How "1823 Citizen's Easy Link" Has Improved the Enquiry Service to Citizens of Hong Kong

1. How "1823 Citizen's Easy Link" Has Improved the Enquiry Service to Citizens of Hong Kong HK Tang, Chief Executive Officer Efficiency Unit, HKSAR Government

2. Outline • Background • Operation of Call Centre • Performance Measurement • Key Strategy • Customer • People • Process • Technology

3. 2363 0068 ? 2038 9661 2184 8858 2864 9763 2363 0068 2510 6888 2189 8222 2516 7499 2763 9643 2989 9999 2238 0309 2510 6888 Too Many Numbers – Too Difficult to Find HKSAR Governmenthas over 1 200published numbers for enquiry and complaints

4. Too Difficult to Get Through • Always busy, not answered, or answered by machine • Over 40% call abandon rate

5. Service Standard g a b c d e f h i j Department Inconsistent Service Levels • Response Times • Information Quality • First Call Resolution

6. IVRS –Solution or Problem ? Over 60% callers choose to talk to an operator

7. Citizens • One Stop 24 hours enquiry service • No need to understand government organisation structure • Enjoy quality and responsive service • Well-deifined service standards • Departments • Relief from non-core business • Guaranteed service level through Service Level Agreement • Tracking of case progress and timely reminder • Useful enquiry statistics for management planning Solution : An Integrated Call Centre

8. Vision The most caring and convenient government call center to provide quality services.

9. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (漁農自然護理署) Architectural Services Department (建築署) Buildings Department (屋宇署 ) Civil Engineering Department (土木工程署) Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (機電工程署) Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (食物環境衛生署) Highways Department (路政署) Leisure and Cultural Services Department (康樂文化事務署) Marine Department (海事署) Hongkong Post (香港郵政) Rating and Valuation Department (差响物業估價署) Transport Department (運輸署) Labour Department (勞工署) Participating Departments

10. Ad-hoc Projects • Continuing Education Fund by Student Finance Assistance Agency • Environmental Hygiene and cleanliness hotline for Team Clean • Tax Return hotline for Inland Revenue Department • SARS Enquiry Hotline for Department of Health • SARS Home Confinement Hotline for Home Affair Department • Various promotion programme by Tourism Commission, e.g. Symphony of Lights, CLP Lighting Up Hong Kong, Hong Kong Mega Sale, etc • MTR Tseung Kwai O Extension Hotline and Westrail Hotline by Transport Department • Hong Kong Infrastructure Experience by Planning Department

11. Overview • Established in July 01 • Monthly calls – around 120K and 40K emails • 7 days X 24-hours • Easy to remember 4-digit number – 1823 • Multi-access channels • Multi-lingual • Queue position / voice mail • Trained agents – 140 • Well-equipped positions – 91 Internet EMAIL

12. Knowledge Base Route Service Requests to Dept(s) Reminder / Escalation to Dept(s) Hotline No. Citizen Enquiry/ Complaints Have Dept(s) Response Update citizen and Close file Have Dept(s) Response Customer Relations Management Mode of Operation Consult Knowledge Base Depts SLOPE Slopejkjkj jkwjek Locatiojksk n Etc. etc. y Kjkj jkjekkrkejre kflkfldkf kksldk ksld Jkjuwi iuiuiu iui kkdk Slope Location Etc. etc. Enquiry handled Open contacts file & Log details

13. Performance Measurement

14. Call Received vs Call Answered

15. Email from Citizen

16. Call Answered within 12 Seconds Target > 80%

17. Average Speed to Answer

18. Abandon Rate Target < 10%

19. First Time Resolving Rate Target > 90%

20. Customer Satisfaction Target > 3.8 (5 point scale)

21. Complaint vs Comnpliment

22. Average Call Handling Time Target < 340 Seconds

23. Key Strategy Customer Strategy People Process Technology

24. Customer - External • On-going Customer Satisfaction Survey • Monitor customer satisfaction towards the service and individual staff • Continuous customer satisfaction survey to all callers through an automated IVR system • Internal Call Monitoring • Supervisors will monitor at least 100 calls/emails per month • Voice and screen monitoring with well-structured guidelines • Calibration by QA Officer to align assessment standard • Intensive coaching to drive on-going improvement • Complaint & Compliment analysis • Monitor trend • Understand nature for improvement

25. Customers - Internal • Flexible charging scheme to departments • Savings achieved by departments by transferring enquiry service to 1823 CEL • An agreed sum based on call volume • Fee per call • Agreed number of call agents • Principle : break-even – not profit making

26. Customers - Internal • Partnership with Departments • Regular departmental Liaison Meeting and ad-hoc meeting to discuss department-specific issues • Dedicated Liaison Officer from ICC to work closely with department to ensure smooth daily operation, timely update of information in Knowledge Base and response to requests from departments • Dedicated Business Process Re-engineering Team to review and streamline the process, procedures and knowledge base • Service Level Agreement with Departments • Roles and responsibilities of ICC and Department • Service standards • Internal escalation to ensure timely action and response to enquiries/complaints

27. George NG Manager (Adm) Organization Chart H K TANG CEO Business Process Re-engineering Team Ming PANG Senior Call Center Mgr (Ops) Jenny LAI Call Center Mgr (Ops) Terry YIM Mgr (System Support) Training & QA Officer Venus YAUPrudence SZE Assistant Call Center Manager (Adm) Wickie LAM Patrick PI Assistant Call Center Manager (Ops) Ricky CHEUNG Arthur CHOI Becky LEUNG Chris CHU Assistant Mgr (System Support) Technical Support Officers Call Center Supervisors Senior Call Center Agents / Call Center Agent Admin. Assistant Admin. Assistant

28. People - Recruitment • Recruitment criteria tightly tied to job requirement, e.g. for agents • Qualification: F5 standard with pass in English & Chinese • Experience: Minimum 1 year customer service or call center experience • Skills: Typing skills • Personal competency: customer service and communication skills • New recruits will go through an intensive assessment on the followings during the training period before qualified to handle call • Customer Service skills • System & computer skills • Department knowledge and procedures • 1823 CEL standard • QA officer will closely monitor the performance of new recruits on a daily basis for one month before handling over the staff to operation division

29. People - Training Induction Training for New Recruits

30. Training • Days • Customer Service Skills • System Skills • Departmental Knowledge • Personal Competency • Induction training for new recruits • 18 • Training for departmental knowledge for new recruits • (1.5 to 3 days per department) • About 4 months to complete multi skill training • Refresher training on updated departmental knowledge • Customer service focus Group • Training on new system features • Other Training e.g. • EQ Course, how to handle difficult customers, first aid training People - Training 0.5 – 1 0.5 0.5 0.5 – 1

31. People – Motivation Motivation Scheme • Smart Agent of the Month • Smart Agent of the Year • Smart Team of the Month • Best Coach of the Year • Call of the Month • Award: • Gift (e.g. hotel buffer coupon) • Certificate • Higher priority for Training or Visiting

32. People - Communication • Weekly operation and QA meetings with supervisors to review agent performance • Monthly team meeting amongst supervisors and agents to build team spirit and enhance peer learning • Tea meeting with agents to enhance communication in an informal manner • Bi-monthly lunch gathering with all staff to build up morale and to present awards • Annual retreat day for all staff to cultivate call centre culture and align vision • Annual Staff Satisfaction Survey to collect staff feedback

33. Support • Help staff set up a Recreation Group (康樂二課) • With the support of management, the Group itself organizes • Staff opinion poll • Visit to client departments • Bi-monthly tea gathering and birthday party • Recreation activities such as outings • Competitions

34. Process • Management Process • Performance Management • Quality Assurance • Recruitment & Training • Resources Management • System and Procedure Enhancement • Customer Handling Process • Knowledge Base Updating • Procedure and Standard Script • Siebel Operation

35. Process – Performance Management • Assess individual staff performance based on a set of measurable Key Performance Indicators in the areas of Service,Quality and Productivity to • Drive performance of individual staff and self-motivation for improvement • Provide clear guidelines for performance assessment and contract renewal • Provide a basis for the incentive scheme

36. Process – Performance Management • Incentive Scheme • Each of the staff is assigned personal performance targets • Achievement of targets by staff will affect their entitlement to • contract-end gratuity • additional annual leave

37. Process – Performance Management

38. Process – Performance Management

39. Process – Quality Assurance Regular call monitoring Management Information Report Complaint from caller/department Supervisor / Manager observation Call evaluation and calibration Identify and prioritize areas for improvement Agent coaching Refresher training Knowledge base update Procedure review System enhancement

40. Process - Call Monitoring • 100% calls recorded by voice logger system • Supervisors carried out call monitoring and complete evaluation form in system • Each supervisor evaluates a minimum of 100 calls/emails per month • Call evaluation emphasizes on accuracy of information given • Carry out coaching and arrange training if required • QA officer carried out calibration for evaluation by supervisor to align standard

41. Process - Call Monitoring • Scoring • Accuracy of Information – 50% • Call Handling Procedures – 10% • Customer Service Skill – 15% • Use of Siebel – 15% • Knowledge Base – 10% • Frequency • 1-2% calls were monitored • Supervisors submit weekly report

42. Process – KB Update Ad-hoc Updating Annual Review Initiated by ICC From departments From ICC From callers • Ensure information accurate • Change KB structure to facilitate call handling Update information to Knowledge Base

43. Technology Architecture

44. Technology Solution Voice • Telephone System (Avaya) • Interactive Voice Response System (Apex) • Computer Telephony Integration (Avaya, Q-Phone) • Voice, Screen Logger (Nice) • Data • Email System (Microsoft Exchange) • Fax System (Faxgate) • Web Site (Microsoft IIS) Application • Work Force Management System (IEX Totalview ) • Customer Relationship Management System (Siebel) • Customer Satisfaction Survey System (Apex) • Analytics • Call Management System (Avaya) • Performance Management System (Custom-made) • Others • Backup Server (Veritas) • Antivirus (Symantec)

45. CRM Solution • Siebel 2000 (Service) is applied as the CRM Solution. • Enquires and complaints are handled via different channels, telephone call, email, fax and e-form. • Enquires are handled by agents consulting the Knowledgebase with Keywords and Subject matter. • Complaints are logged based on the specific questions of the selected Subject Matter. • Complaints are referred to action parties according to the assignment guidelines via e-mail/ fax or phone call for urgent cases. • Reminder and escalation for non-action will be sent to action parties based on the Service Level Agreement. • Cases are retrieved by caller contact telephone number, email address, case reference etc. • Case status enquires from different channels can be handled • Cross department cases can be handled

46. Contingency • 2 levels of contingency plan • Disaster Recovery (Fire, Bomb Threat, ACD, CRM server, Telephone network, electricity supply, air conditioning) • Business Continuity (IVRS, Email system, Fax system, CTI) • In case of Disaster, operation floor will be vacated. Call flow of Disaster will be activated to inform the disaster and caller may leave voice mail if necessary and server (except ACD and voice mail) will be shut down. • Setting up a backup site.

47. Disaster Recovery Plan

48. Business Continuity Plan

49. Future Plan – External Customer

50. Future Plan – External Customer To cope with expansion • Rented 16 positions from the private sector • Setting up a second call centre with 50 positions • To build another training room to free up existing training positions for call handling