Agenda item

Zena Miller, Head of Customer Services, outlined a report to provide an update on the progress made in improvements to Customer Service at MyCouncil and also an outline of future improvement plans. 

The report set out the detail of proposed actions and outcomes in various areas together with the date of implementation and the status of the actions. 

Members asked a number of questions in the ensuing discussion as follows:-

• A Member asked how much value there was in the ability for residents to use the Internet.  The Officer advised that this would be of huge value and it would be useful to have an automated payment system on the website.  It was thought that the likely cost of this would be approximately £60,000 and it would be linked with IT. 
• A Member asked how the morale of the staff had been affected by the growth in the volume of work handled by MyCouncil and was advised that the team had only recently been awarded with the Investors in People Award which was a significant achievement.
• A Member asked for further information on the ‘investigate alternative IT solution in the event for self service’ and was advised that it was hoped that a self service option would be made available through an upgrade to the Seibel system as there had to-date been questions over security.  It was hoped that a new version would address these issues.
• In relation to the take up of the call back option within the phone system, a Member asked why benefit callers were least likely to use this facility.  The Officer advised that the complexity and nature of the calls would drive whether or not the person was willing to wait in a queue and ways were being explored in which the message within the queuing system could be more appropriate for particular customers.  
• A Member noted that the ‘proposed action detailed under planned upgrades on systems to introduce self service and the provision of alternative IT solutions for self service’, had indicated that possible budget cuts in IT could prevent or delay this facility.  The upgrade had already been deferred from 08/09 and 09/10 and the Member understood that there had been no cuts within the IT budget.  He asked that this could be checked and the Officer advised that she hoped to have a definitive answer on this in the very near future.
• The report had stated that arrangements would be set up for the voluntary sector to see how improvements could be made in the way that the Council and the organisation worked together.  A Member asked how many queries had been received through the system and the Officer advised that these were minimal; the Citizens Advice Bureau would be given priority for example but they had not attended in over a year as they were up-to-date with their queries. 
• A Member asked how Slough Borough Council’s Call Centre performance compared with other Boroughs and was advised that this was difficult to assess, however, for example, the London Borough of Barnet had wanted to follow the work of Slough Borough Council and considered it to be a model of excellence. 

Resolved-

a)  That the report be noted.

b)  That a report on the impact of the budget on MyCouncil be brought to a future meeting of the Committee.

c)  That the Committee places on record its congratulations to Zena Miller and her team for the receipt of the Investors in People Award.