Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services on the development of a Customer Strategy which sets out proposals to transform the way that the Council thinks about and deals with customers wishing to use Council services.
The Strategy is based on the ‘One B&D’ model and details how the various mediums for providing customer services, including One Stop Shops and the use of technology such as the web, text / SMS and email, will be maximised to provide a highly efficient and effective service that is personalised to individuals’ needs and proactively delivered. Work is also ongoing with neighbouring boroughs and London Councils, with funding from the Capital Ambition initiative, to explore opportunities for sharing information and systems which could further enhance services and realise efficiencies.
A number of issues were raised during the discussions, including how many of our customers prefer to have face-to-face contact, particularly the elderly who may not be as familiar with new technologies, and the need for systems to provide a seamless service to customers that also improves on the levels and deadlines of responsiveness. The Head of Customer Strategy and Transformation referred to the new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and explained that this will provide a far more robust service in terms of directing and dealing with customer enquiries as well as providing an audit trail and a systematic approach to managing customer contacts within the organisation. Furthermore, the new CRM system and the use of new technological communication methods will reduce the burden on face-to-face services and, consequently, will free up time for those that would still prefer to have face-to-face contact with the Council.
Agreed, in order to provide a framework and action plan for delivering excellent customer services across the Council and with our partners, to:
(i) The Customer Strategy and Action Plan as set out at Appendix A to the report; and
(ii) The Council continuing to explore the shared service option, supported by Capital Ambition.