Council keen for comment on customer service delivery

Sunshine Coast Council responds to more than 175,000 phone calls, 36,000 emails, 38,000 counter visits and 6000 web chats each year.

Now, with its new Customer Charter in place and a renewed focus on ensuring its customer service model is moving with the times, council is developing a Sunshine Coast Council Customer Experience Strategy – but it needs the help of its customers to get it right.

That help starts with asking our customers to take part in a survey, which will run until April 30, and seeks to find out what local residents, suppliers, investors, home owners and visitors to the region think is critical in delivering a great customer experience.

The answers and ideas will assist in the development of the Sunshine Coast Council Customer Experience Strategy.

Governance and Customer Service Portfolio Councillor Ted Hungerford said with the more than 300,000 contacts made annually by our residents and customers, it was essential that council continually looked for ways to improve its understanding of the changing needs and preferences of its customers.

“Perceptions of what constitutes great customer service do vary from one person to another,” Cr Hungerford said.

“This survey will provide valuable insight into how we can provide excellence and a better experience to our customers when they contact us.

“For some people, their most important requirement may be having their inquiry addressed at the first point of contact, and not needing to wait for a response.

“For others, it could be simply being able to access information and make payments online at a time that suits them best or knowing that they can access their whole history of inquiries and business with council in the one contact.

“With the nine-to-five work day no longer the norm for everybody within the community, it will be good to understand peoples’ thoughts around how and if they would like to conduct business with council outside of normal business hours and what constitutes a 24/7 service.”

Cr Hungerford said the survey was being offered both online and in printed format at Sunshine Coast Council customer service centres and libraries.

“We encourage everyone in the region who considers themselves to be a customer of council, to share their thoughts and help us to shape a robust Customer Experience Strategy whether you liaise with council on a regular basis, have never had the need to do so or have simply experienced exceptional customer service somewhere and would like to share those learnings,” Cr Hungerford said.

“To gain more detailed information, we are also conducting five focus groups with a representative selection of council’s customers from right across the Sunshine Coast.

“This will further assist us in identifying the right customer service model for our customers.

“The new strategy will be developed in line with council’s recently endorsed customer charter that focuses on how we can make doing business with council a positive experience by outlining our commitment to you.”

The survey can be completed my visiting the Community Engagement 2017 page on council’s website and completing the online survey, or by filling out a printed version at a Sunshine Coast Council service centre or library before May 2, 2017.