Always an answer
For residents, Gem means: easy contact, quick clarity and no being passed from pillar to post. Read here what Gem delivers on the other side of the counter, and how municipalities improve the customer experience with Gem.
It is important that residents have access to government information. Virtual assistant Gem makes that access easier. Gem is an omnichannel help for the resident: the assistant answers questions or routes to the right channel (live chat, websites and other portals). By deploying Gem, you as a municipality are able to answer residents' frequently asked questions 24/7.
Customer experience
What residents value most is simple: a good answer, fast. Gem is fully geared to that. Residents ask their question in their own words and get a fitting answer straight away, without searching and without detours.
The starting point is deliberate: no menu that leaves residents guessing which category their question fits, but a real answer. And if that answer isn't available, Gem guides the resident like a buddy to an employee who can help, with a warm handover (including a queue). That way residents don't have to tell their story again.
"In 84% of conversations, the resident is helped correctly."
— national Gem figures
"At the City of Utrecht, residents rate the live-chat channel (with Gem) an 8.7; getting a quick answer in particular is appreciated."
— Peter-Paul Hellings, services project lead, City of Utrecht
What residents notice
Always reachable. Gem is awake 24/7, including evenings, weekends and public holidays. Precisely when the counter and phone lines are closed.
One conversation, every channel. Does the resident start on the website and want to continue via WhatsApp or phone? With our omnichannel principle we are working towards Gem continuing the conversation on another channel, without the resident having to ask the question again.
Fewer clicks, better guidance. Gem helps to the answer as directly as possible, instead of letting residents search through pages.
To the right place. Does the question belong to another organisation, for example a tax partnership? We are working towards Gem routing seamlessly. Where the question is asked doesn't matter.
The power of Gem for residents
Gem is not a standalone assistant of a single municipality, but a joint, open source platform of multiple government bodies. It is precisely that collaboration that residents notice.
Everywhere, residents ask the same questions about the same products and services: passport, driving licence, relocation and permits. Those answers are created and maintained centrally (according to the national Uniform Products List) and adapted locally where needed. The result for residents: consistent, high-quality answers, no matter which participating municipality they turn to. The same reliable level everywhere.
What's more, Gem keeps getting better. The more conversations, the smarter Gem becomes: the assistant learns not only what words mean, but also the context. Because conversations at all participating municipalities contribute to central improvements, residents of every connected municipality reap the benefits of all that experience combined.
Safe and careful with personal data
Gem is an environment in which personal data is handled safely and in accordance with privacy legislation. For many questions Gem does not need personal data, so the rule is: share no more than necessary. If personal help is needed, Gem hands the resident over to an employee safely.
Accessible to everyone (WCAG)
Government information should be accessible to everyone. Gem is designed to be accessible and complies with the web accessibility guidelines (WCAG). Whether the resident uses a screen reader, has poor eyesight or prefers to communicate in plain language: Gem lowers the threshold to government, instead of raising it.
AI deployed responsibly
Gem uses smart language technology and machine learning, and looks ahead to applications such as generative AI — in 2026 with the integration of the Dutch language model GPT-NL. The participating municipalities do this deliberately responsibly, so that residents can trust Gem:
Open and verifiable. Gem is open source (EUPL licence), based on "public money, public code". The technology is of and for government: transparent and traceable.
People stay in the picture. Gem takes care of simple questions, but does not replace the employee. For complex or sensitive questions there is always a warm handover to a person — room for the human touch.
Developed together. Gem is developed further jointly, with user feedback from all participating organisations. Not a black box of a single supplier, but a shared facility.
Join Gem
The more government bodies that join, the better we can help residents. That is where the power of Gem lies: together, one place where residents always get an answer. Want to know what Gem can mean for your residents?