots or static FAQs, it can:

• Understand context – distinguishing between similar but different queries, like renewing a license versus updating license details.
• Work across languages – providing equitable access for diverse communities without adding specialized staff.
• Scale on demand – handling surges in citizen inquiries without requiring extra headcount.
• Deliver consistency – ensuring that every citizen receives the same accurate information, regardless of the channel they use.
• Free staff for high-value work – shifting repetitive tasks to AI while experts focus on complex cases.

In short, generative AI is not about replacing people — it’s about enabling governments to serve citizens better, faster, and more fairly, even under tight budget constraints.

The Cost of Slow Adoption

Delaying generative AI adoption in government doesn’t just maintain the status quo — it amplifies existing problems in cost, efficiency, and trust. 

Here’s what agencies risk by waiting:

• Higher service costs: Traditional call centers require staff for every interaction, driving costs into several dollars per call or email. AI assistants can cut this cost by up to 80%, but agencies that wait keep overpaying per contact.
• Slower response times: Without automation, routine queries pile up, creating backlogs and forcing citizens to wait hours or even days for answers.
• Staff stuck in repetitive work: Skilled employees spend valuable time answering the same FAQs, leaving little bandwidth for complex cases that demand human judgment.
• Erosion of citizen trust: Long wait times, inconsistent answers, and limited availability weaken public confidence, even when teams are working hard behind the scenes.
• Missed opportunities for savings: Each quarter without AI adoption means another quarter of unnecessary costs, slower resolutions, and declining citizen satisfaction. Early adopters pull ahead, while late movers struggle to catch up.

For public sector leaders, the lesson is clear: waiting to adopt AI doesn’t just pause progress — it compounds inefficiencies and costs that grow larger over time.

Scaling Smarter: Lessons from Bernalillo County Assessor’s Office

Bernalillo County (BernCo), the assessor’s office serving Albuquerque and surrounding communities, is a powerful example of how public sector organizations can use generative AI responsibly to meet rising citizen expectations. 

They faced the same pressures as many government teams: rising citizen inquiries, limited staff, and tight budgets. 

By deploying CustomGPT.ai, BernCo scaled support without adding headcount, cutting per-interaction costs by 80%, and proving that AI can be both efficient and trustworthy in government service.

Rather than expanding headcount, they turned to generative AI as a way to modernize support, improve responsiveness, and reduce costs.

The Challenge: Scaling Support Without More Staff

Like many public sector teams, the Bernalillo County Assessor’s Office (BernCo) faced an overwhelming demand for citizen support. 

Each year, they handle inquiries on property valuation, compliance, agricultural exemptions, and onboarding processes — questions that are critical but often repetitive.

The hurdles were familiar across government:

• High call volumes, limited staff: Citizens expected instant answers, but the support team couldn’t scale with demand. Hiring wasn’t an option.
• Repetitive inquiries: Staff spent too much time answering the same questions, leaving little bandwidth for complex cases.
• Lack of real-time visibility: Without reliable tracking, it was difficult to identify what issues were consuming resources.
• Budget constraints: The team had to modernize services while staying within a tight budget.

This combination of rising citizen expectations and resource limitations created a pressure point — one that many government agencies face today.

The Solution: Using Generative AI for Smarter Citizen Support

Bernalillo County turned to generative AI to bridge the gap between citizen demand and limited staffing. 

By deploying CustomGPT.ai, they created a scalable support system that could answer questions instantly, deflect routine inquiries, and reserve human expertise for complex cases.

Here’s how they approached it:

• Start small: They launched their first AI assistant on the busiest web pages, giving citizens 24/7 access to accurate information directly from county documentation and public records.
• Expand quickly: Once the first assistant proved effective, they rolled out specialized AI tools for legal compliance, agricultural valuation, and new employee onboarding.
• Go omnichannel: Through integrations, the same knowledge base began supporting calls and emails, extending AI benefits beyond the website.
• Continuous improvement: With built-in analytics, the team reviewed performance quarterly, spotting gaps in support content and updating answers in minutes.

The result was a practical, low-lift approach that didn’t require extra IT staff or heavy procurement — a model any public sector team can replicate.

The Results: Proving Impact with Real Numbers

BernCo’s use of generative AI quickly delivered measurable results that matter for public sector teams:

• $108,143.75 net savings in avoided staffing costs within the first 18 months.
• 4.81× ROI — every $1 invested in AI generated nearly ~$4.81 in savings.
• 80% lower cost per interaction — AI resolved citizen queries at ~$0.99 compared to $4.59 for a live agent.
• 28,433 citizen queries handled automatically, deflecting nearly a quarter (24.76%) of total contacts away from call centers.

These outcomes demonstrate how AI can scale support in government, reduce costs, and deliver consistent citizen experiences — all without adding headcount. For governments, it shows that modernization is achievable even under tight budgets.

Lessons Public Sector Teams Can Take from BernCo

Bernalillo County Assessor’s Office (BernCo) didn’t just experiment with AI — they created a repeatable playbook for public sector teams facing similar pressures. Their experience highlights practical lessons that any government agency can adapt.

1. Start Small, Then Scale

BernCo began with one assistant focused on their busiest citizen-facing pages. This targeted pilot proved value quickly without overwhelming staff or systems.

Once results were clear, they scaled into multiple assistants — from compliance support to agricultural valuation guidance. 

Takeaway: Don’t try to solve everything at once. Begin with a single, high-impact use case and expand once trust and results are established.

2. Anchor AI in Trusted Information

A major concern for governments is accuracy. BernCo addressed this by ensuring that every AI-generated answer came directly from official records and internal documentation. 

Takeaway: Build AI on top of your most authoritative content, so citizens always get reliable, consistent answers.

3. Use Analytics for Continuous Improvement

BernCo reviewed their AI performance quarterly using built-in dashboards. This allowed them to spot knowledge gaps, improve documentation, and steadily raise accuracy rates. 

Takeaway: Treat AI as a living system. Monitor performance and refine regularly to increase value over time.

4. Pair AI with Human Expertise

Rather than replacing staff, BernCo used AI to handle repetitive inquiries, freeing employees for complex cases and advisory work. 

Takeaway: Position AI as a force multiplier for human teams, not a substitute. This approach strengthens both service quality and staff buy-in.

BernCo’s journey shows that public sector AI adoption doesn’t require massive budgets or risky overhauls. 

With small pilots, strong content foundations, continuous improvement, and human partnership, agencies can deliver faster, fairer services — while proving real return on investment.

FAQs

Conclusion

For public sector teams, the message is clear: generative AI is no longer optional. As Bernalillo County proved, lean teams can use AI to cut costs, extend service availability, and give citizens faster, fairer support without adding headcount.

By starting small and scaling responsibly, governments can balance efficiency with accountability — and build citizen services that meet today’s expectations while preparing for tomorrow’s challenges.

Ready to see how CustomGPT.ai can help your agency do the same? Start your AI playbook today and transform citizen support for the future.