Agenda Item 9 - page 1
U: \commlive\Personnel & Corp Servs\ 200912 - Customer Service Review.doc
AGENDA ITEM NO 9
SERVICE REVIEW – CUSTOMER SERVICES
Committee: Personnel and Corporate Services Committee
Date:
20 September 2012
Author:
Head of ICT and Customer Services
[M105]
1.0
ISSUE
1.1
To agree terms of reference and the timetable for the review of Customer Services.
2.0
RECOMMENDATION
2.1
Members are requested to approve the terms of reference and the review
timetable.
3.0
BACKGROUND
3.1
The review of Customer Services is one of four agreed 2012/13 service reviews.
3.2
The review should be conducted in accordance with the Council’s agreed
methodology.
3.3
Draft terms of reference and associated timetable are attached at Appendix 1.
4.0
ARGUMENT/CONCLUSION
4.1
The last review of Customer Services was conducted in 2006/07.
4.2
The Councils refurbished front of house/reception facility now operates as a
one-stop shop with Anglia Revenues Partnership and Sanctuary Housing. Now is an
opportune time to review the service particularly within the context of the new
shared service arrangements.
5.0
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS/EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
5.1
There are no financial implications arising from this report; however the review may
reach conclusions which do have financial implications which would need to be
considered at the appropriate time by the Finance and Governance Committee.
5.2
EIA not required at this stage of the review.
6.0
APPENDICES
6.1
Appendix 1 – Draft Terms of Reference
6.2
Appendix 2 – Draft Stage 1 report
Background Documents
Draft Service Plan
2012/2013
Location
Room 105
The Grange
Ely
Contact Officer
Annette Wade
Head of ICT and Customer Services
(01353) 665555
E-mail:
Agenda Item 9 – page 3
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APPENDIX 1
DRAFT
REVIEW OF CUSTOMER SERVICES
TERMS OF REFERENCE
It is proposed that Members follow the methodology of Service reviews as
agreed by Internal Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
There will be three stages to the review as outlined below:
-Stage1 (Scoping the Review)
Formal agreement of terms of reference/timetable and review process
(including member involvement)
Description of service.
How is the service currently provided/resources employed?
Current Service targets and performance.
Key issues for Stage 2 review.
Deadline: Personnel & Corporate Services, 20
thSeptember 2012
Stage 2 (Option Appraisal)
Option to achieve review of objectives
Joint service delivery
Efficiency improvement
Use of ICT telephony/technology
Compare performance & Customer Satisfaction
Impact on service in medium long term – challenge
Deadline: Scrutiny Committee, 17
thJanuary 2013
Stage 3 (Improvement Plan)
Agreed improvements arising from Stage 2
Financial Implications
HR Implications
ICT/Telephony implications
Other implications (including joint working partners, ARP, Sanctuary
Housing and Veolia)
Improvement/Action Plan
APPENDIX 2
DRAFT
REVIEW OF CUSTOMER SERVICES – STAGE 1 REPORT INTRODUCTION
1.0 The review of Customer Services is one of the four service reviews timetabled for 2012/13.
1.1 Prior to 2007 the Council operated a traditional telephony/reception service model. Telephonists would simply transfer the caller to the correct
person/team would handle telephone calls. In addition, direct dial numbers were, in some but not all cases, published in telephone directories etc and callers could dial direct bypassing the telephonist. There was an option to leave a voicemail if the call was not answered.
1.2 Visitors to The Grange were met by receptionists who provided a simple meet and greet signposting service.
1.3 No management information was available.
1.4 The former government used a carrot and stick approach to ensure Customer Relationship Management (CRM) was introduced into public service
organisations, believing that greater knowledge of the Customer and their enquiries would inform and enable decision making and improvements in key areas and generate efficiency savings such as identifying opportunities for self service (the most cost effective way of customer interaction)
1.5 Councils were required to implement CRM and in return were given capital grants to purchase the necessary ICT and telephony infrastructure.
1.6 CRM was implemented throughout the council in July 2007. All members of staff have access to the system and can interact accordingly. Information input into the system can be viewed by all (authorised) staff, enabling
enquiries to be followed up by team members even when the original advisor is not present. The voicemail facility was removed as it was not being used effectively.
1.7 Long-term aspirations are for 80% of customer enquiries to be resolved at first point of contact i.e. without the need to hand off to the back office. This would result in significant capacity gains throughout the Council. A medium term objective was set to resolve 20% of customer enquiries at first point of contact.
1.8 The resolution of calls at first point of contact involves the use of scripting which requires joint working between the customer services team, the service department and ICT. The programme of script development is driven by the opportunity for quick wins i.e. high volume calls for simple service requests and other enquiries that lend themselves to resolution through the use of scripting.
Agenda Item 9 – page 5
U:\commlive\Personnel & Corp Servs\200912 - Customer Service Review App2.doc contact on behalf of Veolia who are responsible for delivering the Councils waste and recycling service. Additionally since 8thMay 2012 the team are working along side ARP and Sanctuary Housing customer service staff within the new refurbished reception. This was created to improve customer service by providing a one-stop shop for all Housing related enquiries. These joint working projects generate an income of £32,796.00 per annum for the Council.
1.10 The review will be led by the Head of ICT and Customer Services and assisted by a Council Member and representatives from service areas & partners. The Deputy Chief Executive will be the lead Management Team representative.
DATE MEETING/COMMITTEE REPORT 20thSeptember 2012 Personnel & Corporate
Services Committee
Terms of reference Stage 1 Report
17thJanuary 2013 Scrutiny Committee Draft Improvement Plan (Pre Scrutiny)
7thFebruary 2013 Personnel & Corporate Services Committee
Final Improvement Plan
1.11 Terms of reference are attached in Appendix 1 2. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE
2.1 Customer Services provides a single point of contact for the public and agencies within the Council’s normal working hours, and aims to resolve as many customer interactions as possible at first point of contact.
2.1.1 The service provides a polite, friendly and responsive face to face “reception” service and responds to all telephone calls to the main Council contact number 01353 665555, all generic email received by the Council and general enquiries submitted via the eastcambs.gov.uk website.
2.1.2 The team record all customer interaction (telephone, email, face to face) on the Council’s Customer Relationship Management System and use “scripts” to either resolve calls at first point of contact or to collect the correct
information required by the back office to respond to customer enquires quickly and efficiently and reduce avoidable customer contact, i.e. with out the customer having to repeat the details of their enquiry
2.1.4 In addition to the above Customer Service Advisors undertake a number of additional administration duties, examples include:
-Taking payments for Council tax, parking tickets, various services & market stalls etc
Issuing railcards
Issuing job packs
Booking Building Control Inspections and Housing appointments
Liaising with Cambridgeshire County Council regarding the disposal of asbestos and Issuing asbestos bags
Tell us once administration of deaths and births
2.1.5 The team continually identify self-service opportunities (the most cost effective form of customer interaction) and promote and direct people to the Council’s website and self service kiosks, providing assistance and guidance as and when required.
2.1.6 Performance data
Telephone Calls received by the Customer Services team Year Total No Calls Received Total calls Answered No of calls CRM cases generated No of CRM Cases resolved at first point of contact *No of quick Calls / call backs etc no CRM case generated 2008/09 71,380 67,694 94.8% 49,495 21.9% 18,199 2009/10 71,260 68,642 96.3% 53,931 21.5% 14,711 2010/11 83,576 79,613 95.3% 46,053 22.9% 33,560 2011/12 84,396 78,204 92.7% 42,121 22.1% 36,083
Visitors to The Grange
Year Total no of Visitors 2008/09 Not Collected 2009/10 Not collected 2010/11 Not Collected 2011/12 25,442
Self Service forms completed on the web and directed to the appropriate service for resolution.
Year Total no of Self Serve CRM Cases Received
2008/09 1940
2009/10 2572
2010/11 2497
2011/12 3433
2.2 Links to Corporate Objectives
CORPORATE OBJECTIVES (DRAFT)
LINKS TO SERVICE OBJECTIVES
To run an efficient and effective Council to deliver best value for its residents.
Customer Service supports this objective by providing a single point of contact for the public and agencies.
Shared reception with ARP and Sanctuary Housing provides a one-stop shop for all Housing enquiries.
Agenda Item 9 – page 7
U:\commlive\Personnel & Corp Servs\200912 - Customer Service Review App2.doc Resolving as many calls as possible at
first point of contact or by collecting the correct information required by the back office to process customer enquires more quickly and efficiently thus freeing up back office professional staff to do the “day job” and reducing avoidable contact for the customer.
Management Information produced by CRM provides customer insight and can Inform decision making.
2.3 Resources
2.3.1 The current net cost of the service (2012/13) is £225,845.00 2.4 Staffing Resources (9.88 fte)
Title Full/Part Time Quantity Comments Customer Services
Team Leader
Full Time 1 Customer Service
Liaison Officer
Part time 1 22 hours per week over 3 days Customer Services Advisor Full time 4 Customer Services Advisor
Part Time 1 29.5 hours over 4 days
Customer Services Advisor
Part Time 1 22.5 hours over 5 days
Customer Services Advisor
Part Time 1 21 hours – to be replaced temporarily for two years by full time apprentice Customer Services
Advisor
Part time 1 20 hours over 5 days per week
Customer Services Advisor
Part Time 1 20 hours over 4 days Customer Services
Advisor
Part Time 1 15 hours over 3 days
3.OUTCOMES OF THE REVIEW
3.1 Key issues to be considered as part of the stage 2 report to Scrutiny Committee are as follows:
Operational
Is the staffing structure fit for purpose (number, roles, hours of work)?
Alternative ways of working including exploration of multi tasking between the three front of house organisations
Integration of software to improve front and back office efficiency
Are members getting the most out of Customer Service (e.g. what enquiries are constituents making)?
Strategic
Where do we wish to go in terms of customer service within East
Cambridgeshire (e.g. should we concern ourselves with Customer service beyond the initial point of contact. Should we be registering every customer? Should customer service be better embedded throughout the Council)
Should we provide local access points (is there a business case for doing so)
Opening Hours? Performance
Are the existing performance standards fit for purpose? If not propose new ones
Can a common set of performance standards be applied across all three organisations (namely ECDC, ARP and Sanctuary Housing)? Should we extend this to include Veolia?
Strategy to improve first point of contact resolution
Analysis of most requested services/information requests and match scripting development accordingly.
How can more self-service be generated?
How does performance and cost compare against others?
Is performance reporting effective; what do mangers and the Council want
Need to conduct regular satisfaction surveys (are we on the right tract, are improving, has the integrated service made a positive difference to people)?
