customer service strategy 2017 - 2021 of kalamunda – customer service strategy 2017 - 2021 page 3...

Customer Service Strategy 2017 - 2021

City of Kalamunda – Customer Service Strategy 2017 - 2021 Page 1

Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1

2.0 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................. 2

Profile Plan Development

Strategic Context Current Status Consultation

3.0 THE STRATEGY …………………………………………………………………………11

Vision Promise Principles

4.0 FOCUS AREAS ............................................................................................. 14

Service Standards

Communication & Culture Technology

5.0 REVIEW/EVALUATION ............................................................................... 17

6.0 APPENDICIES ............................................................................................ 18

Customer Segments Issues Analysis Resolve a Customer Request workflow


1.0 Introduct ion

This strategy outlines the key principles, strategies, actions, and performance measures for improved customer service standards over the next four years at the City of Kalamunda. It will align with the statements made in a revised Customer Service Charter and will support the improvement of the City’s customer service outcomes across the whole organisation. It will also enable Council to align itself to deliver better community engagement and continuously improve and refine its whole service delivery. Under a new business unit: ‘Customer and Public Relations’ formed in July 2016 the City of Kalamunda began a journey toward consolidating its customer service operations and put in place a team to lead and monitor customer satisfaction with responsibility for delivering better customer service outcomes more holistically. To achieve this we have developed a new Customer Service Strategy and a set of strategic initiatives to meet emerging customer needs. Traditionally customer service approaches in Local Government have been largely reactive with little choice or innovation in processes and service delivery models, leaving a general perception that Local Government is difficult and slow to deal with. The City of Kalamunda is acutely aware of these perceptions and realises in order to create a welcoming, responsive Local Government, we need to work with internal teams and customers in a more proactive manner, with the aim of making all and any interaction between the City and customers easier, friendlier and faster. Nearly every decision made by the City impacts community, consequently making them the centrepiece of every service transaction and interaction, and the critical driver behind developing, delivering and improving services and maintaining excellent customer service standards. The Customer Service Strategy 2017 – 2021 is the catalyst for bringing together an ongoing program of initiatives to focus the City on continually improving the customer service experience in all spaces. The Customer Service Strategy strives to achieve an aspirational vision within the next four years.

2.0 Background

Profile

Population estimates and age structures of the City of Kalamunda provide key insights into the level of demand for services and facilities. It is also an indicator of the City’s residential role and function and how it is likely to change into the future.

The official population of the City of Kalamunda as of 30 June 2015 was 60,830. This shows

an increase of 9,778 people living here since in 2005.

Results from the last national Census in 2011, show there were 3,085 people over the age of 75 living in the City of Kalamunda, and 4000 residents between 15 to 19 years.


The largest changes in age structure between 2006 and 2011 were in the age groups at each end of the spectrum.

0 to 4 (+492 persons)

60 to 64 (+811 persons)

65 to 69 (+569 persons)

75 to 79 (+369 persons)

Between 2011 and 2021, the age structure forecasts for the City of Kalamunda indicate a 16.9% increase in population under working age, a 52.7% increase in population of retirement age, and a 7.0% increase in population of working age.

In May 2016 population forecasts were predicting by 2036 the total population would reach 77,130 people.

Source profile id http://profile.id.com.au/

Note: Updated data from the 2016 Census is due for release from 11 July 2017.

Strategy Development

This strategy has been developed over the 2016/17 year following the organisation’s restructure, internal and external research, consultation and revision of a range of current

strategies and plans relating to customer service, communication and community

engagement.

Internal working groups Internal working groups (Kalafish & SWAT Teams) made up of volunteer customer service officers and coordinators from a range of departments met through the 2015/16 financial year to share perspectives, develop ideas and identify key themes for improving customer service outcomes across the organisation – to inform the development of this Customer Service Strategy. The main intent of these groups was to reflect an ethos to recognise ‘all staff are responsible for achieving customer service outcomes’. This was something to be understood and accepted by every individual employee – regardless of their role title or position description ie, ‘customer service is everybody’s business’. Actions already undertaken to assist with this have included:

Investigation of other Local Government customer service strategies and charters Embedding ‘Customer Service’ as a standard component of output in all position

descriptions working with People Services

Collated feedback on the use of key systems including the intranet, website, Interplan and the Personnel Evaluation System (PES).

Development of an internal video “It’s Not Me” on common behaviours impacting customer experiences

Recording of other initiatives such as a customer service rewards programs, additional induction processes, development of internal customer service specific branding, statements and satisfaction measurements.

Community Perceptions Scorecard Outcomes of the Catalyse 2016 Community Scorecard illustrate how the community rates Council performance against individual areas of measure and key performance indicators

http://profile.id.com.au/


found in the Strategic Community Plan. The City of Kalamunda has participated in customer satisfaction and public perception studies biannually since 2011. The survey conducted in 2016 canvassed opinions from 442 randomly selected residents. The City achieved overall performance scores for ‘place to live’ at 78/100 (one point above the industry average) and for ‘Governing Organisation’ with a rating of 53/100 (10 points below the industry average), demonstrating a disconnect in peoples’ perceptions around the reasons for which Kalamunda is a great place to live, and the services being delivered by the City.

Scores relating to ‘governance’ and ‘communication’ all received neutral ratings between the 50s and 60s but ‘levels of customer service’ specifically, achieved a score of 84, while the community’s perception of whether the City was considered ‘progressive’, ‘innovative’ and ‘forward thinking’, scored low with a rating of 55. Again, this suggests a large gap between communicating a clear vision and mission or what we aim to do, how we do it, understanding what the community wants and needs and demonstrating any improvements made in the way we do things. Communications Review In May 2016 the City commissioned an external consultant to review its Communications Plan and a range of marketing and communication strategies, activities and channels. Recommendations included review and refresh of the City brand, refreshing visual elements, developing a digital media strategy, reviewing and refreshing the website, and reviewing the level of resources to support these activities. Adopting the recommendations will heighten the regularity, quality and transparency of our information and communication with customers. Communication, marketing and digital output go hand in hand with achieving better customer service outcomes. Community Engagement In developing this strategy, some actions proposed align with our Community Engagement Strategy: Kalamunda Engages, which adopts the International Association of Public Participation (iap2) model. The City follows the endorsed spectrum of engagement which helps determine the need for communication and consultation, regularity of information sharing, and role in seeking community feedback. It also defines the public’s role in any public participation and decision making process. This helps to make well informed decisions based on input from the community – which in turns supports the proposed customer service vision of seeing our customers as the ‘key influencers’ in the development and delivery of services. This strategy was reviewed and updated in May, and adopted by Council in June 2017. Internal service partnerships & dependencies It has been recognised to provide a high standard of customer service to our community, it is crucial for internal relationships to be strong and that we service each other’s internal requests for support and assistance in a proactive manner, to achieve the end goal more efficiently for customers. Due to the diversity and complexity of many of our services, several areas can be involved in delivering an optimal outcome to a single customer request. Collaboration across Business Units will be integral to the success of this strategy.

To this end, this strategy also has particular dependencies on key internal support service centres and other strategies due to be delivered by the Information Technology Team and People Services Business Units. For example, the delivery of ICT Strategy, requires a strong focus on data analytics and customer data management. Similarly, vital collaboration between Customer and Public Relations and People Services Teams will be integral to


delivering an improved internal culture and community engagement training across the organisation. The Records Management Team and Business Process User Group will continue to be the driver of customer request workflow, training in the use of SynergySoft and business process mapping. Development of more cross functional teams and working groups across internal departments and business units will be required to achieve maximum results.

Customer Service Standards Our Customer Service Standards as stated in our Customer Charter, provide a commitment to our customers, as well as an expectation on our staff regarding a level of service they need to consistently deliver. A key part of this is to regularly communicate and review these standards as well as our performance against them. The current charter was adopted in 2010 and is under review in conjunction with this strategy. It is recommended the Customer Charter is updated every two years to remain relevant.

Workforce

Plan

Records Management &

Business Process Mapping

Community Engagement

Strategy

ICT Strategy

Customer

Service Strategy


Strategic Context

Integrated Planning Framework

The City of Kalamunda operates within the Department of Local Government and Community’s Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework which is comprised of several informing documents illustrated in the framework depicted in the image below. The Customer Service Strategy will constitute another informing strategy within the City’s planning framework. Strategies and actions will be incorporated into the Corporate Business Plan and funded annually through the annual budgeting process. Progress will be reported quarterly to Council. Also see Appendix A for Issues Analysis.

Alignment with corporate objectives & strategies

The Kalamunda Advancing 2017 – 2027: Strategic Community Plan contains a number of objectives and strategies that align with the intent of the Customer Service Strategy. These are outlined below.


Objective Strategy

1.1 To be a community that advocates, facilitates and provides quality lifestyle choices

1.1.1 Facilitate the inclusion of the ageing population and people with disability to have access to information, facilities and services.

1.1.2 Empower, support and engage with young people, families and our culturally diverse community

1.2.2 Advocate and promote healthy lifestyle choices by encouraging the community to become more physically active

1.2.3 Provide high quality and accessible recreational and social spaces and facilities

1.3 To support the active participation of local communities

1.3.1 Support local communities to connect, grow and share the future of Kalamunda

1.3.2 Encourage and promote the active participation in social and cultural events

2.1 To protect and enhance the environmental values of the City

2.1.3 Community involvement and education in environmental management

3.2 To connect community to quality amenities

3.2.1 Optimal management of assets

3.3 To develop and enhance the City’s economy

3.3.1 Facilitate and support the success and growth of industry and business

3.3.2 Attract new investment opportunities and businesses with a focus on innovation

3.4 To be recognised as a preferred tourism destination

3.4.1 To Facilitate, support and promote activities and places to visit

4.1 To provide leadership through transparent governance

4.1.1 Provide good governance

4.1.2 Build an effective and efficient service based organisation

4.2 To proactively engage and partner for the benefit of the community

4.2.1 Actively engage with the community in innovative ways

4.2.2 Increase advocacy activities and develop partnerships to support growth and reputation


Current Status

Customer Service Structure

Currently the Customer Relations Officers located at the City’s Administration Centre are usually the first point of contact for most general daily customer enquiries and business interactions. Under the restructure in 2016 the Customer and Public Relations Business Unit’s workforce allocation for the Front Counter included five FTEs – and now includes a Team Leader reporting to the Manager of Customer & Public Relations. A range of Customer Relations Officer positions also exist across Business Units as the area experts and first points of contact for their specific services, for example in relation to rates, ranger services, waste services, library services, recreation programs etc. Note: many staff across the organisation can also have detailed and ongoing contact with customers. The common view is all staff have a role to play in delivering customer service outcomes, and in many cases can form long-term relationships with community members. The Front Counter Customer Relations Team perform several duties to support the operations of the organisation including providing a phone switchboard, recording, processing and following up responses to customer enquiries and requests, following up after hours requests, processing all payments, receipting and reconciliations – including rates, infringements, and phone banking. They receive and process building and planning applications and permits, process pet registrations and pound releases, manage courier bookings, receive tenders and event RSVPs, facilitate facility and room bookings, provide relief to other departments and have a good knowledge of several legislative Acts and policies, for a range of compliance requirements.

Note: The Administration Centre Front Counter is not presently structured to operate like a ‘contact centre’ as is commonly the case across Local Governments of a similar population size today. Research shows Local Government Authorities (LGAs) typically move to call centre or contact centre mode when they reach a population size of around 40,000, to cope with customer service demand.

Other WA LGAs operating a contact centre include City of Gosnells, City of Bayswater, City of Canning, City of Wanneroo, City of Cockburn and the City of Melville.

Customer Requests Currently all staff are to use the SynergySoft system to document official business. Business records and customer enquiries are to be responded to within five working days, and overdue records are reported monthly to Executive Directors and the CEO. Customer requests can be received via several channels (in person at front counter, to any staff member in the field or at an event, to a Councillor, via email, post or phone calls during office hours and after hours) and should be responded to within five days, as per our charter standard.


To date, our system has not included an automated response message acknowledging initial receipt of the enquiry, and an expected timeframe for reply. There has also been some internal confusion around the five day turnaround promise and the interpretation of a ‘response’ or reply versus actual ‘resolution’ of the enquiry or reported issue. Similarly, many requests may in fact be responded to or resolved, but are not correctly closed out in the system, so still appear to be ‘live’ or outstanding in monthly reports – inaccurately reflecting our results toward meeting the standard. Clearer rules and more regular training to all staff on an ongoing basis are required as system updates and process improvements occur. Clearer definitions around simple and complex requests, and complaints with process flows and estimated timelines to resolve each, also need to be made available and communicated to customers. It has also been discovered requests resolved immediately, hence not entered into the ICS system, are not being captured, so figures around the total number of enquiries received by the organisation as a whole are inaccurate. Another growing trend is customer requests or reported issues coming to the City via social media. The PR Team and designated page administrators currently respond directly to any commentary or enquiry as required, and in accordance with the Social Media Policy, working with business units to develop accurate and appropriate responses, within 24 hours. But proof of enquiry and resolution is not captured and tracked in the same way as a request entered into the ICS system.

Number of Enquiries received at Front Counter 2014 - 2017

2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 Total

24,525 25,578 28,944 158706

An ICS workflow process is outlined below.


Consultation

While developing the Customer Service Strategy throughout 2016, the City asked staff and customers for feedback on what they wanted the City’s customer service ethos to be and how customers should feel at each and any interaction.

The collated responses below show a consistent theme from both an internal and external customer base. See Appendix B for identified customer segments.

Courteous, polite, quick to answer, pointed in the right direction, don’t want to be handballed – need to refer to the right person the first time.

Treated respectfully, treated intelligently – not patronised.

Be patient – we don’t know all of Council’s rules & procedures, timely response, simple processes, feedback.

Fast, efficient, friendly, helpful, treated the same, no nonsense.

Prompt, friendly, fair and informed assistance, with regard for my needs.

Consistent, courteous, patient, efficient, timely response.

Professionalism, patience, timely, accuracy, positive outcome, to listen.

Try to resolve issue as soon as possible, get both sides – mediation, consider all facts, provide feedback, and keep in loop, listen attentively to the customer.

To show customers that we care.

Be thorough.

To admit mistakes and shortfalls and assure people that matters will attempt to be fixed in the best way possible, answering phones should be of higher importance. Sincerity is also important.

That we value add to their expectation.

When a customer is present at the City or on the phone they should automatically become the priority of staff. All other tasks can wait.

If a staff member cannot answer an enquiry themselves, it’s their responsibility to find someone who can or transfer the call to the relevant department etc. and follow up to make sure that they are looked after.

Emails should be responded to as soon as possible - even if the answer to the enquiry hasn’t been identified. A courtesy email to let a customer know their email has been received and is important.

We should consistently be reviewing how we deal with enquiries and updating procedures. Especially when a situation is identified that could have been better handled.


3 .0 The Strategy

Organisational Vision

Connected Communities, Valuing Nature and Creating our Future Together.

Organisational Values

(behaviours to be consistently demonstrated by all employees):

Core Values

Service We deliver excellent service by actively engaging and listening to each other.

Respect We trust and respect each other by valuing our difference, communicating openly and showing integrity in all we do.

Diversity We challenge ourselves by keeping our minds open and looking for all possibilities and opportunities.

Ethics We provide honest, open, equitable and responsive leadership by demonstrating high standards of ethical behaviour.

Aspirational Values

Creativity We create and innovate to improve all we do.

Courage We take risks that are calculated to lead us to a bold new future.

Prosperity We will ensure our City has a robust economy through a mixture of industrial and commercial development.

Harmony We will retain our natural assets in balance with our built environment.


Objectives

The key objectives of this strategy are to:

Strive to achieve a new customer service ethos and deliver on the customer service promise and principles

To culturally optimise the organisation to achieve best practice customer service outcomes

To support and train staff to feel empowered, be proactive and work collaboratively toward business objectives and customer service excellence

To effectively communicate with our customers, internally and externally.

Customer Service Ethos

We will focus on a combination of concepts including; cultural change, technological and process improvement, and a centralised service model - with increased self-service options and improvements based on customer feedback.

Our customers are the ‘key influencers’ in the development, improvement and delivering of our services.

Customer Service Promise

Supported by innovative technology solutions and regular best practice training, staff will be proactive, focus on future planning to meet business objectives and work collaboratively, with the customer experience always in mind.

All City interactions with customers will be timely and meaningful.


Principles

1. Customers will receive timely responses

We will always provide an estimation of timeframe for response at each interaction

We will update customers on the status of their enquiry at regular intervals

Customers referrals across business units will be as minimal as possible

We monitor the timeliness of our correspondence

2. Customer interactions will be meaningful

We aim to handle everyday enquiries at first point of contact

All staff will have access to accurate and up-to-date information

Staff will seek to understand enquiries to the deepest possible level before responding

All responses to customers will be personalised and professional

Even when we may need to say ‘we can’t’ we will offer options for things we ‘can do’

3. Each customer will be made to feel like the only customer

We will ask our customers how they like to receive information and deliver it accordingly

We recognise ‘one-size does not fit all’ and we will be flexible in our service offerings

We will always do a little bit more to exceed expectations

Complex requests and complaints will be handled with priority

4. We will help our customers to help themselves

We offer and promote integrated self-service options

We explore and use innovative technology solutions that makes accessing information easy

Online information will be available 24/7 and enabled for mobile devices

As many transactions as possible will be automated

Develop simple guides and instructions to help customers understand our processes

5. Our customers are informed and will help inform our services

We will consider the customer’s perspective and actively seek feedback often, in different ways

We will admit when we get it wrong, reviewing and improving our processes each time

We will communicate on any new service (or fee) or expected change in levels of service as early as possible

Our people and our customers will be our best advocates


4.0 Focus Areas

Achieving outcomes under these principles has been broken down into three Focus Areas of

strategic action.

1. Service Standards: Methods for setting standards and working together better.

2. Communication & Culture: Staff engagement, motivation and skill development.

3. Technology: Systems, tools and processes to support customer service delivery.

Service Standards

Objectives Actions Measures 1. Be responsive

to enquiries & complaints

1.1 Revise and update the Customer Service Charter & Standards every two years.

Charter updated every 2 years and standards being met.

Monthly ICS Customer Request

and Records outstanding Complaint policy revised & new

guidelines adopted

Complaints Handling Reports –outlining process followed, and service area improvements

Satisfaction with after-hours call

service Business Unit cooperation and

adherence to Service Level Agreements

1.2 Revise Complaints Policy and implement new guidelines – appointing customer advocates to case manage complaints from reporting to resolution.

Complaints valuing will drive priority service areas for improvement.

1.3 Open Expressions of Interest for contractor of after-hours phone service.

1.4 Extend customer service standards to internal teams & introduce Service Level Agreements between Business Units.

2. Recognise ‘one-size does not fit all’ and offer options

2.1 In all forms of communication standardise asking customers how they prefer to receive information

Biennial Community Perception

Survey Customer feedback

/compliments on flexible approaches & customised responses and resolutions

Staff utilisation of the checklist Accessibility testing compliance

2.2 Offer flexible options for delivery of services to extenuating individual circumstances and needs

2.3 Create a customer service checklist to guide staff when reviewing, strategies, polices and processes

2.4 Conduct yearly accessibility testing on all products for customers

3. Ensure organisational capability to deliver optional customer service

3.1 Facilitate an independent audit of the current structure of front counter and Customer Relations Officer roles across the organisation

Successful audit completed

Research and case studies sourced

Report delivered to council with key findings and relevant

3.2 Conduct comparative local government research of contact/ reception centres and support structures


3.3 Deliver a report to Council with options and impact assessment

recommendations

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first. Only when a critical

mass of employees are inside the Circle of Safety, and feel that their leaders are working to

defend them from dangers outside, can the company then invite customers into the circle

too”. Simon Sinek, New York Times Best Selling Author of titles ‘Start with Why’

and ‘Leaders Eat Last’.

Communication & Culture

Objectives Actions Measures

1. Introduce internal communication practices & processes

1.1 Develop a City Communication and Engagement Policy to provide a framework for internal use

Internal policy and procedures adopted

Consistent use of communication

templates and tools Staff voluntarily attend training

sessions

Feedback from internal stakeholders

1.2 Develop standardised internal communication rules, templates and tools

1.3 Deliver internal communication & education training programs (‘Lunch n Learn’ series delivered by staff within areas of expertise)

2 . Create a Customer Centric organisation

2.1 All new staff receive specific customer service induction with time spent with a frontline team with a buddy Customer Relations Officer

All new staff inducted in Customer Service with time spent at contact centre

Annual customer service

training delivered Customer feedback / working

group suggestions adopted

No of customer compliments Vs complaints received measured monthly

Customer Journey Mapping

Achieve external accreditation

in customer service excellence

2.2 All staff receive one element of customer service training annually

2.3 Form an internal customer service working group with officers from all frontline service areas

2.4 Include customers in focus groups for designing and improving services

3 Build a ‘one team’ internal Culture

3.1 Deliver ‘cultural optimisation’ training through the GROW program

Cultural training delivered

Staff survey –staff feel supported and aptly skilled to service customers

Customer Service Champions award program implemented

Number of cross functional

Project Teams formed

3.2 Introduce internal Customer Service Awards program

3.3 Form collaborative internal working groups for key strategic project delivery


Technology

Objectives Actions Measures 1. Offer and

promote integrated self-service options

1.1 In conjunction with ICT Strategy Website Redevelopment Project – employ and promote e-business services and capabilities

1.2 Implement a ‘paperless front counter’ (digital brochures) using touchscreen kiosks / ipads for checking in visitors, processing customer requests & information

1.3 Roll out additional touch screens in City contact centres and local shopping centres

No of e-business capabilities enabled through the website

Customer take up of e-business services

Front Counter touch screen kiosk implemented and preferred by customers

Deployment of more digital

screens at contact centres: ie visitors centre, rec centres etc

2. Make online information available 24/7 and enabled for mobile devices

2.1 Collaborative delivery of the ICT Strategy for mobile requirements for website and online services

2.2 Programed regular intranet and

website updates for staff and customers to access up to date information

2.3 Develop Digital Marketing Strategy

+ Boost customer service engagement on social media

Online service mobility enabled

CROs champion development, deployment and usage of mobile devices for staff

Consistent intranet and website

updates occur simultaneously from a single Corporate source

Digital & social media reach &

engagement measured monthly

Customer feedback on finding information online

3. Improve on collection and analysis of customer request data

3.1 Design SynergySoft applications to better record, automate, track and report on customer enquiries and responsiveness

3.2 Collaborative delivery of the ICT

Strategy to deliver new Records Management and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

Requirements are gathered consistently by Business Analyst from Corporate Systems

Enablement of automated transactions

Effective customer enquiry and

records tracking CRM implemented


5 .0 Review and Evaluat ion

It is proposed this strategy is reviewed by a cross-functional team which includes customer service officers from all business units across the organisation and a reference group of customers. It is due for review in 2021.

The main evaluation mechanisms for the successful implementation of this strategy will include the following.

Customer Service Metric benchmarks – Community Perception Scorecard

Net Promoter Scores Customer Charter adopted and lived Customer Service Inductions and Training annually delivered Staff satisfaction survey scores – engaged internal culture Communication & Engagement policies and training delivered

Accessibility testing compliance Customer Enquiry and Record Reports Complaints Handling Reports Customer Relationship Management tool implemented No of e-business service offerings available Change and improvement in services and workflow based on customer feedback


6.0 Appendic ies

Appendix A – Issues Analysis

Customers Want More Choice and Flexibility in How they Interact With Us

The key to effective communication is a consistent, proactive and seamless service experience across all interactions. There is a need to offer a diverse service, for our different customer types and identify the preferred communication channels for each customer. There is an expectation from customers their requests are resolved in a timely manner. The customers value knowledgeable employees who can answer questions directly or refer them onto the right person for a resolution. This will add greater value to each customer interaction.

Customers Progressively Value Self-Service Technologies and Mobility

While face to face contact will remain a vital part of our customer interaction, many customers want to find more information themselves as they seek greater autonomy and control over their interactions, information, and service delivery use. Customers expect access to self-service communication tools that are efficient, easy to use and available 24/7, mobile devices such as Tablets, Smartphones and other emerging devices. Integrating self-service products and optimising the website for mobile access will greatly improve the customer experience and reduce our cost to serve customers. We will engage customers in the design process to ensure the usability and value of our self-service products.

Value for Money Retains Its Importance

Customers would like to know how we compare against other local governments in terms of reliability and cost-efficiencies. They expect to pay a reasonable price for an excellent service and need to have confidence we invest responsibly to meet current and emerging needs. Customers also want to know more about our planning to better understand and appreciate the value we provide through asset management. By engaging our Customers both individually and collectively, we can offer better value. Consultation in the early stages of new infrastructure or services, avoids unnecessary costs and the potential for complaints.

Customers Require Clarity about Our Role, Our Brand and Our Processes

Customers are looking for a single trusted advisor to provide accurate information to assist them in making informed decisions. Many customers claim they have been confused as to who we are and what we do. Local Government, being a highly regulated organisation operates under a highly complex compliance framework, comprising of many codes and practices within Australia. This makes the task of being able to keep customers informed, updated and educated about our functions and processes a key challenge. Gaining a greater understanding of the methods our customers use to communicate will allow us to release targeted messages and campaigns to boost brand awareness. Online communication channels such as the website and social media present an opportunity to improve our brand perception. The use of rich media content engages and educates our customers.


Highly Valued Customer Service Attributes

Research indicates there is a set of service attributes all customer segments highly value. These insights help us to determine where we should place emphasis in our service delivery and changes we may need to make to serve our customers in a way they most value.

Not All Customers Are the Same

Whilst there are common needs and service attributes across all customer segments, there are also specific needs that will improve the customer experience. For example, commercial and business customers will have complex development applications that will see their preference for face to face guidance throughout the planning processes. Whereas a customer wanting to use a recreation centre will want to be motivated to come back, so they will want a friendly, supportive and encouraging service experience. It is important the City identifies all its relevant customer segments and have targeted conversations, to identify evolving needs, wants and issues. This will enable delivery against changing expectations. Above all, our customers seek transparency in our operations.


Appendix B - Customer Segments

Our Key Customer Segments

Across the City there are five broad customer segments. The following provides a summarised profile of each customer segment, their characteristics, service attributes that are most important to them, their communication channel preferences and their priority needs. These insights help us determine where we should prioritise our resources to serve our customers in a way they most value.

Residential The City’s residential population characteristics include a mix of different genders, ages, locations and life’s stages. It includes: People where English is a second language

People with disability or carers of others

Tenants

Property owners

Mortgagees

People experiencing hardship

People living in medium and low density urban environments

People living in large rural and agricultural properties

The diversity that exists in the City means our customers will have a wide range of demands and will expect the City to respond effectively to this diversity. This customer segment will have the greatest demand upon service delivery across all functions of the City, particularly around amenity of street scape, infrastructure, parks and community facilities. They will demand high quality services, as ratepayers they have an expectation of ownership of the City. These customers may require communication through various channels will predominantly focus on information about access to services.

Business

The City has a number of commercial activity centres and industrial areas that include varying enterprises that operate largely independently of most City services. These customers rely on the City for highly effective and streamlined planning and building services, as well as amenities that will enable their workforce to live locally and utilise their businesses. Whilst the demand from this segment is not as regular as others, when they do require access to a service they will need it done quickly and accurately. Any delays will impact on the growth and profitability of their business.

Community Organisations The City has a significant number of community organisations who all have a wide range of service requirements, ranging from: Facility supply and management

Maintenance

Supporting events

Partnering

Assisting with establishment or growth plans

Advocating on their behalf for funding and support from external funding

sources.

This customer segment demand effective and efficient delivery of services, as they operate with groups of people who themselves are reliant on the services and


facilities provided by the City. This enables their activities in the delivery of community or recreation services. They will expect to receive priority service, as they see themselves as serving the community. These customers will expect communication to be regular and face to face whenever possible, particularly when solving problems or setting goals.

Government

Includes government at all levels particularly where community projects are affected by the various departments and employees across the three tiers of government (Federal, State and Local). Level of contact is prioritised according to whether the interaction is operational, for key projects or political.

Visitors Visitors to the region include day trip Perth and Western Australian residents, interstate and international guests who generally travel for a round trip commute from Perth and surrounding areas and are away from a home base for at least 4 hours at a time. They may or may not spend the night away as part of their travel.

These visitors typically come to the region for shopping, sightseeing, restaurants, to visit friends and relatives and to explore national parks. As a destination Local Government Tourism is a key pillar of economic development for the region and so customer service offerings in this space need to be high to attract and engage visitors to recommend and frequently return to the region. The appropriateness of employing and training casual and volunteer staff to assist in the Visitor Centre and with delivery of cultural events and activities, needs to be a key consideration in ensuring we deliver on expectations and service standards in this space.


Appendix C - Resolve a Customer Request workflow

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