Linda Norman Head of Customer Services Spelthorne Borough Council 24 January 2014

1. Enhancing the Customer ExperienceA practical guide to developing a successful customer-centric approach to service delivery Linda Norman Head of Customer Services Spelthorne Borough Council 24 January 2014

2. Agenda • About Spelthorne • How did it all start? • The vision • The journey • Demos • Engage • Connect • The future • Q&A

3. Where is Spelthorne?

4. About Spelthorne Borough Council • Surrey district authority • 96k population • 42k domestic properties • 2.5k commercial properties • Conservative controlled

5. How did it all start? • What were the drivers for change? • Impending retirement of Head of Customer Services • Need to make savings • Need to improve resilience around front-line services • Need to improve service delivery

6. Spring 2011 • March 2011 • Head of Audit undertook a review of customer services (CS) • 170k calls were being handled between customer services and revenues (Revs) • 12k calls were duplicated between CS & Revs • 70% of calls were answered in 5 rings • 15% of calls were abandoned • 51% of enquiries were dealt with at initial point of contact • Both teams had staff of similar grades • No ‘out of hours’ telephony service

7. Spring 2011 • April 2011 • MAT agreed to merger of Revs with CS • Target to deliver £200k savings for 2012/13 • May 2011 • CS and Revs teams merged • Training begins • Service Champions introduced • Processes analysed • Roadmap to improvement agreed

8. Summer 2011‘Enhancing the Customer Experience’ • CS strategy reviewed • Joined-up service delivery • Engaging more directly with customers • Working with partners to provide seamless services • Achieve cost-effectiveness

9. Winter 2011 • Customer Services strategy 2011-2014 approved • Roadmap to improvements • Review payment processes • Automated Voice Recognition • Review telephony • Call handling • Out of hours service • Review Customer experience • Holistic view of customer • Channel shift • Social Media • Transactional website

10. 2012/13 • April 2012 • Staff fully trained & integrated • October 2012 • New call handling system introduced • 95% of calls answered in 5 rings • 5% of calls abandoned • 18% call reduction over 12 months • January 2013 • Automated Voice Recognition payments • March 2013 • Out of hours telephone service £200k savings delivered!

11. Spring 2013 • ‘Enhancing the Customer Experience Programme’ approved June 2013 • Budget £160k agreed • Projected savings • £25k 2013/14 (1 FTE) • £75k 2014/15 (1.4 FTE & reduced telephony costs) • £60k 2015/16 (1.5 FTE & reduced admin costs) • 5 work streams developed • Capita Strategic Partnership • CS & back office integration • Transactional enhancements • Social media strategy • Mobile services

12. CRM Customer Services & back office integration WS3 Social Media WS2 Facebook EDMS Twitter ENHANCING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE My Spelthorne Capita ‘Connect’ Revs and Bens WS1 • E-claim • E-reviews • E-benefits notification • DD via Web • Online SPD • Online arrangements • etc Transactional Enhancements WS4 Surrey Centre of Excellence. Capita Strategic Partnership Booking Engine Mobile Services WS5 Achieve Forms Payments WS1a Capita ‘Engage’ Mobile App EDMS Mobile Website • Social media • SMS text • Pictures • 2 way comms • GIS reporting • Transactional • QR codes • Alerts • Event notification • Leisure events • Halls • Banner Sites • Football pitches • Garden Waste Bins • Planning • Smart phones • Android • Tablets • Kiosks Back office Integration

13. Capita Strategic Partnership July 13 • Engage app delivered 02.09.13 • 6 weeks to implement • 10 500 hits in 3 months • 10% reduction in calls to CS • Connect (1) delivered 27.09.13 • Ctax • BR • Landlords • Benefits • Connect (2) delivered 29.11.13 • eClaim form • eChange in Circumstance • Marketing campaign!

14. Capita Strategic Partnership Connect demo Engage demo

15. 2014/15 - Infinity & beyond • Deliver remaining workstreams • Holistic view of customer • Expand social media • Deliver transactional enhancements • Improve telephony system • Out of hours – expand across service areas • Improved call routing • Introduce call back and satisfaction surveys • Corporate Connect • Streetscene • Environment services • Planning & building control

16. Postcard from the future

17. Conclusion • The Dos • Get senior management buy-in • Get Cabinet buy-in • Do include unison • Be clear on what the drivers are • Be clear on the vision • The Don’ts • Overlook accommodation needs • Under-estimate staff resistance • Forget about staff training • Try to do it all at once • Be afraid to change the status quo!

18. Lessons learned • Focus on the customer rather than the council • Engage with staff at an early stage • Deliver in a phased approach • Get a ‘critical friend’ on board • Need to understand the current position before you can focus on the improvements • Keep reminding staff of the end goal • Would I do it again? Absolutely!

19. Questions • Any questions? Linda Norman Head of Customer Services l.norman@spelthorne.gov.uk 07720 945503