Agenda item

The Chief Executive gave a Powerpoint presentation on Consistent Quality Customer Services, Why it was a Priority, the Present Situation, and What was the Solution?

Quality Customer Service was seen as important due to:

•      Growth           - Open for Business

            - Housing in right places

•      Consistent Quality Customer Experiences

•      Smarter, Simpler Ways Of Working

- More responsive

- More efficient

•      Culture – what matters, tone, empathy, communication, put in customer shoes.

In the short term – 6-12 months – it was suggested to make the complaints process: the way we learn and improve; of value to the customer; there be a strategic analysis and the right improvement action based on starting from the customers shoes; and managing expectations. 

Planning and Enforcement were seen as the most appropriate starting place.  This was seen to be a 12-18 month management role.

All councillors, businesses and parishes were to be advised of the compliments and complaints procedure, and all service requests and complaints would receive a customer satisfaction and feedback request.

Each Team Manager would report to the Chief Operating Officer: all requests – customer feedback plus actions; all complaints plus actions; all compliments and thanks plus actions; an overall summary of SMART actions.  A report would then be submitted to each Committee with a Chief Executive report.  A report on the new procedure would be submitted to the June Corporate Policy and resources Committee, and a workshop would be organised with Parish Councils.

The Progress and Delivery report having been circulated to the Committee was the quarter four performance report and included reports in progress with delivering the Corporate Plan and the Commercial Plan.

The executive summary was structured to highlight those areas that were performing above expectations, those areas where there was a risk to either performance or delivery, and those areas where further work was required for next year’s report.

Those areas listed as Performing Well included:

·         Economic Development:

·         Benefits service

·         Land Charges

·         Development management

·         Contract management

Those services identified as Risk Areas included:-

·         Enforcement

·         Homelessness

·         Corporate Governance

Following an audit of the progress and delivery process the number of service measures that were identified as measures to be reported to the policy committees would be reduced for 2017/18 municipal year. These measures had been the subject of consultation with the members’ progress and delivery steering group and would be used from the first quarter of 2017/18.

Measures that would not now be reported would, where appropriate, be used by the Team Managers to assess their services performance and be included in their service plan.

Members discussed the issues set out in the presentation and the report and agreed that it was important to get it right first time and learn from mistakes.  It was vital that information was rolled out to staff, particularly the definition of what constituted a complaint.  A query was raised regarding the number of missed telephone calls as set out in the report.  The Chief Executive resolved to look into this and gain a response.

RESOLVED that having reviewed the performance information contained in the Progress and Delivery Report and considered where specific action should be taken, the report be approved.