The DWP s experience in improving customer service 13 January 2010 Leigh Lewis, Permanent Secretary,

1. The DWP�s experience in improving customer service13 January 2010Leigh Lewis, Permanent Secretary,

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4. 4 The DWP Change Programme A response to three insights: 40% of the people who deal with us have to deal with more than one part of our Department our overall service to those customers is often poor and fragmented almost half of the contacts we received were intrinsically of no value to the customer or to the Department

5. 5 Poor customer service also costs money

6. 6 Customer insight � what have we learnt?

7. 7 So what we have already achieved?

8. 8 and we now have a clear service delivery strategy �Right door first� helping customers to reach the right person at their first point of contact �No wrong door� passing people who don�t succeed in doing that straight to someone who can help �Right first time� giving customers the correct advice or outcome quickly so they don�t have to repeat information or chase progress �Once and done� so far as possible, resolving their needs in one contact, minimising the need for follow-up action

9. 9 How are we trying to do that?

10. 10 How we are using Lean

11. 11 Improving information management We have put in place: �Trailblazers� to pilot a DWP wide enquiry service where our agents will be able to answer the most common queries in one call regardless of where they come in �Tell Us Once initiative� rolling out across Government Improvements to how we gather, check and re-use customer data.

12. 12 Transforming customer contact We have put in place: SMS piloting so that we can remind customers of appointments, interviews etc A new TexBox �chatroom� facility for deaf customers Improvements to our customer letters �� personalising according to customer need A consistent automatic customer greeting to all callers and rationalisation of our phone numbers A number of virtual pilots so that we can answer calls more quickly

13. 13 Improving customer transitions We have developed: An information capture tool and DWP Enquiry Service so that customers only need to tell us once about a change in their circumstances Improvements to the notification of bereavement process so that next of kin only need to inform us once of a death �

14. 14 Facilitating self service � getting there Benefits Adviser � online advice on entitlement to 28 DWP benefits, pensions and credits Contributory Jobseeker�s Allowance Online � launched in August 2009 � has already taken over 80,000 claims Jobseeker�s Allowance Online � July 2010 � first fully automated online claims service An online calculator � August 2010 � so customers can find out if they will be financially better off in work State Pension Online � October 2010 � will enable up to 700,000 customers each year to use an on-line service A Benefit Enquiry Service � November 2010 � so customers can track their claim and check entitlement online

15. 15 What all this means for our customers A more personalised approach Increased ability to self serve via the channel of their choice Quick resolution of common queries A clear sense of the standard of service they can expect Customers needing to tell us once only about a change in circumstances We are seeking a reduction in avoidable contact of 50% by 2011

16. 16 Some final conclusions this is a long journey, where you never reach the end but also a hugely fruitful one it�s a good job we began it when we did because, without it, we might not have coped with the toughest 12 months in our history

17. 17 Working with the LSE and the NAO National Audit review 2009 � making significant progress but work to do We will continue to use customer insight to frame our approach This guidance will provide a �sense check� for us and a standard of good practice to work to