There is certainly no question but that government agencies should strive
to offer the highest quality service possible, within the constraints of law and
accountability—and, indeed, many agencies are doing so. One of the most
sophisticated efforts to improve service quality begins with a recognition
of the differences between customers and citizens (Schmidt with Strickland
1998). Citizens are described as bearers of rights and duties within the context
of a wider community. Customers are different in that they do not share
common purposes but rather seek to optimize their own individual benefits.
The distinction then is made between citizens and clients, the latter either
internal or external: “The following example may serve to illustrate these
definitions. A citizen may not collect employment insurance and yet has an