Agenda item

This report briefly reviews progress since the implementation of the 2013-17 Strategy, it introduces a new draft strategy and sets out a process of implementing the updated strategy. 

            The Group Head of Neighbourhood Services and The Customer and Parking Services Manager presented their report and outlined that the new draft strategy contained within his report reflected the Council’s 2020 Vision and suggested a new Customer Service Vision that would put the Customer at the heart of everything the Council does. This is summarised as follows:

·         The report briefly reviewed progress since the implementation of the 2013-17 Strategy

·         It introduces a new draft strategy and sets out a process of implementation.  This includes consultation and workshops with elected members and staff

·         The draft Customer Access Strategy (2020-25) reflects the Council’s 2020 Vision and suggests a new Customer Services Vision which aims to place the customer at the heart of everything that the Council does. 

·         It sets out how a new strategy will be embedded into the organisation together with a proposed timescale.

Some key areas of progress that had been made were highlighted:

§  Training had been provided to multi-skill staff across the Customer Service teams

§  Website redesign although there was further work to be completed on this item, it had seen significant progress made and was now providing a much better service for the customer e.g. smartphone access, improved self-service options from reporting missed bin collections online to making online payments.

§  Social Media, regular updates across all social media channels allow the Council to respond directly with Customers as well as using these platforms to keep our customers informed of updates.

§  From the Customer Satisfaction Survey (2019) the results showed that the largest percentage of our customers (44%) said that their preference was to make contact with the Council via the website.

§  Implementation of a new vision across the organisation would be vital to ensure success of the new strategy and it would require everyone across the Council to be putting the customer first in everything they do in order for this culture change to be successful.

Members to part in a full debate, the key points raised were:

§  Suggestions to make improvement to the telephone Interactive Voice Response (IVR) as these can be difficult and frustrating to use

§  Support for customers who want to use the website but don’t have a computer or access to the internet 

§  A suggestion to investigate Repeat Contact reasons was made as this had not be detailed in the report provided.

§  How contact is logged at the Council, and the ease of locating all the customers information was discussed and a suggestion of logging contact to a case number was made.

It was confirmed that the aim of the new strategy was to ensure that customers had options to contact the Council to suit their needs. Whilst there had been a focus on boosting the number of customers who use the website to serve themselves, it was acknowledged that this does not suit everyone.

For those customers who may find using the internet difficult, there had been computers available in the reception areas along with staff to support anyone who wanted help accessing the website. A suggestion of working with Libraries and local community groups in a bid to help support and educate specific target groups of customers was made.  Further confirmation was given by the Customer & Parking Services Manager that work was being completed to identify why customers contact the Council which included investigation into customers who would be classed as repeat contact.

Further discussion took place as to how the Council would manage such a big culture change in order to see the new vision be successful, Members felt that it would require a lot of work. Officers were in agreement with Members, this was a big task, however work had already started under the existing Strategy, working with key managers across the business implementing improvements to processes.  Workshops for staff to attend would be taking place as part of the implementation of the Strategy, and there was consideration to employing a consultant as required.

The Chairman advised that he had spent time in the Contact Centre last week and wanted to express his thanks to the team for the great work they do. This was echoed by the rest of the Working Group who all appreciated what a demanding role they have. He then thanked the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services and the Customer and Parking Services Manager for their update and the Working Group noted the report.