16 September 2005

New technology to improve Council’s call centre service

This weekend, Manukau City Council goes live with a new telephone system at its 24 hour call centre, which receives 1,300 calls per day.

Callers will be given a choice of three clear options – rates, Manukau Water or dog enquiries – representing the issues that attract the greatest number of calls every day, plus a fourth option for general enquiries.

Calls are then assigned to staff experienced in dealing with enquiries on that particular issue. Customers will get to speak to a person quicker and, most importantly, one with the necessary skills and knowledge to deal with the enquiry most efficiently.

The system has been adopted in response to a number of customers being frustrated over long waits before speaking to a member of staff. In some instances calls were being abandoned.

Wayne Goodley, Director of City Services, says: “Our call centre is the first port of call for all enquiries about the Council and its services. It is vital that, without being on hold for a long time, callers can speak to a person, with the necessary skills to deliver the service the customer needs. With this new technology, we now have the tools to do this more effectively.”

“This is a huge step forward for Council and one where customers will reap the benefits immediately, but with minimum disruption or inconvenience. Most of our callers will already be familiar with the technology, which has been used for many years, for example by banks, to improve their customer service.”

ENDS

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