Expanded role for Customer Service Centre

Nov 29 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

IMPROVEMENTS are being made to a council customer service centre, the local authority’s strategic policy and resources committee will be told tomorrow.

The Perth-based centre is set to handle enquiries about an additional range of council services, ensuring that residents can get the answers they need at the first point of contact.

The ‘CSC’ was launched in November 2006 to handle frequently occurring enquiries received by telephone, e-mail and face-to-face.

Initially it centred on answering enquiries relating to planning and the environment services and acting as the council’s main switchboard.

Since then its responsibilities have expanded to include dealing with visitor enquiries, payments, booking functions and council tax.

During the last two winters of severe weather the CSC team also took over the road emergency line on several occasions in order to help colleagues in Perth and Kinross Council’s environment service, and extended its opening hours to deal with additional enquiries about school closures and service disruptions caused by the weather.

The team now comprises 30 staff – 21 full-time and nine part-time – based at council buildings in Perth.

Staff receive around 200,000 telephone calls a year, 74% of which are handled at the first point of contact, in line with national Scottish Government objectives.

Tomorrow’s committee meeting will also be told that in order to deliver faster, better and more efficient services to customers, the CSC is set to take on enquiries for additional services:

Short-term, ie within six months:

Parking services

Launch of text messaging and web chat channel enquiry service

Medium term (between 6-18 months)

Benefit enquiries and welfare reform

Housing and rent enquiries

Housing repairs

Committee vice-convener Councillor George Hayton said yesterday: “The CSC is very important to the council.

“The ability to handle enquiries at the first point of contact frees up a huge amount of time for backroom staff who would otherwise have to answer these enquiries.

“It also provides a quick and efficient enquiries service for residents, businesses and visitors, which is what they would expect from the council.

“The CSC has been very successful since its introduction, and the proposed expansion of its remit will mean an even better service for residents and a more efficient way of dealing with enquiries for the council.

“I welcome these plans. We will continue to look at additional ways the CSC can be used to improve how we respond to enquiries.”

The council’s customer service centre is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. It can be contacted by telephoning 01738 475000 or e-mailing enquiries@pkc.gov.uk