Accessing Our Council – Housing Single Point of Contact Project
As part of the Accessing Our Council Transformation workstream which commenced in March 2022, the Transformation team in conjunction with services across the Council have been working on improving access to services.
The aim of this collaborative workstream, known as the ‘Accessing our Council programme’, is to work together with colleagues so that we can improve how customers access our services.
By streamlining customer journeys, services can then provide a better customer experience while utilising existing corporate technology.
A Council that is fair for all
The vision for the ‘Accessing our Council programme’ is to ensure we are a Council that is fair and accessible to all.
The key aims for the single point of contact model are:
- To understand, listen and work with our customers; responding to their needs and keeping them informed; while making it easy for them to interact and access our services
- To ensure our customers are given the right advice at the right time, whilst reducing multiple contact with various services on Housing matters.
A project team was established in September 2023 consisting of members of staff from Housing, Customer Services and ICT.
The team have been working with the Transformation Team over the last six months and have used their skills, knowledge and expertise to design, develop and configure our corporate telephony and CRM technology to be able to handle Housing calls through the Customer Contact Centre.
The new process takes effect from today, Tues, April 2.
“The implementation of the single point of contact model is an investment to improve the customer journey by utilising the skills, knowledge, and experience both within the Customer Contact Centre and Housing. Most importantly it is going to provide an improved customer experience for tenants and residents in how they access Council services.”
Fiona Walker, Head of People and ICT Services
Project background and benefits
The Transformation Board agreed in June 2023 that there should be Housing subject matter expertise within the Customer Contact Centre to take telephone calls in relation to Housing.
Housing Services are already high-performing and deliver great outcomes for our residents; however, including the service in the single point of contact model provides an opportunity to further enhance delivery of the service and provide customers with:
- A single telephone number for enquiries
- Improved and streamlined customer journeys
- Access to simplified referral pathways
- Improved customer service.
By utilising corporate telephony and CRM technology through a single point of contact model, Housing Services will also be able to:
- Standardise processes
- Improve information sharing and collaboration
- Improve customer service
- Reduce manual procedures
- Reduce repeat and duplicate customer contact
What staff need to know about the new process:
The Customer Contact Centre already provides a single point of contact for a wide range of Council services including council tax, benefits, Scottish Welfare Fund, Roads, lighting, waste and housing repairs.
This model is fully established within Customer Services and simplifies the inquiry process by co-ordinating and prioritising customer requests which can either be dealt with at first point of contact or raised as a case to the back office.
What will happen going forward: All Housing customer telephone enquiries will now be logged by an advisor within the Council’s corporate CRM system. This will provide a single view of customer contact and a standardised approach to the recording of customer data.
The advisor will then answer the enquiry at first point of contact where possible, or a case will be raised to the back office for Housing staff to deal with.
Benefits for the Customer Contact Centre
Now that calls will be handled through the Customer Contact Centre, the new process will ensure Customer Services can:
- Give the right advice at the right time
- Improve customer service and satisfaction levels
- Streamline and standardise processes
- Improve information sharing and collaboration
- Reduce duplication and the need for repeat contact
- Maximise the use of corporate customer technology
Fiona Walker, Head of People and ICT Services said: “Thank you to everyone involved in the latest instalment of the Council’s transformation journey.
“In summary, the implementation of the single point of contact model is an investment to improve the customer journey by utilising the skills, knowledge, and experience both within the Customer Contact Centre and Housing.
“Most importantly it is going to provide an improved customer experience for tenants and residents in how they access Council services.
“We are proud that by working together, the result will be a streamlined customer journey for all, utilising our corporate technology to standardised customer requests while ensuring we put our customers at the heart of what we do.”
If you have any questions about the new process, please contact: enixon@north-ayrshire.gov.uk or andreaelliot@north-ayrshire.gov.uk