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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-13-012 - Corporate Customer Service Strategy Phase 2 Scope.REPORT TO:Planning & Strategic Initiatives Committee DATE OF MEETING: January 28, 2013 SUBMITTED BY: Michael May, Deputy CAO, Community Services (519-741-2200, ext. 7079) PREPARED BY: Michael May, Deputy CAO, Community Services (519-741-2200, ext. 7079) WARD(S) INVOLVED: All DATE OF REPORT: January 21, 2013 REPORT NO.: CSD-13-012 SUBJECT: CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE STRATEGY – PHASE 2 SCOPE RECOMMENDATION: That the scope of work for Phase 2 of the Corporate Customer Service Strategy, as outlined in Appendix A of CSD-13-012, be approved. BACKGROUND: Through a variety of research and public opinion surveys completed over many years, Canadians have consistently identified 5 top factors in their satisfaction with government services. According to that research, citizens are looking for governments to provide: Multi-channel (phone, email, in-person, online, etc.) access to City staff and services including self-serve options that are consistent across the entire organization. Accurate and complete answers to their inquiries. The ability to easily check-in on the status of their inquiry or service request. A “no wrong door” approach to customer service across all channels. An easy way to complain or compliment. Recognizing these top factors in citizen/customer satisfaction, over the past several years many municipalities across Canada have been pursuing customer service initiatives aimed at: (1) increasing customer/citizen satisfaction; (2) improving the quality and consistency of service delivery across the corporation; (3) reducing costs; and/or (4) delivering a comprehensive and integrated, customer-first approach to customer service. Canadian municipalities that have completed substantial work in this area include (but are not limited to): Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Windsor, Mississauga, Toronto, Oakville, Oshawa, Quebec City, Halifax, the Region of Peel and the Region of Waterloo. For customers, this renewed focus on customer service has resulted in easier access to their municipal services; greater choice in the channels they use to contact their municipality and request services; a more consistent and predictable level of service from their municipality; and improved staff support in terms of fewer transfers, faster response times and more complete responses. ï ó ï In 2007 Kitchener City Council approved the first phase of the City’s Corporate Customer Service Strategy. From 2008 to 2011, staff focused on completing a number of foundational elements of customer service excellence that were identified in Phase 1, including: Establishing a Corporate Contact Centre to consolidate some customer service functions from specific areas of the corporation. Creating a Welcome Centre at City Hall for citizens and tourists. Redesigning the City’s website (www.kitchener.ca) to make it more user-friendly and easier for citizens to find information. Improving directional signage at City facilities (including City Hall). Condensing and simplifying the City’s blue page listing to make it easier for citizens to find the phone number they need. With the majority of work identified in Phase 1 of the Corporate Customer Service Strategy now complete, staff has begun to turn their attention to the remaining two phases of the strategy. The following diagram provides a high-level overview of all 3 phases of the customer service strategy and highlights the major initiatives within each phase. It is important to note that staff is only seeking approval of the scope of Phase 2 at this time. Once Phase 2 has been completed, staff will return to Council to seek approval on the scope and details of Phase 3. ݱ®°±®¿¬»Ý«­¬±³»®Í»®ª·½»Í¬®¿¬»¹§¬Ð®±¶»½¬Ì·³»´·²» и¿­»ïи¿­»îи¿­»í Û­¬¿¾´·­¸Ý«­¬±³»®Í»®ª·½»Ú±«²¼¿¬·±²­Í¬®»²¹¬¸»²Ú±«²¼¿¬·±²­Ý·¬§©·¼»×³°´»³»²¬¿¬·±² ݱ®°±®¿¬»Ý±²¬¿½¬Ý»²¬®»ÝÎÓöß²¿´§­·­úÜ»½·­·±²×³°´»³»²¬¼»½·­·±²±²ÝÎÓ Í¬®»²¹¬¸»²ÝÝÝööݱ²­·¼»®ÝÝÝ»¨°¿²­·±² Ý·¬§Ø¿´´É»´½±³»Ý»²¬®» Ю·±®·¬·¦»»­»®ª·½»­Û¨°¿²¼»­»®ª·½»­ λ¼»­·¹²Ã?YŐ©»¾­·¬» îððë¬îððéîðïíÌÞÜ öÝÎÓãÝ«­¬±³»®Î»´¿¬·±²­¸·°Ó¿²¿¹»³»²¬­±º¬©¿®» ööÝÝÝãݱ®°±®¿¬»Ý±²¬¿½¬Ý»²¬®» REPORT: Recognizing Phase 2 of the Corporate Customer Service Strategy has the potential to include a significant body of work, in December 2012 staff began the process of identifying, prioritizing and sequencing all of the remaining work within the strategy in order to effectively scope out what will and will not be considered in Phase 2. As a starting point for this process, staff undertook a comprehensive exercise to benchmark the city’s current customer service capabilities against 14 industry recognized criteria for good customer service (e.g. accessibility, service standards, accuracy and completeness, operational efficiency). This benchmarking exercise identified a number of gaps in our current capabilities which formed the basis of the remaining work plan for Phases 2 and 3 of the customer service ï ó î strategy. In addition, this analysis assisted staff in developing the following four-point vision for the future of customer service at the City of Kitchener. While this vision is not yet finalized, it provided the guidance necessary to clearly define what work needs to be completed as part of Phase 2 prior to proceeding to the final phase of the strategy. Long-Term Vision for Customer Service at the City of Kitchener: Note: This vision will not be realized until well after completion of Phase 3 of the Corporate Customer Service Strategy. : Channel Availability Citizens are able to easily access municipal staff and services 1. through a variety of strong channels based on their individual preference (in-person, phone, website, email, social media, etc.) in order to request a service, follow-up on a previous service request, ask a question, or register a complaint. Channel Integration: 2. The City is able to integrate customer contacts across all available channels so that an inquiry or service request (regardless of what channel it comes through) can be followed-up on from where it was last left off. If the customer calls back to follow-up on an inquiry, to get a status update on a service request, or to provide additional information, they will not have to keep telling their story over and over again – or searching for “the person they spoke to last time”. Customer Interactions: 3. Customers find it easy to interact with the City and access their municipal services. They are satisfied with their first point of contact (regardless of the channel they use) with the City as a result of a streamlined and standardized process; knowledgeable and well supported staff, and documented service levels that provide them with certainty around response times (to inquiries for information or service requests). Efficiency and Effectiveness: 4. The City takes a corporate-wide approach to customer service performance (monitoring, measuring and reporting) and utilizes data from across the organization to identify areas for potential improvement and to help ensure services are being delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible. Phase 2 Scope: The full scope of Phase 2 of the Corporate Customer Service Strategy, which is outlined in Appendix A of this report, is divided into three major components. Each of these components (described briefly below) focuses on strengthening our existing customer service foundations and completing a variety of work necessary to proceed to the final phase of the strategy. Customer service foundational elements: 1.This component of Phase 2 will focus on strengthening the foundations of customer service excellence across the entire corporation through: (1) a comprehensive change management plan, and (2) the detailed analysis of options to acquire new customer relationship management (CRM) software or enhance 1 existing technology for implementation across the entire Corporation. 1 Customer Relationship Management software is a workflow management, tracking and reporting tool that supports staff across the corporation in accurately and consistently managing customer inquiries and requests for service. CRM software also allows an organization to integrate customer inquiries across a variety of channels (e.g. in-person, phone, email, etc.) and to report to citizens, customers and City Council on a comprehensive corporate-wide basis. ï ó í Strengthening the Corporate Contact Centre (CCC): 2.This component of Phase 2 will focus on strengthening the operations of the CCC through a variety of initiatives that were either identified in Phase 1 and not completed, or have been identified as necessary prior to moving to Phase 3. Prioritizing City services to be made available online: 3.This final component of Phase 2 will focus on taking a comprehensive and systematic approach to reviewing, evaluating and prioritizing City services that should be offered to customers online. By the end of Phase 2, Council will be asked to make decisions on: (1) the potential acquisition and city-wide implementation of CRM software, and (2) the prioritization and implementation strategy for the expansion of online services. It is highly likely both of these decisions will have financial implications that Council will need to consider as part of the annual budget process. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The Corporate Customer Service Strategy is directly aligned to the following Effective and Efficient Government directions within the City of Kitchener’s Strategic Plan: : Communications, Marketing and Customer Service E-engagement and E-service are here to stay: Continue to strengthen the City’s online presence by increasing opportunities for stakeholders to provide input into municipal decisions and to access City services online. Good customer service is everyone’s job: Continue to build and strengthen a culture of customer service within the corporation that responds to the changing needs and expectations of stakeholders. Information Technology: Enhance customer service: Improve the service provided by the City to its customers by using technology to harmonize processes across departments and expand online services. Financial Management: It’s citizens’ money: Maximize value through cost-effective service delivery. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Sufficient funds remain within the Corporate Customer Service account to complete the work outlined within Phase 2 of the strategy. Once the work of Phase 2 is complete, City Council will be asked to make decisions on the: (1) acquisition of new CRM software or enhancement of existing technology for City-wide implementation; and (2) prioritization and implementation strategy for the expansion of online services. It is highly likely both of these decisions will have financial implications City Council will need to consider as part of the annual budget process. ï ó ì COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: As part of the process of evaluating and prioritizing City services to be made available online, the city will consult with customers to fully understand what services they would most likely utilize online and what services they would not use. This information will be used to ensure any investments made to put City services online will be utilized by customers. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jeff Willmer, CAO ï ó ë ï ó ê