New Call Centre To Improve Customer Satisfaction

FASTER SERVICE BETTER RESULTS

A new phone system for the customer contact centre at Clarence Valley Council was installed on 29 August 2022, altering the process when calling customer service on (02) 6643 0200.

Callers are now greeted by an automated answering service providing options to direct enquiries to the appropriate customer service officer. The ability to direct each type of call to specific team members greatly enhances the training, support and development capabilities of Customer Service. This is expected to allow better interactions with the community and increase outcomes with first contact callers. The new system will enable improved training and support for new staff and supervisors.

Don’t forget...

30 Nov

The third installment of your yearly rates is due on Wednesday 30 November 2022.

The quickest & easiest way to pay your rates is...

On our website at www.clarence.nsw.gov.au

Over the phone by calling 1300 276 468

In person at the Grafton and Maclean Customer Service Centres

Callers are greeted with options to direct the enquiry to the most appropriate staff member: • Press 1 for Waste • Press 2 for Building Enquiries • Press 3 for Rates • Press 4 for General Enquiries When callers are on-hold they will hear the following message: “You can expect that we will treat you courteously and with respect; please treat us the same way. Council does not accept abusive or threatening behaviour, and we may end the call if you behave this way.”

Visit clarence.nsw.gov.au/payyourrates for more information

DID YOU KNOW?

That there is a live chat tool on Clarence Valley Council’s website? Simply click on the Live Chat speech bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the Clarence Valley Council website to begin your conversation with a Customer Service Officer.

Q: How long have you worked at Clarence Valley Council? TC: I started here in 2006. Before that I was a stay-at-home mum. I worked in council at Armidale and Uralla before I was a mum, so I have always had a local government background in customer service. Q: What are the biggest changes to customer service over that time? TC: Being a one-stop shop and able to answer all the questions at first point of contact; no longer just cashiering and front counters. In the past you just put the call through to someone from that department and wouldn’t deal with it any longer. Now staff have lots of understanding and knowledge and can answer customer enquires straight up. A big change and improved feature is live chat. It was my suggestion. I really love live chat and I think it works very well. I use live chat on other websites all the time. It’s the best. We also have specialist positions in the Customer Service Team. I was the Customer Service Officer – Planning and updated my knowledge in this area. We have customer services staff now specilising in planning, rates, requests for information and GIPA. Q: How does live chat work? TC: You will see it on the bottom of our webpage, and you type in your name and email and staff get a notification and we start chatting online to the customer. It’s quick and efficient. If we can’t answer your question live on the chat, your details and inquiry is emailed to us and we always follow up and get back to you. Q: The Council has just updated its customer contact centre. How will this improve outcomes for customers? TC: I love it. I think it gives more power back to the customer because they can request a call back, which is working well. It holds your place in the queue, and they can leave a message, so we know what it’s about before we call them. We can also update messages to the community and customers in real time, so if there is an emergency situation, we can update our message when anyone calls. Q: Do you think the new system is user friendly? TC: The new system should make it easier to speak with a customer service officer. When the call is first answered you will hear a recorded message, then you are given choices for the area you want to contact so the call can be answered by the correct person. For example, you press 1 for waste inquires and if you are following up on a missed bin you will be put straight through to JR Richards. Remember you can also contact us by email or live chat. Q: What are the most common Customer Service calls? TC: At the moment it’s road issues

FIFTEEN YEARS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE: TAMMY CARR

Customer Service Team Leader Tammy Carr has been working at council for more than 15 years and was the first to suggest introducing Live Chat to Council’s suite of customer service options.

and potholes. When rates go out there are a lot of rates calls. Q: What are some of the things people routinely call Council about that are redirected? TC: Services NSW is the big one, about flood rebates and help. The same thing happened with the fires. When elections are on, we are always referring people to the electoral commission; Bpoint for people wanting to make payments for rates and water; and bins of course. Q: Council has gone digital in recent years with its communications, DA processes and the like. How has that impacted the community? TC: We still get people coming in with all their paperwork, so we help them lodge, help create logins, and get all their paperwork sorted. It’s all electronic, it’s the way of the future, and for those who aren’t tech savvy we are here to help them. We are always trying to improve our services Q: Why do you like working for Council? TC: I love helping the customers, and I love my work family. Some of the friendships I have developed over the last 15 years have been with my work family, and I wouldn’t have those friendships if I hadn’t worked here. It is an amazing customer service team, and such a privilege to work with this team every day.

Images opp page left (L-R): Customer service team Tammy Carr, Heidi Green, Amanda O’Range, Coordinator Lynette Burley, Melanie Chard, Rebecca Gibbins and Peta Elks. Images opp. page right: Ashleigh Thompson and Madeleine Rake, Kym Clifton, Shona Muller and Jane Neville, Nicole Kelso and Tracie Woods.