Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

To consider the Customer Service Strategy and Customer Care Standards prior to consideration by Cabinet.

RESOLVED: That the report entitled Customer Service Strategy 2021 - 2026 and appendices be noted.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to comment on the report entitled Customer Service Strategy 2021 - 2026 prior to consideration by Cabinet.

Audio recording – 47 minutes 56 seconds

The Service Director - Customers introduced the report entitled Customer Service Strategy 2021 - 2026, together with the following appendices:

·                Appendix A – Customer Service Strategy 2021 - 2026;

·                Appendix B – Customer Care Standards

She drew attention to the following:

·                The report was being presented to the Committee ahead of consideration by Cabinet;

·                The Strategy pre-emptively referred to the ‘People First’ priority set out in the draft Council Plan, due to be considered by Cabinet and Council in September 2021;

·                The Strategy set out how NHDC would put its customers at the heart of everything we do and reflected changes which had been brought about as a result of the pandemic, e.g. increased use of digital support services;

·                It was recognised that, for some customers, traditional contact methods remained essential and these would continue to be provided;

·                A Target Operating Model had been adopted, as recommended in the Peer Review.

The following Members took part in discussion:

·                Councillor Morgan Derbyshire;

·                Councillor Claire Strong;

·                Councillor Tony Hunter.

Comments from Members included:

·                This was an enlightening and necessary document;

·                Council had not yet agreed the NHDC rebranding/new logo – a presentation to Council on this would be appreciated before the official launch.

The Service Director – Customers, replied to questions from Members as follows:

·                Emails to the Customer Service Centre were automatically acknowledged; there was also a target to reply to emails in full within two days;

·                The new NHDC logo was due to be officially launched in October, and had therefore been included on this new document;

·                Members would be updated on the status of the re-branding;

·                The Councillor Portal was currently being piloted by a group of 15 Councillors before being rolled out to all Councillors – it will allow Councillors to raise and track a case, and send things through to departments and teams directly on behalf of constituents – there were also links to useful information such as crime data and a link to mod.gov.

Councillor Jim McNally proposed, Councillor Claire Strong seconded, and it was unanimously:

RESOLVED: That the report entitled Customer Service Strategy 2021 - 2026 and appendices be noted.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to comment on the report entitled Customer Service Strategy 2021 - 2026 prior to consideration by Cabinet.