customer experience improvement strategy

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY

JULY 2021

Customer Experience Improvement Strategy

“We acknowledge that this strategy was prepared and conducts activities on the traditional lands of the Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging as they are the original carers and keepers of the sacred environmental knowledge of this land.”

Acknowledgment of Country

Table of contents

Executive summary 2

1. Kingston at a glance 3

2. Strategic context 4

3. Strategy purpose 6

4. Customer experience 6

5. Customer experience in action 7

6. Current state 8

7. Drivers of change 9

8. Future state 10

9. Strategic objectives: an overview 11

10. Strategic objectives: in focus 13

11. Prioritisation 23

12. A coordinated approach to strategic delivery 24

13. Evaluating success 24

• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY PAGE 1 • URBAN COOLING STRATEGY

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY • PAGE 2

The City of Kingston recognises the need to become more customer centric in its operations. We can achieve this by making systems and process improvements that enhance the customer experience.

This strategy encompasses not only a longer-term plan of action, but importantly a two-year road map that sets the pace in terms of achievable initiatives.

Below is a table containing a list of all the objectives and initiatives outlined that are believed to enable a Customer First organisation.

Executive summary

OBJECTIVES INITIATIVES

We will create a culture that puts the customer first

Governance Framework

Customer-centric decision-making

Customer data governance framework

An organisational structure that puts the customer at the centre of decision making

We will be friendly and courteous

Employee customer service training

Support the competency framework

We will be knowledgeable

Invest in KING Embrace KING

We will understand your needs

Capture customer feedback

Harness customer feedback

Holistic view of the customer Visibility of integrated and accurate data

We will provide timely and accurate information

Customer Standards

Invest in our Customer Systems

Embrace Customer Systems

Introduce Customer Systems usage guidelines

Integrate key customer systems

We will explain the process Review customer service processes

Make processes easier for customers

We will provide multiple contact channels

Assess customer channels

Develop a Channel Strategy

Deliver a new Council website

Direct customer to corporate email address

Expand online forms and payments

We willbe consistent Develop Customer KPI's

Leadership accountability

Create language guidelines and new templates

Provide tools, training and skills to staff

We will be accountable Complaints Management Training

Identify complaint trends

Improve service delivery model

We will close the loop Regular employee performance feedback

Report customer feedback back to the community

• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY

1.Kingston at a glance

Melbourne CBD

20km

91km2

17,000 businesses

26% non-Englishspeakingbackground

95,000 employees

IndustrialareasTotal municipal area

167,228

31%

population

198,340by 2041

born overseas

MoorabbinAirport

World-classgolf courses

Edithvalewetlands

Greenwedge

13km ofcoastline

65,482dwellings occupied

residents worklocally

35%

150nationalities


The 2017-2021 Council Plan identified three principles to underpin the delivery of all services and programs, these principles are:• Customer Service: Putting our customers first

• Community Engagement: Engaging the community in decision-making

• Advocacy: Speaking up for our community

A critical first step to ‘putting our customers first’ was the development of a new organisational Customer Commitment.

The development of the customer commitment was done via a collaborative engagement process that involved convening two deliberative panels (one community and one staff) to co-design a new customer commitment that speaks to and reflects the needs of those affected by it and those charged with its implementation.

Our customer commitmentOur community is important to us, so we’re committed to providing exceptional customer service every day at Council. To achieve this, our community expects all employees to:

• Be friendly and courteous

• Be knowledgeable: be experts in our field. Should a customer request falls outside Council’s responsibility, we will pass the request onto the relevant agency

• Understand customer needs: take the time to listen to customers and understand their issues. Then take action or refer customers to the best person to assist

• Provide timely and accurate information: respond to customers within a specified time frame and communicate accurate advice

• Explain the process: tell customers what action we will take, how we will act and when it will be done

• Provide multiple contact channels: provide a range of channels for customers to contact us in a way that suits them

• Be consistent: work together to deliver a consistent service

• Be accountable: take ownership of a customer’s issue and see it through from start to finish.

• Close the loop: let customers know the outcome of their enquiry and how a decision was reached

Challenges and opportunities in improving customer service Council exists to serve our community, therefore providing exceptional customer service underpins everything we do. We are constantly looking for ways to make it easier for our community to interact with their Council; to achieve this there are a number of challenges and opportunities we need to address and realise.

Servicing an increasing and more diverse community Kingston is a diverse community with a current estimated resident population of 165,000 spanning a wide range of ages, household types and cultures. Our community is growing and by 2036, Kingston’s population is expected to reach 185,000. Increasing population will impact on resources and infrastructure, adding more pressure on existing infrastructure and service delivery.

Diversity in community is a strength, but Council will need to increase its ability to provide information and services in multiple-languages and via a range of channels.

2.Strategic context


2.Strategic context continued Changing customer expectationsCouncil’s customers have been changed by their exposure to web-based commerce. Some examples of how the web has changed customer service expectations include:

• Customers are more willing to assist themselves - participating in the service process on a self-service basis

• Customers expect extended hours: 24/7 or as close as possible

• Customers expect accuracy - typos are no longer acceptable nor are inaccurate claims of service delivery dates

• Social media has made customers feel more empowered – customers know that if they complain on social media, they’re likely to get a better and faster response.

• Social media means customers expect all organisations, including Council, to be “Listening” - customers expect we will be monitoring their communications, complaints, and compliments, regardless of channel - and be able to respond both quickly and thoroughly

• Despite digitisation, customers expect to be treated like a human, not a number

• Channel or device-hopping habits mean customers expect omni-channel service - as customers move between channels, they expect to receive consistent service

• The mobile-focused culture means customers expect our website and customer service to be mobile-friendly - mobile service is no longer an extra but a necessity

Rate cappingIn 2016, the Victorian Government introduced rate capping - an annual rate cap controls general rate increases for all councils during that financial year. Over the last few years, rates have been capped at between 2%and 2.5%.

Each year the Minister for Local Government sets a cap on rate increases based on that period’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) and advice from the Essential Services Commission (ESC). Given Councils costs are not in lock step with the CPI, amongst other considerations as they comprise a very different ‘basket’ of goods and services, rate capping does pose a real challenge for the long term financial stability of all Councils.

Ongoing investment in information technology Information is a strategic resource that underpins the key functions and decision-making processes of a local government. The way information is managed, including the technology used to support it, is therefore central to local government business practices.

Alongside its physical, human and financial resources, Council must manage its information in a way that enables services to be delivered that best meet community needs and the priorities set by the Council.


3.Strategy purpose This customer experience (CX) strategy seeks to:

• define, plan and prioritise Kingston Council's organisation-wide approach to improve customer experience; and

• help ensure the organisation can meet the objectives of the 2017-2021 Council Plan.

4.Customer experience At Kingston Council, Customer Experience (CX) refers to how a person feels about the experience of interacting with us. We believe providing great CX is about providing a valuable, easy-to-use, and enjoyable experience to every customer, on every device, across every touchpoint.

As an organisation, we have made significant gains over recent years in meeting some of our key customer service performance indicators, for example Council has improved in its first point of call resolution, that is our ability to answer customer queries at the first point of contact reducing the need to transfer the call elsewhere into the business.

Over the last few years, digital improvements to enhance customer service have also been introduced and include the CityWatch app, LiveChat and provided the community with digital services such as online forms, online payments, and event bookings.

These improvements are good and should be recognised, but there is more we would like to do to improve the customer experience. The following pages illustrate, through the use of case studies, the experiences of our customers.


5.Customer experience in actionCASE STUDY ONE: UPDATING PERSONAL CONTACT DETAILS

Customer calls to update postal address. NAR is changed

Updates don't carry across to animal records

Animal renewal letter goes to incorrect address

Animal is not renewed Customer incurs infringement for unregistered animal

CASE STUDY TWO: MISSED BIN COLLECTION

A customer’s bin was not collected

The customer calls Customer Care who raises CRM

Details automatically sent to contractor

The bin collection is made later that day

The customer receives a text to say job is complete

CASE STUDY THREE: MULTI-ISSUE CUSTOMER REQUEST

Customer reports several issues across the organisation

System does not allow all departments to see correspondence at the same time

Each department actions their own items & updates the customer

Customer escalates to a Councillor because of the disparate way the issues are being managed

Customer Advocate spends time understanding what each department are doing and coordinates a response on behalf of the organisation

CASE STUDY FOUR: EMPLOYEE KNOWLEDGE

Customer calls Planning as he has their direct number

The query is in relation to a Local Laws matter Officer uses KING to find the answer for the customer

CASE STUDY FIVE: REQUEST FOR SPEED BUMP INSTALLATION

Customer requests speed bump installation on street as speeding cars pose a safety issue

Traffic team acknowledge the customer’s request and explain the process they will undertake to arrive at a decision

Consultation and investigations are undertaken, and decision has been made not to install a speed bump on this occasion

Traffic contacts on the method of communication the customer prefers, explains the process undertaken and the decision to close the loop with the customer

URBAN COOLING STRATEGY • PAGE 8

The following is a high-level overview of our current customer service performance, which includes the results of the 2020 Local Government Community Satisfaction survey, internal metrics and mystery shopping results. Our performance can be summarised as typical for our sector and while some pockets of the organisation provide a high level of customer service, it is inconsistent across the organisation.

A good customer experience is enhanced by shared customer service behaviours, systems, communicated expectations and learning & development, all of which are key areas of focus in this strategy, so that our staff are enabled to provide a great customer experience.

6.Current state

2020 LG COMMUNITY SATISFACTION SURVEY

Customer service results:

74 - Kingston

70 - Vic

74 - MetroConsistent results since 2012.

75%

75% answered that our service was either good or very good.

Channels used:

36% Phone

21% In person

18% Online

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY CONDUCTED BY CUSTOMER CARE

Here are some verbatim comments:

“The service I received was exceptional”

“The service was never provided. After 2 online requests”

“Confirmation or acknowledgement of request when done through email would prove better communication”

“This is a great service”

“It took 2 emails and 6 months for Kingston to respond”

In the 2019/20 financial year, we surveyed 4,213 customers who told us their overall satisfaction was 4.3 out of 5.

375, 841 calls across Customer Care, AccessCare, Building and Planning, Local Laws, Libraries and Waste.

MYSTERY SHOPPING

Results after two rounds:

2018 - 54% overall Indices breakdown > Ease = 30%

Sentiment = 60%

Success = 70%

2019 - 59% overall Indices breakdown > Ease = 36%

Sentiment = 64%

Success = 75%


7. Drivers for change

INTERNAL • 2017-2021 Council Plan

• Customer Commitment

• Customer First vision

• High-cost, intensive interactions

• Inconsistent service across channels

• Fragmented pathways

EXTERNAL

• Increased customer expectations

• New Local Government Act 2020

• Ombudsman requirements

• Rate capping

PAGE 9 • CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY


VisionBy working together, we will create a culture where the customer is centralOur vision will be demonstrated by the following principles:

• We will set high service standards and intervene when we see standards not being met

• We will support our people through training, development and coaching

• We will regularly engage with the customer around their needs

• We will create a more connected organisation by removing physical, technical, process and policy barriers

• We will share learnings and celebrate successes

Our community expects all Council employees to:

• Be friendly and courteous

• Be knowledgeable: be experts in our field. Should a customer request falls outside Council’s responsibility, we will pass the request onto the relevant agency

• Understand customer needs: take the time to listen to customers and understand their issues. Then take action or refer customers to the best person to assist

• Provide timely and accurate information: respond to customers within a specified time frame and communicate accurate advice

• Explain the process: tell customers what action we will take, how we will act and when it will be done

• Provide multiple contact channels: provide a range of channels for customers to contact us in a way that suits them

• Be consistent: work together to deliver a consistent service

• Be accountable: take ownership of a customer’s issue and see it through from start to finish.

• Close the loop: let customers know the outcome of their enquiry and how a decision was reached

EXTERNAL

• Increased customer expectations

• New Local Government Act 2020

• Ombudsman requirements

• Rate capping

8.Future state

Our vision is supported by our customer commitment which describe the future customer experience we want to deliver and guide our decision-making, design and evaluation of our success.

PAGE 9 • CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY


9.Strategic objectives: an overview

OBJECTIVE: We will create a culture that puts the customer firstWe will enhance our organisational culture through accountable leadership, transparent decision-making and through a structure that leverages customer outcomes. Success will be reflected by our reputation in the community and other organisations who look to us as a leading organisation in customer outcomes.

How will we achieve this?• An organisational

structure that puts the customer at the centre of decision-making.

• Create a governance framework that applies across all of Council’s customer engagement and interactions.

OBJECTIVE: We will be friendly and courteousWe will provide friendly and courteous service to all our customers in all interactions. Success will be reflected by our reputation in the community and our customer satisfaction results.

How will we achieve this?• The roll-out of

organisation-wide customer training to outline the behaviours and attitude expected by all employees in their interactions with customers.

• Support the implementation of the competency framework which will define the behaviours expected by all employees – regardless of their role and level.

OBJECTIVE: We will be knowledgeable We will be experts in our field and act or refer customers to the best person to assist. Should a customer request fall outside Council’s responsibility, we will pass the request onto the relevant agency. Success will be reflected by our ability to handle the query at the first point.

How will we achieve this?• The ongoing

development and maintenance of our online knowledge bank – KING.

• Internal launch of KING and introduction of expectation around its widespread use to better service customers.

OBJECTIVE: We will understand the customer needs We will take the time to listen to customers and understand their issues in the short and long term. Success will look like a continuous feedback loop where we listen to the customers, make improvements

How will we achieve this?• Implement a formal

and regular customer feedback program tailored to key service offerings to capture customer insights and changing customer expectations.

• Develop a process to ensure customer feedback is assessed, validated and leveraged to improve services.

• Develop a holistic view of the customer to understand and anticipate their needs

• Mandate the consistent recording of customer requests, complaints, notes and name & address information.

OBJECTIVE: We will provide timely & accurate information

How will we achieve this?• Continue the

organisational-wide roll-out of customer service standards.

• Continue the review and refinement of the organisation’s main customer request system to make its use easier to record and keep track of customer requests and complaints.

• Increase the use of the organisation’s customer request system.

• Introduce guidelines for recording customer queries and progress updates against these requests within the customer request system.

• Integrate key systems to ensure complete access to customer information.


OBJECTIVE: We will explain the processWe will create fair and transparent processes that are explained to the customer by using empathetic customer journey mapping to design our processes. Success will be reflected in customer feedback metrics.

How will we achieve this?• Review our processes

by assessing typical customer journeys to identify gaps and pain points for the customer.

• Design, or re-design, key service processes to improve the customer experience.

OBJECTIVE: We will provide multiple contact channels for customers to interact with usWe will ensure multiple channels are available to make it easy for the customer to do what they need to do. Success is that we service the customer by their chosen method every time.

How will we achieve this?• Assess the objectives

and performance of our current contact channels.

• Develop new channel strategy inclusive of the ability to support transactions e.g. payments and bookings. Establish standardised approach for integration and workflow across applications / channels without need for re-entry / manual handling by staff and contractors

• Direct as many customers to the corporate email address for capture, triage and tracking as possible.

• Develop new corporate website, based on the new channel strategy, which includes the capability to integrate with corporate systems, transacting capability, and feedback cycle. New website must support direct integration with corporate systems, using open source technologies. Expand so that all customer forms and payments are available online.

OBJECTIVE: We will be consistentWe will achieve consistency of service and communication with customers by setting customer service expectations, holding ourselves accountable to them and by continuously improving our customer service through training, coaching and development.

How will we acheive this?• Introduce

customer-centric Key Performance Indictors (KPI) and standard reporting metrics across all departments.

• Develop a process that ensure leadership accountability for their team’s performance against customer KPIs

• Organisation-wide roll-out of customer-centric language, writing templates and associated training.

• Enhance telephony to incorporate call recording and coaching and for the development of phone queues.

OBJECTIVE: We will be accountableWe will own customer requests and complaints by establishing and holding ourselves accountable to service expectations, measure success and action opportunities for improvement

How will we achieve this?• Extend customer

complaints management training and the associated policy & procedures across all teams.

• Analyse and report on trends found in the complaints to inform continuous improvement work.

• Develop a catalogue of service and a hierarchy of services to improve our service delivery model.

OBJECTIVE: We will close the loopWe will close the loop to let customers know that we have addressed their request and what the outcome is by ensuring we record and manage requests and complaints consistently across the organisation. Success is fewer escalations to senior officers and councillors about the process we have undertaken and more positive customer feedback

How will we achieve this?• Develop a program,

linked to the new capability framework, to provide feedback to our staff about their performance.

• Regularly report back to the community what we heard via our customer feedback process.

• Develop a portal to allow for customers to login, record requests and see status updates


10.Strategic objectives: in focus

Initiative 1: Putting customer at the heart of decision-making

What is it? • An organisational structure that puts the customer at the centre of decision-making.

How will we do it? • Review the current organisational structure, including the accountabilities of the Customer First Steering Committee, to ensure the customer is being considered in all key decision-making forums.

What will success look like?• An organisation that is better placed to respond to the needs of the community.

Cost & Resources• This initiative is could be considered within existing resource.

Initiative 2: Governance framework

What is it? • A governance framework that applies to all of Councils customer engagement and interactions.

How will we do it? • Developing a Customer Interaction Guide - with principles to guide Council’s customer interactions - that aligns with the Customer Experience Improvement Strategy and other key strategic guidance.

• Develop and implement supporting policies and processes for customer interaction that deliver on the strategy.

• Define a supporting customer interaction quality assurance framework and roles.

What will success look like?• A whole-of-organisation framework for customer engagement and interaction.

Cost & Resources• This project is unbudgeted and could not be delivered within existing resources.

Initiative 3: Regular customer focused employee training

What is it? • The roll-out of organisation-wide customer training to outline the behaviours and attitude expected by all employees in their interactions with customers.

How will we do it? • Roll-out of online initial base line customer service skills.

• Develop tailored classroom training for frontline staff

• Targeted extended customer service training for key staff which is linked to their professional development plan.

What will success look like?• Improved mystery shopping results.

• Customers experience an increase in ease, sentiment and success when interacting with us.

Cost & Resources• This initiative can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 4: Competency Framework

What is it? • A competency framework defines the behaviours expected by all employees.

How will we do it? • Support the implementation of the competency framework to the organisation; linking competencies to roles.

What will success look like?• A workforce clearer on the expectations and behaviours required to perform their role at a high-standard


Objective: We will create a culture that puts the customer first

Objective: We will be friendly and courteous


Initiative 5: Invest in KING

What is it? • KING is the organisation’s online knowledge bank; it allows all staff (with PC access) to find information of a broad range of Council services, projects and programs. KING has been written and designed to assist employees answer customer queries.

• Over the last 12 months KING has seen major improvements and upgrades to both its content and design. Despite this, KING is largely utilised only by the Customer Care team.

How will we do it? • Continue to invest in the updating and online functionality of KING.

What will success look like?• A flexible and intuitive online knowledge bank.


Initiative 6: Embrace KING

What is it? • KING is the organisation’s online knowledge bank.

How will we do it? • Embark on a broad internal awareness and change program to both inform all employees of KING but to also drive usage of KING across the entire business.

What will success look like?• A year on year increase of the use of KING by employees across the business.

Cost & Resources• This initiative will require considerably support from leaders across the organisation and may benefit from having KING champions. It can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 7: Capturing customer insights

What is it? • Implement a formal and regular customer feedback program tailored to key service offerings to capture customer insights and changing customer expectations.

How will we do it? • Develop a mechanism to regularly survey customers across multiple-channels.

What will success look like?• A culture that values all customer feedback and draws on insights to create a culture of continuous improvement.

Cost & Resources• Further work on determining the best mechanisms will need to be undertaken before it is determined whether this initiative can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 8: Harnessing customer insights

What is it? • Ensure the customer feedback data is assessed, validated and leveraged to improve services.

How will we do it? • Develop a process to provide customer insights to the relevant teams.

What will success look like?• A culture of service excellence and anticipating customer needs.

Cost & Resources• Establishing system changes and training staff in the use of open data could not consistently be achieved within existing resources.

Objective: We will be knowledgeable Objective: We will understand the needs of our customers


Initiative 9: Holistic view of the customer

What is it? • Provide a holistic view of the customer and their dealings with council

How will we do it? • Develop system and user capability to interpret and use data to the customer’s advantage.

What will success look like?• A culture of service excellence and anticipating customer needs.

Cost & Resources• Establishing system changes and training staff in the use of open data could not consistently be achieved within existing resources.

Initiative 10: Mandated recording of customer requests

What is it? • Mandate the recording of customer requests, complaints, notes and name and address information to be able to have a holistic view if the customer and share information across the organisation.

How will we do it? • Leadership to communicate the business needs surrounding how we will achieve a holistic view of the customer.

What will success look like?• A database of rich and useful customer data.

Cost & Resources• Communicating the mandate is low cost, but consideration needs to be given to increasing resources to move departments onto a customer management system in a shorter timeframe to what can be delivered within current resourcing constraints.

Initiative 11: Customer service standards

What is it? • Continue the organisational-wide roll-out of customer service standards.

How will we do it? • Customer Service standards have been developed are included in the customer service training.

What will success look like?• Staff understand and work to a consistent standard of service.

Cost & Resources• This initiative will require the leadership team to support and uphold the service standards within their teams. This initiative is currently underway and can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 12: Invest in our customer request system

What is it? • Continue the review and refinement of the organisation’s customer request system to make its use easier to record and keep track of customer requests and complaints.

How will we do it? • Team by team, refine the customer request types and simplify workflow.

What will success look like?• A customer request system that is more user friendly for employees to use.


Objective: We will understand the needs of our customers

Objective: We will provide timely and accurate information


Initiative 13: Embrace our customer request system

What is it? • Increase the use of the existing customer request system across the organisation.

How will we do it? • Lead current non-users of the organisations customer request system through the creation of their own request types and training to help them better manage and track customers request.

What will success look like?• Increased use of the organisations customer request system.

Cost & Resources• This initiative will require the leadership team to support and encourage the use of the customer request system within their teams. This initiative is currently underway and can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 14: Introduce customer request system guidelines

What is it? • Introduce guidelines for recording customer queries and progress updates against these requests in the organisations customer request system.

How will we do it? • Develop and roll-out guidelines to help all staff consistently use the across the organisation customer request system.

What will success look like?• More consistent use of the customer request systems.

• More consistent and accurate recordings of the customer requests within the customer requests system.

Cost & Resources• This initiative will require all levels of leadership to ensure their teams understand the importance of better customer request management. The initiative can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 15: Integrate key customer systems

What is it? • Ensure all required customer information is easily accessible for the successful customer service outcomes.

How will we do it? • Integrate stand-alone customer systems.

What will success look like?• More consistent use of the customer request systems.

• More consistent and accurate recordings of the customer requests within the customer requests system.

Cost & Resources• The initiative can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Objective: We will provide timely and accurate information


Initiative 16: Review customer service processes

What is it? • Review our processes by assessing typical customer journeys to identify gaps and pain points for the customer.

How will we do it? • Increase the capability of existing staff to map the customer journey to identify pain points.

What will success look like?• A culture that values continuous improvement and an improved customers experience.

Cost & Resources• This initiative will require significant work by existing employees and, while process improvements does already occur across the business to some extent, a coordinated approach with associated timelines will not have been factored in the 2021/22 business plans or budgets of operational teams.

Initiative 17: Make processes easier for our customers

What is it? • Use customer journey mapping to design, or re-design, processes to ensure improve the customer experience.

How will we do it? • Once customer pain points have been identified, teams to work together to create and implement solutions to address these.

What will success look like?• A culture that values continuous improvement and an improved customers experience.

Cost & Resources• This initiative will require significant work by existing employees and, while process improvements does already occur across the business to some extent, a coordinated approach with associated timelines will not have been factored in the 2021/22 business plans or budgets of operational teams.

Initiative 18: Channel review

What is it? • Assess the objectives and performance of our current contact channels for example live chat, phone and e-mail.

How will we do it? • Seek an external consultant (or recruit qualified internal employee/s) to assess the current performance of our channels and through benchmarking best practice to suggest relevant channel improvements.

What will success look like?• We understand where the opportunities lie to improve the channels

Cost & Resources• This initiative is not budgeted for and cannot be delivered within existing resources.

Initiative 19: Channel strategy

What is it? • Develop a Channel Strategy to establish a clear vision and approach for each customer channel, leverage a broad mix of channels effectively and establish how channels should work together

How will we do it? • Seek an external consultant (or recruit qualified internal employee/s) to deliver a channel strategy that outlines a roadmap to improve the customer experience across channels.

What will success look like?• Channels are seamless and offer a consistent level of service.

Cost & Resources• This initiative is not budgeted for and cannot be delivered within existing resources. It is likely that any improvements to existing channels will require investment in systems; some of this may be addressed through the ICT Strategy.

Objective: We will explain the process Objective: We will provide multiple contact channels for customers to interact with us


Initiative 20: Directing customers to a central corporate email channel

What is it? Direct as many customers to the corporate email address for capture, triage and tracking as possible.

How will we do it? • Work with internal clients to re-work existing practices to be able to direct customer emails to our corporate email address

• Update all communications to reflect the change.

What will success look like?• Customer emails are captured on a corporate system, triaged and tracked

• Customers only need to use one email address in their interactions with council.

Cost & Resources• Further investment is required to be able to deliver on this initiative.

Initiative 21: A new Corporate website

What is it? • Develop a new corporate website ensuring navigation is customer-friendly and key services are available online.

How will we do it? • Tender for a new platform provider and work with them on site structure and content

What will success look like?• A modern online information service.

Cost & Resources• Seed funding exists in the 2020/21 budget for this initiative and it can be managed within existing human resources.

Initiative 22: Expanding our online forms and payments

What is it? • Council already has a large proportion of its forms and payments available, but there are still some that are not. These forms and payments need to be identified, prioritised and created online.

How will we do it? • The identification of forms and payments not online is part of business as usual.

What will success look like?• Forms and payments available via multiple -channels.

Cost & Resources• This initiative is ongoing and can be delivered within exiting budget and resources.


Initiative 23: Develop customer Key Performance Indicators

What is it? • Introduction of customer-centric Key Performance Indictors (KPI) and reporting metrics across all departments.

How will we do it? • Determine relevant customer performance objectives, create associated metrics and an appropriate reporting practice.

What will success look like?• Customer performance is measured, pain points identified, and results are communicated to help the organisations better understand, meet and improve the customer experience.

Cost & Resources• This project is unlikely to need funding; however, it will require considerably time to work across the organisation to create a KPI framework. It is unlikely to be able to be completed within existing resources or as part of business as usual.

Initiative 24: Accountable leadership

What is it? • Leadership are accountable for their team’s performance of customer KPIs.

How will we do it? • The importance of accountability and driving improvement for customer KPIs is understood by leadership and supported through leadership development.

What will success look like?• Leaders take ownership of the results for their teams and are accountable for driving improvement

Cost & Resources• Budget for leadership development is provided for, however change management in terms of practice will need to be considered.

Initiative 25: Customer centric language and templates

What is it? • Organisational-wide roll-out of customer-centric language, writing templates and associated training.

How will we do it? • Write a letter writing style guide and provide training for teams to be able to review their letter templates and re-write them in accordance with the guidelines

What will success look like?• Customers and readers of outbound correspondence can understand what we are communicating.


Initiative 26: Telephony

What is it? • Enhance telephony to incorporate call recording and coaching and for the development of phone queues.

How will we do it? • Leverage telephony technology to be able to record calls and provide call coaching to staff and for the development of queues

What will success look like?• Customers experience consistent telephone service.

• The organisation has oversight of traffic to all departments

Cost & Resources• A needs analysis will need to be carried out to determine this.

Objective: We will be consistent


Initiative 27: Complaints Management training

What is it? • Extend the customer complaints management training and the associated policy & procedures across the organisation.

How will we do it? • Continue to roll out complaints management until all teams across the organisation have completed it.

What will success look like?• The organisation is educated and manages complaints in accordance with the policy and procedures.

Cost & Resources• This can be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 28: Analyse trends in complaints

What is it? • Analyse and report on trends found in the complaints data that in turn can be used to inform continuous improvement work.

How will we do it? • Collect customer insights and data around complaints and analyse them. Use the data to consider continuous improvement efforts

What will success look like?• Correct management of complaints

Cost & Resources• A process to analyse results, report to the relevant team and make necessary improvements to either systems, processes or behaviours could not consistently be achieved within resources. Consideration to a dedicated business improvement resource/s.

Initiative 29: Improve service delivery model

What is it? • Develop a catalogue of service and a hierarchy of services to improve our service delivery model.

How will we do it? • Collect customer insights and data around complaints and analyse them. Use the data to consider continuous improvement efforts

What will success look like?• Correct management of complaints

Cost & Resources• Both the cataloguing of services, hierarchy of services and any associated review of service delivery will require significant input from stakeholders. This initiative could not be delivered within existing resources (or it could be done over a period of 12-24 months) and the initiative is unbudgeted. Consideration to a dedicated business improvement resource/s.

Objective: We will be accountable


Initiative 30: Performance reviews

What is it? • Create a culture, linked to the new capability framework, to provide feedback to our staff about their performance.

How will we do it? • In line with the roll-out of the capability framework, ensure staff receive regular feedback (via the existing MyKad process) on their customer service performance.

What will success look like?• All culture that values feedback and continuous improvement.

Cost & Resources• This initiative will require all levels of leadership to ensure their teams understand the importance of regular ongoing performance conversations. The initiative could be delivered within existing budget and resources.

Initiative 31: Create a feedback cycle

What is it? • Regularly report back to the community what we heard via our customer feedback mechanisms.

How will we do it? • After customer feedback mechanisms have been established, a practice to report trends of the customer feedback should be feed back to the community - ideally with associated projects aimed at addressing pain points.

What will success look like?• Customer’s understanding that they are listened to and that their feedback will be acted on.

Cost & Resources• A process to analyse results, report to the relevant team and make necessary improvements to either systems, process or behaviours could not consistently be achieved within existing resources. Consideration to a dedicated business improvement resource/s.

• Reporting customers insights and associated improvements would be an easier step – and could be delivered within existing resources.

Initiative 32: Customer portal

What is it? • Develop a customer portal for request self-service.

How will we do it? • Provide capability for customers to login, view requests, and receive automated, timely notifications and status updates on their requests.

What will success look like?• Customer can remined informed on progress as and when it suits them.

Cost & Resources• This project could not be delivered within existing resources.

Objective: We will close the loop


There are 32 initiatives that currently form part of this Customer Experience Improvement Strategy – only some of which can be delivered within existing resource and budget and although we’ve identified the activities we need to perform in order to become a Customer First organisation, the budget realities mean that we undertook a prioritisation exercise in order to identify the most urgent initiatives.

Factors considered during the prioritisation phase: • Impact on the customer

• Level of internal change required (to roles, policies, behaviours etc)

• Level of investment

• Likelihood of success

• Short term wins v long term wins

• Links to the ICT Strategy

• Links to the Council Plan

11.Prioritisation

CRM PROJECT GROUP

Improve CRM Mandate customer data capture

Mandate Pathway CRM use

Governance data framework (as per ICT strategy)

Customer 360 roll out TRIM/Pathway integration

Pathway user rules

MANAGING CUSTOMERS

Technology required to manage customers and close the loop

Reduce email addresses

Customer service standards

Complaint training

INFORMATION/ SELF-SERVICE

New website Develop online forms Invest in KING

CONSISTENCY OF SERVICE

KING use Linking back to the data governance framework (as per ICT strategy)

Service Mapping Customer Service training

Outbound letter improvement

Once the initiatives were prioritised, a detailed two-year roadmap was developed (see below).


12. A coordinated approach to strategic deliveryThe success of the Customer Experience Improvement Strategy will depend on all Council staff being empowered and taking ownership of what they can contribute, as well as in being conscious and proactive in how they embody the customer commitment, culture and objectives.A few dedicated roles currently exist to support the successful implementation of the Customer Experience Improvement Strategy – as detailed below:

• Project Manager x 1 FTE

• Change Co-ordinator x 1 FTE

• Business Analyst x 1 FTE

• Web Development Coordinator x 1 FTE

• Systems Trainer x 1 FTE

There are other roles within the organisation that, while not dedicated, have responsibilities to support the implementation of the Customer Experience Improvement Strategy – as detailed below:

A steering committee made up of a representative of CLG, key operational managers and the Change Coordinator:

• General Manager Corporate Services

• Manager Compliance and Amenity

• Manager Information Services

• Manager Active Kingston

• Customer First Change Coordinator

13. Evaluating successTo support the implementation of the Customer Experience Strategy, metrics will need to be developed for the continual evaluation and improvement to ensure the success of this program of work. Metrics may include:

• The customer’s experience

• Improved mystery shopping results

• Customer research

• Employee surveys

• Improved usability

• Cost savings

• Consistency and response times

• Brand image and reputation


1230 Nepean Highway, Cheltenham VIC 3192

PO Box 1000, Mentone 3194

1300 653 356

TIS 131 450

[email protected]

kingston.vic.gov.au

customer experience improvement strategy

Documents