Citizen expectations are evolving faster than ever. As digital transformation continues to reshape daily life, Scotland’s public sector faces a pivotal challenge: how to design services that meet the needs of a new, digitally-native generation.
Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012, are Scotland’s first generation to grow up online, and are already influencing how public services should operate. With nearly half a million Scots belonging to this demographic, their communication preferences are setting a new standard for seamless and hyper-personalised Customer Experiences (CX) with both businesses and government.
These rising expectations come with little tolerance for inefficiency, which is leading to the rise of ‘Shadow CX’ – a phenomenon where citizens turn to unofficial, third-party platforms such as YouTube, Reddit, or even generative AI tools like ChatGPT to find answers and resolve service queries. According to Patrick Quinlan, Sr Director Analyst at Gartner, Gen Z and millennials are increasingly relying on these informal channels because they view traditional methods as too complex or time-consuming to be helpful.
Almost two-thirds of UK Gen Z consumers report that they frequently end up calling businesses because self-service tools fail to solve their problems. Meanwhile, 89% of those who attempted to use digital or social support channels for essential services, such as utilities or broadband, eventually had to phone their provider. In public service terms, this suggests that while younger citizens want to self-serve, they often can’t, and so they turn to community-driven alternatives for help.
While this behaviour may seem harmless, it poses a serious issue for public sector organisations. It fragments the citizen experience, replacing verified information with advice that may be outdated, inaccurate, or even incorrectly hallucinated by AI. Shadow CX also disconnects citizens from the public bodies responsible for serving them. When people seek help outside official channels, services lose visibility into where citizens struggle, making it harder to deliver fair and consistent support. Over time, this can erode citizen trust while simultaneously making it more difficult to identify common pain points and improve systems.
What Can Public Sector Organisations Do?
For Scotland’s public sector, addressing Shadow CX requires more than simply expanding the number of digital tools. It means creating human-centred digital experiences that citizens actively choose to use over known alternatives.
A practical starting point lies in embracing the communication styles Gen Z prefers. Short, high-quality videos, for example, 30-second clips showing how to apply for a council grant or renew a bus pass, can meet citizens where they are, on platforms they already use, while allowing public bodies to retain control of the narrative. Similarly, “how-to” video FAQs could simplify complex information and empower younger citizens to self-serve confidently, without resorting to online forums.
Meanwhile, omnichannel engagement platforms and AI-powered assistants can ensure consistency across self-service touchpoints. Whether a citizen interacts via chat or phone, their experience should feel consistent and effortless.
Ultimately, reducing reliance on Shadow CX isn’t about competing with Reddit, but instead levelling up official self-service channels to meet the expectations of a new generation. By embracing omnichannel technology and AI-driven tools, Scotland’s public services can stay relevant, improve accessibility, and deliver trusted, citizen-first experiences for everyone.
Marcus will explore this topic further at DigitalScotland 2025, the annual conference for public sector technology professionals, on the 19th of November at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
