Agenda item

[Lisa Taylor, Head of Service Improvement (Customer Services), update paper - for information]

The Panel welcomed Lisa Taylor, Head of Customer Services, to the meeting.

Every day on average, Customer Services received 2500 calls (Mondays were busiest and regularly exceed 3000 calls), 350 emails and 450 visitors to reception.

It was noted that the call-back process had been stopped from December 2018 following feedback from customer service officers.

During the period when charges were introduced for the garden waste collection service call demand had increased by 150% but that demand was now back to business as usual. It was stated that on average a customer services officer would take between 60-80 calls per day.

Contact data had been reviewed across all contact channels to ensure that resources were targeted to demand. A family group model had also been implemented from 1 May 2019 with services and resources grouped by demand and skill sets.

The Panel noted that phase 2 of the restructure had now been completed and work was continuing with services based on new style knowledge structures and business rules. Performance information was also being shared across the contact centre.

The next stages would include recruitment to a new Senior Customer Service Officer post, the introduction of new style knowledge base business rules, service liaison meetings lead by team leaders, the physical co location of family groups and a review of the email process to identify efficiencies.

The Panel expressed some concern regarding the senior officer post, and it was thought that resources would be spent on employee answering the phones.

It was clarified that the new role would still include answering the phones, dealing with emails and working on reception but would also have a little bit more responsibility.

The Panel queried what the targets were as some panel members considered a 5% improvement in calls offered and handled was low over a 12-month period. It was stated that the target abandonment rate was 15% and that the contact centre was maintaining this. Regarding the performance rate; each individual target varied depending on the area they were working in.

Some Cllrs considered that 5% was good and that marginal gains were significant.

The Panel queried how the Council monitored whether calls were being handled correctly by the departments once they had been answered. 

It was stated that this would depend on the service area.

The Panel queried whether steps had been taken regarding technology to allow customer services staff to work at home. The Head of Customer Services confirmed that she had met with telephone providers and that this was an aspiration. Staff were able to work from home at the moment and could answer emails but could not take phone calls.

The Panel expressed some concerns around data protection and requested that any proposals come to scrutiny in the first instance, it was discussed that Cllrs often got phone calls at home and dealt with them.

The Panel agreed that it was important to avoid the danger of micro managing customer services. There was an aspiration to have a very good customer services operation and to monitor the outcomes of the transformation.

Resolved:      That the update be noted.