NuAxis Innovation:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Summary
As Lead CX Manager and Strategist, I built a sustainable customer support operation and transformed the service experience for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). I led a cross-functional team across UX, AI, content strategy, service delivery, and change management, working closely with FWS experts, developers, and leadership. We established a scalable support model, modernized self-service tools, and created an AI integration roadmap—delivering a more responsive, efficient, and citizen-centered experience.
Objective
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s ePermits portal is essential for managing wildlife conservation and trade, but it faced growing challenges: applicants struggled with a confusing process, outdated resources, and no centralized support. Program staff, including biologists and field experts, were overwhelmed by basic inquiries, distracting them from their core work.
Our goal was to transform the customer support and self-service experience to ease the burden on staff and improve applicant clarity, consistency, and responsiveness. We launched FWS’s first centralized Help Desk, created a new Help Center content strategy, enhanced internal workflows and training, and prepared for future AI integration to scale support more effectively.
RESULTS
Launched and operationalized a Tier 1 Help Desk, offloading over 30% of routine inquiries and delivering faster, more consistent service.
Standardized communications with 70+ Quick Messages, escalation protocols, and a dynamic onboarding and training Playbook.
Redesigned 48+ permit landing pages and self-service content to reduce confusion, guide renewals, and minimize application errors.
Established a continuous improvement loop using Help Desk analytics to surface usability issues and drive CX enhancements.
Led change management efforts using the ADKAR model to build stakeholder buy-in and encourage adoption.
Developed a future-state AI strategy, including chatbot triage, agent co-pilot tools, and sentiment-driven escalation.
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
Goal: The initiative began with research to understand internal pain points and stakeholder expectations that inform the Help Desk model and content strategy.
Lead CX Research and Stakeholder Alignment:
Conducted interviews with 13 program managers and permit leads across FWS regions.
Synthesized feedback into common themes: lack of standard responses, inefficient communication, concern over accuracy, high inquiry volume, and burnout.
Developed personas, current state flows, and research briefs to document needs and align stakeholders around service priorities.
Result: Built trust and buy-in for the pilot; enabled smoother onboarding of Help Desk agents with aligned messaging and expectations.
CX DISCOVERY & CURRENT STATE MAPPING
Goal: Translate stakeholder insights into actionable CX improvements by evaluating the current experience.
Method:
Mapped user pain points across the application lifecycle using Help Desk data and ServiceNow ticket patterns.
Identified friction in form selection, account access, renewal confusion, and status checks.
Audited existing resources: landing pages, FAQs, and KB articles for gaps and inconsistencies.
Key Insight:
Most customer issues stemmed from unclear content, outdated KB articles, and broken self-service flows, not just system limitations.
View Full Deck (PDF)
Actions Taken:
Rewrote and templatized 87 application landing pages (48 completed)
Created 60+ standardized Quick Messages
Established FAQ and decision tree formats for common inquiries
Built an agent-facing Playbook for onboarding and day-to-day use
Artifacts Created:
CX Discovery & Self-Service deck
Content audit
New templates and workflows
CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Goal: Build organizational alignment and drive adoption of the new Help Desk model.
Method:
As a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, I applied the ADKAR model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) to support program staff and internal FWS stakeholders through the change.
Key Activities:
Introduced change management best practices to address internal resistance and operational inconsistencies across regions.
Created a tailored ADKAR-based plan (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement) to guide staff through adoption of the new support model.
Held internal workshops and 1:1 sessions to address skepticism, build champions, and communicate benefits.
Coordinated with FWS leadership to align on messaging, expectations, and risk mitigation.
Result: Shifted internal mindset from resistance to readiness; supported a successful transition to shared ownership of the new model.
EXPLORATION OF THE FUTURE OF AI CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Goal: Prepare the Help Desk for long-term scalability and efficiency through strategic AI integration.
Approach:
Developed a future vision deck outlining how AI could augment service channels (chat, email, phone) in a federal environment.
Created tactical use cases for chatbot triage, sentiment analysis, agent co-pilots, and predictive help flows.
Framed AI adoption as a tool to augment—not replace—human support, emphasizing data privacy and human-centered design.
Result: Positioned the FWS Help Desk for future scalability and innovation, aligned with the federal push for AI and digital maturity.
