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    REPORTOF

    CONTEMPORARY ISSUE

    ON

    TOPIC CUSTOMER SERVICE

    STRATEGY AND CARE ISSUES

    SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY

    Miss Tejbir kaur Ashwani Kumar

    DEPTT OF LSB Reg No 10810797

    L.P.U PHAGWARA ROLL NO- R1811A15

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    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    I feel highly privileged to express my sincere gratitude

    to Miss Tejbir Kaur Department of Marketing and

    Business Management,of Lovely Professional

    University for his able guidance and help in preparing

    this project. She never failing patience and much-

    needed co-operation proves to be an asset to me in

    accomplishing my task. Without his constant

    encouragement, generosity and valuable critical

    comments, this study may not have reached its

    present form. Last but not the least, I pay my

    gratitude to my family members and friends for their

    continuous encouragement and support.

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    INDEXPage no

    1.1 Overview of customer services strategy and care issues

    03

    1.2 Key message

    03

    1.3 Introduction

    05

    1.3.1 Background

    05

    1.3.2 purpose of the document

    05

    1.3.3 Aims

    06

    1.4 Objectives

    06

    1.5 Principles

    07

    1.6 What our customers want

    08

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    1.6.1 Initial Consultation - Customer Service:

    09

    1.6.2 Building on the initial consultation

    09

    1.6.3 Overview of strategy

    10

    1.6.3.1 Delivery channels

    11

    1.6.3.2 Use of enabling IT 7B

    15

    1.6.3.3 Excellent service delivery

    18

    1.7 Literature review and Analysis

    20

    1.8Recommendation 31

    1.9 conclusion

    33

    1.10 References

    36

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    1.1 CUSTOMER SERVICE STRATEGY AND CARE ISSUES:

    At this point in our continuing journey, our overall customer service strategy can be

    summarised as follows: We know (from consultation) that our customers want to contact

    us in ways that are convenient to them - using an increasing number of delivery channels.

    The only way we can understand and efficiently address our customers requirements is by

    continuing to use enabling IT and applying it across all delivery channels to provide a high

    quality joined-up service. It is vital that we continue to translate this into excellent service

    delivery by consulting with customers, creating a customer service culture, and training and

    developing our staff. At the same time, we must ensure that we prioritize and manage our

    investments, assets and revenues to deliver cost effective services which provide value for

    money. We can continue to maximise opportunities and realise synergies by ensuring

    alignment of our customer service strategy with relevant national, local and council

    strategies, projects and initiatives.

    1.2 Key messages

    We need a co-ordinated and joined up approach across the council and with partner

    organisations if we are to benefit from efficient resource utilisation and deliver real benefits

    to our customers in the form of improved service delivery.

    This requires that we move to a model where services are built around customer needs and

    not organisational structures.

    We need to work within the council and with partner organisations to establish the most

    appropriate and cost effective configuration of locations and means of service delivery. We

    will need a mix of delivery channels into the medium term.

    Research shows that customers place importance on accessing local government services

    in a number of different ways.

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    The channel mix will change over time with increased acceptance of electronic self

    service channels and it is important to anticipate future tactical shifts. The major elements

    of the councils user-led customer service strategy are the Customer Service Centres and the

    Contact Centre

    . Co-located services in convenient locations can be expected to result in a significant up-

    take of services (for example, increased footfall in a library co-located with a Primary

    Customer Service Centre).

    The Contact Centre will reflect on and build upon the councils experience to date with

    call centres. It will consolidate services and use enabling technology to ensure a corporate

    and consistent high quality approach to handling customer contacts. Enabling technologies

    can provide us with the capability to understand customers and deliver high quality, joined

    up and accessible services across multiple delivery channels.

    It is important that customer requirements drive IT developments rather than IT

    developments determining how services are delivered to customers. We must ensure that

    we have the underpinning principles, people and processes in place to enable us to follow

    through and provide excellent service delivery.

    We need to understand who our customers are and what services they need and want. We

    need to know how and when they want to access these services.

    If we understand our customers, we can work within the council and with partner

    organisations to put together bundles or clusters of services that a customer is likely to

    seek at the same time.

    A culture of excellent customer service is required throughout the organisation. Staff are

    our most important and valuable asset. We must continually train, develop and support

    staff. We can provide community leadership in service delivery, working in partnership to

    provide customers with joined up and integrated services. Our locations (especially thePrimary Customer Service Centres) and activities can become focal points for regeneration

    and creation of community networks. We need to take a comprehensive and consistent

    business case based approach to our investments.

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    The primary driver for investment in customer services has been to improve the quality

    and accessibility of services we provide to customers. Economies of scale and efficiencies

    will follow as the entire council becomes more customer-focused and directorates

    reconfigure themselves accordingly. Finally, it is important to recognise throughout

    delivery of the Strategy that the council has wider social responsibilities and our

    developments need to embrace issues such as social inclusion and equalities

    1.3 Introduction

    1.3.1 Background

    Every local authority should have a living Customer Service Strategy at the centre of the

    organisation. An effective Customer Service Strategy should not sit on a shelf until its next

    review. Its purpose is to: Recognise and support political and management objectives;

    Respond to the changing needs of customers Set out a clear vision for the development

    and delivery of services to customers Aid decision making Deliver real benefits to

    customers, and Incorporate mechanisms for implementation and review. Newcastle City

    Councils Customer Service Strategy was developed in 2000 and has provided a firm

    foundation for much of the work since then (particularly in relation to the development ofCustomer Service Centres). However, it is now an appropriate time to review and refresh

    the Strategy for a number of reasons: We have made a good start on the journey and need

    to assess our experience to date. We know more about how our customers are using our

    current services and this can help to inform our future decisions. We have built a modern

    customer service infrastructure in terms of people, buildings, technology and knowledge,

    and we need to ensure that we maximise the delivery of benefits from these assets. There

    has been a change in political leadership and the Customer Service Strategy must help to

    deliver political objectives. There have been a number of national, local and council

    developments with which the customer service strategy must remain aligned.

    1.3.2 Purpose of this document

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    This document reviews the high level aims and objectives of the Customer Service

    Strategy. It details the overriding principles which govern how we will develop and deliver

    services. This is followed by an evaluation of what we now know our customers want.

    Improving access without the ability to deliver an effective response (building a motorway

    to a dirt-track) is a recipe for disappointment for customers and staff.

    realistic assessment of the delivery capabilities, skills and finance available. The section

    entitled Overview of Our Strategy outlines the elements which we must proactively

    manage to ensure that Newcastle City Council is successful in delivering excellent and

    efficient customer service. A significant amount of progress has already been made. The

    journey to date is briefly reviewed and recommendations for the way forward are

    documented. The main body of the document contains key messages with supporting

    information contained in appendices. The strategy concludes with an action plan which sets

    out how we will implement the strategy and achieve our vision An effective Customer

    Service Strategy must therefore be underpinned by realistic assessment of the delivery

    capabilities, skills and finance available.

    1.3.3 Aims

    The high level aims of the Customer Service Strategy remain largely unchanged. We will

    continue to provide community leadership in the provision of: Responsive services thatmeet peoples needs and demonstrate that we have understood their demands. Quality

    services which are efficient, cost effective and delivered through a highly trained and

    skilled workforce. Accessible services that provide people with a choice about how and

    when to access services. The ongoing achievement of these aims will make Newcastle upon

    Tyne one of the most satisfying and attractive places in which to live work, study and visit.

    1.4 Objectives

    The objectives of the customer service strategy describe the main ways in which we will

    achieve the overall aims of the Strategy. We will use a selection of delivery channels so that

    people have more choice in how and where they access services.. This means:

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    Delivering a citywide network of Customer Service Centres providing a range of public

    services as close as possible to where people live.

    Developing contact centre technology to respond to the demand to contact the council by

    telephone.

    Making effective use of appropriate new delivery channels to encourage all sectors of the

    community to access our services. We will make use of relevant enabling IT technology to

    deliver joined up services.

    Using IT systems which help us to understand our customers and meet their requirements

    (customer relationship management system).

    Designing and implementing systems which help us to provide better quality, joined up

    and accessible services to our customers. We will ensure that our service delivery is

    excellent.. This means:

    Understanding the nature of demand and what matters to customers. Consulting with

    our customers to ensure we understand their individual needs and preferences in order to

    give them a good experience.

    Creating a culture of customer service within the organisation.

    Delivering a comprehensive customer service training and development programme. This

    will include staff dealing with both external and internal customers.

    Changing the way we deliver services and redesigning our processes to deliver continual

    improvement in our performance and customer service. We will deliver cost effective

    services which provide value for money.

    Effectively managing and prioritising our investment, assets and revenue. Establishing

    effective performance management.

    Driving out and capturing the anticipated financial benefits. We will ensure alignment ofour customer service strategy with national, local and council initiatives.. This means:

    services.

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    Recognising and reinforcing relevant strategies, projects and initiatives. It is equally

    important that we seek to achieve the right balance in terms of effort, timing and

    presentation. For example, offering a wide range of methods by which customers can access

    our services is of little value if our staff have not all been trained to deliver excellent

    customer service and access is not presented to the customer in a logical way.

    1.5 Principles

    Our customer service strategy is underpinned by the following principles and values which

    govern how we set about meeting our objectives. Being open, honest and communicative

    We will be open and honest with our customers and staff. We will recognise and reward

    success and will tackle problems in a constructive no blame manner.

    We will keep our customers and staff advised of developments and initiatives and give

    them opportunities to provide feedback. Working in a collaborative way Service users will

    be involved in identifying, shaping and monitoring the Customer Service Strategy and

    service delivery.

    We will maximise opportunities to work in partnership with other organisations and

    agencies to deliver cost effective and joined up services. Focusing on delivery

    Wherever possible, customers should have their needs met at the first point of contact.

    Services will empower rather than devalue individuals and give them the maximum

    possible control. Providing good stewardship

    Services will be designed to achieve environmental, economic and social sustainability.

    The council will comply with all relevant legislation and best practice.

    Highest standards will be followed in managing authentication, security, privacy,

    confidentiality, and the use of ownership of information.

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    Everything we do should contribute to building trust in the competence, propriety and

    authority of Newcastle City Council. Valuing diversity

    Services will be designed and delivered to provide equal access to all sectors of the

    community. They will respect cultural and community diversity and be anti-discriminatory.

    Being progressive Where appropriate, services will be personalised and built around an

    understanding of the customer and their life events (e.g. moving to Newcastle).

    We will be innovative in how we continue to exploit new technology and new ways of

    working to enable us to deliver improved services.

    1.6 What our customers want

    One of the main reasons we are reviewing our Customer Service Strategy is that we now

    know more about how customers are using our current services and what their views are.

    We have consulted widely with customers over the past four years. Some of the important

    activities and findings are summarised in this section. .

    1.6.1 Initial Consultation - Customer Service: A Green PaperA Green Paper was

    published in 2001 in order to communicate and consult on the Councils customer service

    strategy. This is attached at Appendix 25. The overall aim was to assess customer

    satisfaction with services currently provided and to obtain views to inform future service

    development. Some of the key findings from this research were:

    Phone is the most common method of contact with the council, and is expected to remain

    so in the future.

    People wanted more Customer Service Centres provided locally in council buildings such

    as libraries and leisure centres as well as shopping centres.

    It was felt that the council should provide other services at Customer Service Centres

    such as banking, utilities, information on welfare benefits and health.

    Respondents also reported an increase in the use of new technologies such as digital TV

    and the Internet.

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    1.6.2 Building on the initial consultation The Green Paper provided us with the

    foundation to establish an ongoing programme of consultation. It is essential to engage with

    non-customers to find out what they perceive to be barriers to accessing our services. We

    have used a number of methods of consulting with customers and non-customers including:

    Customer research

    Comment cards corporate and service specific

    Elected Members workshops

    Road shows/open days

    Mystery customers

    Switchboard survey

    Customer Service website

    Union consultation

    Residents newsletters

    Area Committees

    Community focus groups

    Staff focus groups

    1.6.3Overview of strategy

    We need to manage five distinct components as key objectives of the Strategy if we are to

    achieve our aim of delivering excellent and efficient customer service. We must continue

    our development and management of:

    Delivery channels

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    Use of enabling IT

    Excellent service delivery

    Value for money

    Ensuring alignment

    It is equally important that we seek to achieve the right balance in terms of effort, timing

    and presentation. For example, offering a wide range of methods by which customers can

    access our services is of little value if our staff have not all been trained to deliver excellent

    customer service and access is not presented to the customer in a logical way.

    At this point in our continuing journey, our overall customer service strategy can be

    summarised as follows: We know (from consultation) that our customers want to contact

    us in ways that are convenient to them - using an increasing number of delivery channels.

    The only way we can understand and efficiently address our customers requirements is by

    continuing to use enabling IT and applying it across all delivery channels to provide a high

    quality joined-up service. It is vital that we continue to translate this into excellent service

    delivery by consulting with customers, creating a customer service culture, and training and

    developing our staff.

    At the same time, we must ensure that we prioritise and manage our investments, assets and

    revenues to deliver cost effective services which provide value for money. We can continue

    to maximise opportunities and realise synergies by ensuring alignment of our customer

    service strategy with relevant national, local and council strategies, projects and initiatives.

    These five components are illustrated in the diagram on the next page. By taking this

    approach, we will ensure that we build the right thing once and use it many times rather

    than building more or less the same thing (or conflicting things) many times.

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    1.6.3.1 Delivery channels

    Overview A delivery channel can be defined as a method by which customers can access

    our services. The main delivery channels which we have in place (or plan to develop) are

    categorised below: Face to face (the customer coming to a council location to access

    services) o Primary Customer Service Centres o Satellite Customer Service Centres

    Remote mediated (the customer dealing with a person but not face to face) o Contact Centre

    o Freephone o Video conferencing Self Service (the customer accessing services by

    themselves) o Internet / intranet o Digital TV o Kiosks Mobile Services (face to face but

    with the service taken to the customer)

    Our approach We need a co-ordinated and joined up approach for the development anduse of delivery channels if we are to deliver real benefits to our customers in the form of

    improved service delivery and efficient use of resources. Otherwise there is a risk of a

    multitude of different services being delivered in an inconsistent way and to varying levels

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    of quality. This requires that we move to a model where services are built around

    customer needs and not organisational structures. It means that we need to look at the end-

    to-end costs of delivering services to customers across multiple channels rather than take a

    silo snapshot view based on outdated and unrepresentative costs. A joined-up approach

    adds value for the customer and the council and delivers savings. For example, sharing a

    Customer Service Centre also means sharing the costs of building maintenance and upkeep,

    compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and health and safety legislation,

    security and facilities management and IT and telecommunications networks and

    equipment. It also develops a culture where behaviour is focused on the customer. A joined-

    up approach can also assist with issues such as fraud prevention, data protection and social

    inclusion. The move to join up services and seamless service delivery leads us to expect

    that intermediaries will play an increasingly important role. An intermediary can be

    defined as a third party service delivery provider (or even a different directorate). For

    example, a council may provide services on behalf of a voluntary sector organisation, or

    one directorate may provide services on behalf of another. The question to be addressed in

    each case is whether an intermediary can provide improved customer service and value for

    money for the services being delivered, based on an understanding of the customers needs.

    It should be noted that customers place importance on accessing local government services

    via a mix of delivery channels. This is supported by a survey by a leading industry

    consultancy (Gartner May 2001) which found that 73% of respondents attached great

    importance to the ability to access services through a variety of channels. The majority of

    respondents also indicated that they would be likely to use different channels for the same

    transaction, for example initial information via the internet, further details from a Contact

    Centre, and completion of the transaction in a Customer Service Centre. Experience from

    the private sector has shown that customers still want to use traditional delivery channels

    (e.g. face to face) to support them in using

    A portfolio of delivery channels will therefore be required into the medium term. The

    channel mix will change over time with increased acceptance of electronic channels and it

    is important to anticipate future tactical shifts within the Customer Service Strategy to

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    reflect this. The role of providing strong community leadership can be effectively

    enhanced in a face to face environment such as a local Primary Customer Service Centre.

    We need to understand our customers requirements, preferences and abilities. An

    important part of this is identifying our different customer segments and how we need to

    respond to (or indeed can influence) their changing preferences in terms of the channels

    they use. We need to recognise that it is necessary to spend time building customers

    confidence and trust in using new delivery channels. This can mean publicity, reassurances

    about privacy and security, and access to sources of assistance. The council should have a

    common look and feel to help the customer access services as well as the same high

    standard of quality service across all the delivery channels. Finally, the council needs to

    lead the drive to social inclusion. This means ensuring that services are available through

    delivery channels where lack of skills or confidence and cost are not impediments to their

    use. automated channels and for more complex transactions.

    Delivering the strategy

    Primary Customer Service Centres A major element of the councils Customer

    Service Strategy is the user-led development of a citywide network of six Primary

    Customer Service Centres. More information on the vision, progress to date and way

    forward can be found in Appendix 2. The aim of Primary Customer Service Centres is to

    provide communities across the city with a face-to-face facility that can provide a high

    quality, seamless and consistent approach to the delivery of council and other public

    services. We will make best use of staff and information technology to ensure that the

    majority of enquiries are resolved at first point of contact for the convenience of our

    customers. By November 2003 we had three Primary Customer Service Centres: Civic

    Centre (opened July 2000) East End interim centre (opened August 2003)

    We will deliver four further Primary Customer Service Centres through the Newcastle and

    North Tyneside LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) initiative: Phase 1 Kenton

    (summer 2005) Phase 2 Benwell, Gosforth and Shields Road (replacing the interim

    centre) by 2007

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    Satellite Customer Service Centres Supporting the Councils network of Primary

    Customer Service Centres is the development of Satellite Customer Service Centres. These

    will make best use of existing council and partner facilities which are accessible and in key

    neighbourhood centres across the city including libraries and Your Homes Newcastle

    offices. More information on the vision, progress to date and way forward can be found in

    Appendix 3. We currently have plans to open four Satellite Customer Service Centres:

    Walker (co-located with health care services, welfare rights and Your Homes Newcastle)

    mid 2005 High Heaton, Fenham and Fawdon (within refurbished branch libraries) from

    2006/07 We are taking a co-ordinated and joined-up approach to developing these and

    further Satellite Customer Service Centres. Where we identify that there is a requirement

    for customer services at an existing location, we will review the requirements to understand

    if it should be staffed by customer service officers or whether access to services should be

    provided by technology such as freephones, video conferencing and the Internet. We will

    also undertake an analysis to understand the impact on the network of Primary and Satellite

    Customer Service Centres. Outer West (opened November 2003)

    Contact Centre

    The purpose of a contact centre is to handle many different types of customer contact

    (unlike a call centre which is limited to telephone calls). A contact centre will potentially

    handle telephone calls, fax, e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, digital television,

    video conferencing and textphone (Minicom). More information on the vision, progress to

    date and way forward can be found in Appendix 4. The development of the Contact Centre

    will reflect on and build upon the councils experience to date with call centres. It will

    consolidate services and use enabling technology to ensure a corporate and consistent high

    quality approach

    A significant amount of planning and preparatory work has been completed. We are

    currently addressing accommodation and funding issues. The Contact Centre will initially

    focus on Revenues and Benefits but will quickly expand to offer a wide range of services

    for internal and external customers. It will ultimately mirror the range of services offered in

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    the Customer Service Centres, our aim being to ensure equal access to services via all

    channels.

    Provision of mediated delivery channels freephone and video conferencing

    Many customers will access Contact Centre services from their own phones. However, we

    recognise that not everyone has a phone or can afford to make calls, and these people may

    also not be able to travel to Primary Customer Service Centres to access our full range of

    services. The drive towards social inclusion and equitable access requires us to provide the

    means for customers to access our services in a convenient way. We already use freephones

    and video conferencing and will continue to deploy these as appropriate in council and

    partner locations to provide customers with convenient ways to access our services.

    Mobile Services Mobile or outreach services can be defined as those which are taken out

    to customers who are unable or unwilling to access our services at Customer Service

    Centres. Mobile services may be provided in peoples homes or in a van or in a local

    community location. More information on the vision, progress to date and way forward can

    be found in Appendix 7. The council and partner organisations currently offer a number of

    mobile or outreach services which have tended to be developed in isolation. Going forward,

    we will seek to identify customers unable to access our services and consult with them in

    order to understand the range of services they need to access. We can then work as acouncil and with other organisations to provide appropriate bundles of services.

    1.6.3.2 Use of enabling IT 7B.

    Overview The previous section discussed the delivery channels which we have

    established and/or plan to develop. However, delivery channels are of little use if an

    organisation lacks the technologies which provide the capability for it to understand

    customers and deliver high quality, joined-up and accessible services across these channels.

    Another way of viewing this is to see delivery channels as the building blocks and the

    enabling IT technologies as the tools we use to help deliver services to customers. We can

    identify a range of enabling IT tools which can help us across all of the delivery channels.

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    Some of the key components are: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Corporate

    knowledge management / knowledge engine Core line of business systems Middleware

    Payment engine Document Management System (DMS)

    Content management Portal development Smartcards

    Our approach It is important that customer requirements drive IT developments rather

    than IT developments determining how services are delivered to customers. This requires

    IT to be customer-focused and develop close relationships with departments dealing

    directly with customers. City Service brings IT and Customer Services together and this

    enables more effective demand-led IT development. See Appendix 0 for an outline of the

    functions within City Service. In addition, the restructure of IT to include a team of

    business consultants (or account managers) reflects an increased focus on aligning

    technology to customer requirements. We need to provide a consistent quality of service

    regardless of what delivery channel a customer chooses to use. This means that integration

    of enabling technologies and applications is key. Geographical Information System (GIS)

    Delivering the strategy

    Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system A Customer Relationship

    Management (CRM) System helps us to understand our customers and provide high quality,

    joined up and consistent services across a range of delivery channels. Staff are helped by

    scripting within the system to resolve a wide range of straightforward transactions at first

    point of contact. We have implemented the Lagan Frontline CRM system in our Primary

    Customer Service Centres. In the future we will further expand the number of services

    offered through the CRM system in addition to developing the system for use in the Contact

    Centre and through other delivery channels.

    Corporate knowledge management / knowledge engine An organisations ability

    to function efficiently and effectively depends on its ability to gather, manage and share

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    information and its knowledge base. Technology is an important enabler and can provide

    mechanisms to harness and utilise information and experience through creation of a

    knowledge engine. A project has been established and work is underway to create a

    corporate knowledge engine which joins up information from various sources. This will be

    supported by a corporate knowledge management framework comprising policies and

    procedures for accessing and maintaining data and information.

    Core line of business systems Core systems are those that provide key business

    functionality e.g. Council Tax. In the past, many core systems have been developed

    around silo functionality rather than based on customer-focused requirements. The

    councils established vision is to move to a modern and efficient information and

    communications technology environment. We are buying new best of breed softwarepackages off the shelf and implementing them with minimal customization

    Middleware Middleware is a general term for software that connects (or serves as the

    glue between) two or more otherwise separate applications. Introducing middleware into

    our technical architecture will enable us to manage integration much more efficiently on an

    ongoing basis.

    Payment engine A payment engine can be defined as the technology and processes whichenable customers to pay for services using different types of payment and across delivery

    channels. It also enables more efficient back-office processing and reconciliation of

    payments. We have established a project to modernise our ability to take and process

    payments from customers..

    Document Management System (DMS) A Document Management System is a

    system which manages the documentation received and handled by an organisation.

    Documents are scanned, indexed and stored electronically. The system incorporates a

    workflow function so that transactions and the relevant documents are directed to the

    appropriate member of staff and dealt with quickly and consistently. We are implementing

    a new Document Management System in Revenues & Benefits and Planning initially.

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    However, we have procured a solution which can be grown to provide a solution across the

    council. This will contribute greatly to providing integrated and joined up services

    Geographical Information System (GIS) A Geographical Information System (GIS)

    enables the storage, retrieval, mapping, and analysis of geographic data. It can help answer

    fundamental policy and service delivery questions relating to land, property, people and

    services. Future priorities will be driven out of the Corporate Knowledge Engine project.

    Content management Content management covers the creation, management,

    distribution and publishing of information, potentially across a range of delivery channels. .

    The council currently uses Lotus Notes for content management on the internet and intranet

    sites. The user interface is being improved and future content management system

    requirements will be considered in due course.

    Portal development A portal provides a single, centralised point of access for all content

    and services relevant to the audience. A portal may be accessed across multiple delivery

    channels (e.g. internet, kiosk and digital television). The council is involved in a number of

    portal projects. The council is participating in the development of the Tyne & Wear

    Community Service Portal which provides content to the on-street kiosks and digital TV

    service. The council is also partnering to develop the newcastle.com Digital City portal.This is focused on small and medium sized enterprises. The E-Government Phase 2

    project Building a world class portal is focused on improving the quality of and access to

    electronic services. Portals will be developed for customers, staff and specialised sub-

    groups within these larger groups. For example, a schools extranet will be created for

    school staff and community portals will be created for specific wards or communities of

    interest

    Smartcards A smartcard can hold multiple value added applications, and can provide

    convenient and secure access to electronic services over multiple delivery

    channels.Newcastle City Council is the lead authority in the North East Regional Smartcard

    Consortium (NERSC). NERSC has implemented a number of smartcard pilots in schools

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    and leisure. The current focus for NERSC is obtaining funding for the development of a

    regional platform of trusted services, needed to operate any identity management scheme,

    known as the Trusted Services Network (TSN

    1.6.3.3 Excellent service delivery

    Overview The two previous sections discussed the delivery channels and the enabling

    technologies that wecan use to help us deliver joined up and accessible services. However,

    there is little value in having these components in place if we do not have the underpinning

    principles, people and processes in place and cannot follow through to provide excellent

    service delivery. There are a number of factors which contribute to excellent service

    delivery:

    Understanding customer demand, requirements and expectations o Customer

    segmentation o Managing demand life events, cyclical, latent o Managing expectations

    Culture

    Staff training, development and support

    Communications Consultation

    Performance management, change management and continual improvement

    Community leadership and social contribution

    Our approach Our starting point is understanding who our customers are and what

    services they need and want. We need to know when and how they want to access these

    services. We can use this information to put together bundles or clusters of services

    that we know are likely to be sought at the same time. This means we need to work together

    across the council and with partner organisations. For example, a high proportion of Your

    Homes Newcastle customers are entitled to claim Housing Benefit. The culture should

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    reflect our desired behaviours and principles (please refer to section 5). Staff are our most

    important and valuable asset. We must continually train, develop and support staff to ensure

    they have the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver quality services and meet the

    expectations of our customers. We need to make sure that customers and staff are aware of

    the full range of our services. Targeted and effective external and internal communications

    is vital. An ongoing encompassing programme of consultation provides us with essential

    information and feedback. We need clear targets and a performance management

    framework to lead us into a cycle of ongoing change management and continual

    improvement. We can provide community leadership in service delivery, working in

    partnership to provide customers with joined-up and integrated services. Our locations and

    activities can become focal centres for regeneration and creation of community networks

    Delivering the strategy

    Understanding customer demand, requirements and expectations This section

    outlines what we need to do to understand and manage customer demand, requirements and

    expectations. Customer segmentation means analysing our customers and identifying

    groups Customers benefit from accessing all the services they want at one convenient

    point. Previously they would have had to travel physically between locations, or by

    having their queries redirected. Understanding our customers helps us anticipate and

    manage the demand for our services. A culture of excellent customer service is required

    throughout the organisation. Everyone needs to recognise that they have customers

    (whether they are internal or external customers). planning. We also need to take account of

    any latent demand which might be unlocked when we offer a new service. The proactive

    management of customer expectations is important if we are to satisfy customers. We must

    clearly convey what is to be delivered and when.

    Culture We can provide staff with the tools, skills and experience to provide excellentcustomer service but this is not enough. We need to create a culture of customer service

    throughout the council. In particular, everyone needs to recognise that they have customers

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    (whether they are internal or external customers). We have produced a number of tools

    which are helping us to develop a culture of customer service excellence.

    . Staff training, development and support Staff are the organisation's most important

    and valuable asset. The Council, in striving for continuous improvement in customer

    service, recognises and values the contribution that its staff makes in delivering quality

    services. Ensuring staff are well motivated and equipped with the right skills and

    knowledge is therefore an integral element of the Councils Customer Service Strategy. In

    1998/99 it was recognised that as part of the Councils commitment to improving customer

    service there was a need to invest in a comprehensive training programme, which would not

    only provide a corporate approach to of individuals with similar requirements, preferences

    or competencies. We need to understand the bundles or clusters of services thatcustomers will frequently want to access together. These can be driven by life events such

    as having a baby or moving home. We need to work across the council and in partnership

    with other organisations to meet the full range of requirements of our mutual customers

    Understanding the cyclical nature of demand helps us to anticipate the level of customer

    requirements over time and undertake the necessary capacity customer service but respond

    to the different needs of staff delivering services Within the Councils Corporate Training

    and Development budget an allocation is provided to assist Directorates annually to

    specifically deliver their Customer Service Training programmes. A corporate target for

    Customer Service Training has now been established as part of the portfolio balanced

    scorecard; our target being 20% of appropriate council staff to be trained in customer

    service annually. From 2004/05 each Directorate is required to develop an annual

    Customer Service Training plan which documents the number of staff to be trained, the

    courses required and it will identify the mandatory and optional training in customer service

    for specific staff. This will allow for better forward planning and cost projections on

    Customer Service Training in the future. It is important to maintain the momentum on

    Customer Service Training. It can be further embedded in the Council by including

    Customer Service Training in Service Plans and Personal Development Appraisals, and

    specifying training/qualifications in job specifications for key front line posts.

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    Communications We need to tell customers about how they can access our services. It is

    important to be socially inclusive and so we need to identify hard to reach groups and

    communicate appropriately. Staff also need to be kept up to date with our services and

    facilities so they can provide the best possible customer service. By having a good

    understanding of our customers, and working across the council and with partner

    organisations, we can target our communications to be appropriately focused and efficient.

    A customer services communication and consultation framework and action plan across the

    organisation. A number of programmes were developed which have been continually

    reviewed and built upon in the last 3 or 4 years to now provide a comprehensive Customer

    Service Pathway programme for staff at all levels of the organisation A corporate

    Customer Service Training Programme is now developed and delivered annually across all

    Directorates and monitored by the Councils Corporate Customer.

    1.7 Literature review:

    1. SINGAPORE AIRLINES-MOST PROFITABLE AIRLINES IN WORLD

    WASHINGTON--Nearly half of American air travelers would fly more if it were easier, and

    more than one-fourth said they skipped at least one air trip in the past 12 months because of

    the hassles involved, according to an industry survey.

    The Travel Industry Association, which commissioned the survey released Thursday,

    estimated that the 41 million forgone trips cost the travel industry $18.1 billion -- including

    $9.4 billion to airlines, $5.6 billion to hotels and $3.1 billion -- and it cost federal, state and

    local authorities $4.2 billion in taxes in the past 12 months.

    When 28% of air travelers avoided an average of 1.3 trips each, that resulted in 29 million

    leisure trips and 12 million business trips not being taken, the researchers estimated.

    ANALYSIS:

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    People who flew more than five times in the past 12 months were more likely to describe air

    travel as frustrating, at 52%, compared with 33 % of infrequent travelers, defined as people

    who flew one or two round trips in 12 months, according to the survey.

    More than half of respondents said either efficiency or reliability is getting worse, 60% said

    the system is deteriorating, and 56% said flying is the "bad" or "worst" part of travel -- though

    62% said air travel security is improving.

    2. Poor customer service, not price, driving most customer churn, study says

    By Barney Beal, News Director

    11 Dec 2008 | SearchCRM.com

    The notion that customer service is imperative in a recession got a major boost from a recent

    study by Accenture.

    The New York-based consulting and services firm surveyed more than 4,100 consumers over

    the summer and found that service -- more than price -- is a clear differentiator.

    According to the online survey, 67% of respondents reported switching companies because of

    poor customer service, compared with 59% last year. U.S. respondents were even more

    service sensitive, with 73% reporting that they switched companies owing to poor customer

    service, compared with 47% switching over lower prices. All indications are that the

    importance of customer service is only growing. Four years ago, when Accenture first began

    conducting the annual study, only 48% of respondents said they were switching businesses

    because of customer service.

    ANALYSIS: Based on the results of the survey, Wollan offers three pieces of advice for

    organizations seeking to improve customer service initiatives.

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    First, organizations should look for insight into the data they already have around customer

    behavior, which can be quite robust.

    From there, they need to apply that to the customer lifecycle.

    "It's not just a spot in time, it's looking for a trend to anticipate change and looking deeply at

    the channel preference among that mix of customers," Wollan said.

    Finally, organizations need to establish their customer service baseline and the diversity of

    their customer base

    3. CRM sustainability in a post-recession economy

    By Denis Pombriant, Founder and managing principal, Beagle Research Group, LLC

    17 Dec 2009 |

    Sustainability is the next big issue for CRM. Coming out ofa self-induced recession caused by

    overleveraging and other forms of overconsumption, we can expect people and companies to

    be more cautious about their spending. We really have no choice -- liquidity, or credit

    availability, is low, and those who have cash are inclined to hoard it.

    But even assuming easy credit, there are other drivers, such as the escalating cost of energy,

    which will serve to keep the economic brakes on. In this revised landscape, economic drivers

    will cause business to rethink some processes, with the result that demand for new software

    should be just around the corner.

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    None of this is bad news, and it smacks of economic opportunity. The trick, as always, is to

    discover the drivers and the processes early enough to position ourselves and our companies to

    take advantage.

    ANALYSIS: The economic drivers that I see include tight and expensive energy supplies, a

    cautious economy, satiated customers and a demographic shift. People of a certain age -- think

    of them as post-tuition-paying baby-boomers -- are less interested in new things than in new

    experiences

    4. Northeast Delta Dental - A Customer Service Role Model

    In his role at Delta Dental of Massachusetts, in March of 1990 Tom Raffio helped introduce a

    comprehensive customer satisfaction guarantee program that guaranteed seven service areas

    that had been identified as critical to its group dental insurance customers. Delta Dental of

    Massachusetts was doing business in an extremely competitive environment, and its service

    guarantees helped move them from a 10% market share to 50%. In 1995, Tom became

    President of Northeast Delta Dental, which markets dental insurance in Maine, New

    Hampshire, and Vermont, and introduced the concept of service guarantees. During that year,

    in response to feedback from its customers, and formulated by a crossfunctional team of

    employees representing every department, it launched its Guarantee Of Service Excellencesm

    Program (GOSE). This comprehensive program covers three main production/delivery

    processes--enrollment, claims processing, and customer servicewith eight guarantees.

    ANALYSIS:

    NO COMPETITOR HAS THE GUTS TO COPY THEM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

    They have never given up or got off track. Dell, Wal-Mart all built their business aroundcustomer service but then lost their focus and market share.

    Last year it cost them only $11,230.09 Would you be willing to spend the same

    amount of money to CRUSH THE COMPETITION.

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    They only guaranteed areas that were really important to customers.

    Instead of promising dreams they GUARANTEE MONEY when this miss their

    Guarantee

    5.Big TV is facing customer care problems

    Big TV DTH service achieved 5 lakh subscriber mark in just 5 months after its launch in

    South India. But Reliance DTH provider is facing many service complaints from subscribers.

    LIKE POOR TRANSMISSION, new channel transmission.

    ANALYSIS: Many People are asking me for complaints for the benefit of new people who

    want to take Big TV DTH. They simply fed up with customer care people of Big TV. If Big

    TV fails to improve customer care se rvice, they are doomed for failure in this highly

    competitive sector

    6. Seven Golden Rules of Customer Service

    Never give excuses; focus on resolving the problem. Use this phrase: What I can do is .....

    Always be pleasant with customers, even if they are not pleasant to you. Focus on resolving

    the problem, not on adjusting the customers attitude.

    Customers are not interruptions of our work, they are the reason for it. Customer relations is

    an integral part of your job, not an extension of it. Our business is developing relationships

    through respect and trustworthiness, coupled with appropriate technical expertise. People

    dont care how much you know until they know how much you care

    Always Be Responsive to Customers. Return phone calls and e-mail in a timely manner within one business day. Never have a full voice mailbox.

    Honor your service and support commitments. Every customer has the right to expect a

    commitment to an appointment time for scheduled services. Every customer has the right to

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    expect our rapid response to a crisis disruption of service. If a commitment cant be met,

    inform the customer immediately.

    Take ownership of problems. If its not your problem to resolve, involve the appropriate

    party, and ensure that ownership of the problem is transferred with the customers knowledge.

    Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.

    Hospitality and Customer Service in Hotel Enterprises

    It is generally recognized, that tourism constitutes a considerable economic activity for an area

    or a country. The need for effective customer services in modern hotell enterprises becomes

    top priority by the businessmen.

    The hotel managers, study and analyse continuously in every detail running tendencies of their

    sector, in order to provide to their customers, high quality services and hospitable installationswith all modern comforts.

    Main objective and mission of hotel enterprises is the most excellent customer services, the

    greatest satisfaction of their expectations through the process of continuous improvement and

    upgrade of the offered services.

    Analysis: We summarize that hospitality enterprises by practicing service quality methods

    both maximize socio-cultural benefits for their customers, and lead to economic and

    sustainable growth.

    In conclusion, the most advisable criteria for the quality evaluation of provided services in

    hotel enterprises, about customer retention in hotel enterprises, 3) to demonstrate the benefits

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    that are obtained in a hotel enterprise from the growth of an effective system of customer

    services. The strategic planning and the application of service quality provide customer

    satisfaction and retention. Its efficient management enhances the hospitality industry,

    enhances the effects of tourism development in socio-cultural issues and provides economic

    growth

    7. Customer service strategy more important in emerging markets

    By Barney Beal, News Director

    01 Dec 2009 | SearchCRM.com

    Hoping to turn to emerging markets to turn around your business in the recession? Better

    make sure you have a sound customer service strategy in place.

    Customers in emerging markets can be more sensitive to customer service than their

    counterparts in mature markets, according to the results of a recent survey by Accenture.

    The survey, conducted over the summer, found that 87% of consumers in emerging markets

    switched providers in at least one industry sector because of poor service in the past year.

    That's 18% more than the global average. And, the survey suggests, they're not hesitant to tell

    others about their experiences -- 69% tell their acquaintances about bad experiences and 25%

    use social media to spread the word. In emerging markets, 40% of consumers said they use

    blogs and other online media to tell others about their negative experiences.

    ANALYSIS: The survey results also found that:

    52% of emerging market consumers use the Internet to search for help vs. 44% of

    mature market consumers. 49% of emerging market consumers surf corporate websites vs. 40% of mature market

    consumers.

    35% of emerging market consumers engage in online chats vs. 15% of mature market

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    consumers.

    14% of emerging market consumers use text messaging to seek assistance vs. 3% of

    mature market consumers.

    8. Expert CRM predictions for 2010

    28 Dec 2009 | SearchCRM.com

    Wondering what 2010 has in store for CRM? SearchCRM.com gathered the prognostications

    of experts William Band, Paul Greenberg, John Ragsdale and Donna Fluss. They predict big

    things for 2010, including developments in social CRM, customer management and sales

    performance management, and a greater role for customer service and the contact center.

    William Band, vice president and principal analyst, Forrester Research

    Companies return to investing in their most important asset customers

    My most recent research shows that both B2B and B2C enterprises spotlight improved

    customer loyalty as their top goal. But B2B companies are also intent on capturing new

    customers, while B2C companies obsess about improving the customer experience.

    9. Customer service moves back into the spotlight

    We see a rising number of inquiries from clients about how to improve their customer service

    capabilities. How does customer service affect the bottom line? The higher the customer

    experience index, regardless of the industry, the more customers buy and the more loyal they

    are. Contact center customer support needs to evolve to better serve customers who no longer

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    rely on one venue for receiving information but instead engage multiple source

    . ANALYSIS:In addition to checking a company's website and its brochures, many customers

    research information on products and services from social networking sources such as blogsand online user ratings. With customers now requiring more real-time support, it's essential to

    keep pace with their expectations and to respond to them in new ways.

    10.Gartner offers five low-cost CRM strategies

    By Barney Beal, News Director

    The current economy is wreaking havoc with application budgets while forcing companies to

    wrest more value from their current CRM software implementations.

    Against that backdrop, Scott Nelson, managing vice president at Gartner, offered a series of

    five low-cost CRM strategies.

    "Part of this was to dispel the notion that all you can do with CRM is buy software," Nelson

    said. "And just because you have no approval to purchase doesn't mean you have to grind to a

    halt."

    In fact, surveys of clients by analysts with the Stamford, Conn.-based research firm have

    found that the lessons of the last economic downturn have stayed with many companies.

    Approximately 40% of them say they will use the economic downturn to generate post-

    recovery growth via effective CRM strategies.

    Those figures vary widely across industries, of course.

    ANALYSIS:Financial services, for example, are reining in costs, while government

    organizations are investing heavily. Software vendors like software to track federal stimulus

    money. Most organizations have little to spend on things like software, but there are some

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    Of course, even with a wonderfully positive and effective perspective, there will still be trying

    instances throughout your day, especially when youre dealing with a misunderstanding

    between yourself and a customer. Instead of thinking of this as a trial, consider it to be an

    opportunity to achieve just one more success during your workday, and use the 7 Ways to

    Resolve Customer Service Issues between you and your customers as a guideline.

    1. Take preventative action against misunderstandings by putting all of the critical

    information concerning your interactions into writing. By doing this, everything will

    be laid out for both of you to see, and there wont be any false expectations or

    misunderstanding of intentions.

    2. Work with the customer to offer a solution. Instead of relying only on policies and

    procedures, work with your customers to come up with the best way to resolve thesituation in a way that will be mutually beneficial.

    3. Even if its not your fault, you can still apologize without accepting blame. An

    apology will start your resolution off on the right foot, and show that you have the best

    intentions.

    4. Put yourself in your customers shoes. Try to understand the issue from the customers

    point of view, and youll have a clearer comprehension of why he or she is behaving

    that way, or expecting a particular outcome.

    5. Be responsive if there truly is a problem. If the misunderstanding has lead to an actual

    problem, act logically and quickly to offer and implement a solution.

    6. Keep your promises about reliability and service. These are almost as if not more

    important than any product that you sell. Keeping promises and offering superior

    service are what puts you that step above everyone else, and what keeps your

    customers coming back to you.

    7. Think of complaints as lessons for improvement. When a customer complains, it isnt

    necessarily a positive situation in itself, but it is one with a great deal of potential for

    later improvement.

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    Conclusion It is also important to pass feedback from customers to staff at all levels.

    This will remind people that we are customer focused and need to constantly be thinking about

    and anticipating customer requirements. We need to consult with all parties involved in the

    provision of service. Particular attention needs to be given to consulting with hard to reachgroups to ensure that we are socially inclusive. It is vital that we complete the feedback loop

    and demonstrate that it is a learning process and we have taken account of the outcome of

    consultation exercises. We can either publicise you said now weve done or can explain

    why its not possible. This reassures people that it is worth participating in consultation

    activities. An effective organisation has clear targets which enable it to recognise and build on

    success and address opportunities for improvements. A performance management framework

    leads into a cycle of change management and continual improvement. Our performance

    management is built around the portfolio balanced scorecard. The Modernisation, E-

    Government and Regulation Porfolio contains key customer service targets. We need to analyse

    our performance and identify the changes we need to make. This will lead us to an ongoing

    cycle of continual improvement. This is about getting better all the time through a series of

    incremental changes. Consultation If we do not know what customers want, we cannot hope

    to meet their expectations. However, consultation is of little value unless we use it to inform our

    decision making, policies, procedures and service delivery.

    Association, Essential Skills Tutors, MoneyWise (a credit union), Citizens Advice Bureau, Age

    Concern, Shaw Trust Employment, Jobcentre Plus, Inland Revenue, Connexions Tyne and

    Wear, Workfinder, Northumbria Police Community Beat Manager and Child Contact Centre.

    The joining up of council and other services is likely to lead to increased uptake of services as

    people become aware of services they did not know about and/or find it more convenient to

    access services. For example, the library at the Outer West Primary Customer Service Centre

    has seen a 115% increase in footfall compared to the old library. Primary and Satellite

    Customer Service Centres can become focal centres for regeneration and creation of community

    networks. This can contribute to the empowerment of local people and foster civic culture and

    citizenship.

    Annual review of Customer Service Strategy

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    We are also proposing that this Customer Service Strategy will be reviewed annually. A brief

    report will be produced summarising:

    Our performance

    Significant achievements

    Areas to address

    Dynamic analysis

    Changes (e.g. in policies, customer preferences, technology)

    New opportunities

    Revised strategy recommendations

    Updated action plan

    Critical Success Factors

    To become a leading customer-centric organization and achieve the goals in this Customer

    Service Strategy, there are five key success factors that are necessary:

    1. Senior Management & Political Support ~ cultural change is required to have a

    customercentric

    organization and this requires complete support from the senior management team to

    and the Mayor and Council.

    2. Adequate Resources ~ in order for customer service initiatives to be successful, the

    commitment of adequate human resources and funding must be provided.

    3. Staff Buy-In and Communication ~ transitioning to a new customer service delivery

    model

    requires staff to have a good understanding of the program and should be active participants

    in

    the process. If change is to be embraced, then it must be communicated to staff and the

    unions.

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    4. Clear Vision ~ the organization needs to know what the transformed organization would

    look

    and work like. This is a critical step and would serve as a guide for decisions that would be

    made

    in the future.

    5. Enabling Technology ~ to evolve to a customer-centric organization would require

    information and technology support to be effective and efficient.

    This customer service strategy would help the City focus on one of its core competencies

    service delivery. Responding to client needs promptly and adapting quickly to changes in a

    cost effective way is crucial for success, especially when faced with the fast-paced

    municipal environment.

    The development of a Customer Service Strategy is a good foundation upon which to build

    excellence in customer service, which is supported by Council, senior management and

    staff. The interviews revealed that 75% of staff thought that a Customer Service Strategy

    was essential for the organization. A Customer Service Strategy would help focus customer

    service excellence and make it part of the day to- day corporate culture. Interviewees and

    Council rated the customer service provided by the organization to the public as good,

    achieving a seven on a scale of 10. The implementation of the recommended customer

    service goals, with the related objectives, strategies and actions, would create a customer-

    centric corporation that looks at service delivery from the customers perspective. This

    means that all processes are designed with the customer in mind. A culture of customer

    service excellence ensures everyone in the organization, from the top down, believes they

    work for the customer. Empowering employees to make customer service decisions and

    look beyond the branch to the success of the entire organization is key to customer-centric

    government. Customer service excellence requires an investment in people and leverages

    technology to manage customer-oriented processes. Employees are given the right tools,

    training and development to ensure the customer feels important and satisfied with the

    service received by the City. Customer service expectations are clearly established and

    communicated to all staff to ensure consistency in service delivery. Establishing a

    centralized and integrated service delivery model enables the City to be more responsive,

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    accountable and provide ease of access to City services. The value for centralized service

    delivery is improved access to government services, better information to proactively

    manage customer-oriented decision making and greater efficiencies for the corporation.

    REFERENCES:

    1. Berry, L.L., Parasuraman A., V. A. Zeithaml (1985). Quality counts in services too,.

    Business Horizons.

    2. Cronin J. J. and S. A. Taylor (1992). Measuring service quality: A re-examination and

    extension,Journal of Marketing, 56, 55-68.

    3. Getty J.M. and Thomson K.N. (1994). The relationship between quality, satisfaction and

    recommending behaviour in lodging decisions. Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing,

    2(3): 3-22.

    4. Grnroos, C. (1982).Strategic Management and Marketing in the Service Section, Research

    No 8 of the Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Helsingfors.

    5. Grnroos, C. (1988). Service Quality: The six criteria of good perceived service quality.

    Review of Business, 9(3): 10-13

    6. www.findarticles.\Big TV DTH Big TV is facing customer care problems.htm

    7. [email protected]

    8. www.customer-service.com/ Expert review2010.htm

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