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Budget 2007-8

COUNCIL PROMISES TO GET IT RIGHT FOR THE CUSTOMER

New plans to invest half a million pounds to improve ICT and customer services have been revealed in the council's budget announcement. The plans will seek to improve the effectiveness of the systems behind call routing, handling and online services which will help play a vital role in improving customer service.

It is hoped that these investments will result in benefits for local residents including a greater number of calls answered at the first point of contact, improved handling and tracking of post, phone calls and other forms of enquiry and greater value for money through improved efficiency.

The council is proposing to appoint a new Director of Customer Services to ensure that services across the authority are geared to improving customers' experience of dealing with the council.

Councillor Tim Hunter-Henderson, Cabinet Member for the Economy, The Customer, Communications, Leisure and Tourism said:

"We want to ensure that customers remain our number one priority and gearing up our systems and looking at appointing a new director to specifically focus on this area, underlines our commitment to getting this right. We know from our residents survey that satisfaction with the council needs urgently addressing and improving customer services is one of the critical ways in which we hope to turnaround residents' opinions of the council."