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ITEM EX9

EXECUTIVE – 7 DECEMBER 2004

CUSTOMER SERVICE STRATEGY

Report by Assistant Chief Executive (Chairman of the Customer Service
Steering Group) and Customer Service Manager

1. A draft Customer Service Strategy and Action Plan were presented to the Executive on 21 September 2004. The Executive endorsed the draft Strategy and Plan for consultation with partners and customers. This report outlines the results of consultation and invites the Executive to adopt the Strategy.

Consultation

2. The draft Strategy presented to the 21 September Executive was developed with the benefit of public opinion obtained from a range of consultation exercises, including a residents’ survey, a MORI poll, questions to the Citizens’ panel and work carried out in conjunction with district councils.
3. The consultation on the resultant draft Strategy following that meeting has been carried out and the results analysed. This consultation was undertaken with all Parish Councils and the Oxfordshire Older People’s Panel and via a poll on our corporate website. Internal consultation was carried out by means of a staff survey using ‘The Post’ and the intranet. The Customer Service team also presented the strategy to members at a seminar on 12 November and to the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee on 18 November.
4. The results from both external and internal consultation strongly supported the development of the four key topics proposed in the strategy:
   
   

1. Information management
2. Improved access
3. Staff skills and corporate standards for customer service
4. Increase awareness of customer service issues in the Council
   
   

The themes raised in the responses are summarised in Annex A.

5. The Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee on 18 November "welcomed the strategy, wished it every success and drew to the Executive’s attention the importance of the provision of effective and efficient ICT project management; and the implications for the recruitment, training and development of staff with good customer service skills for example in ‘one stop shop’ situations."

Implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan

6. The consultation responses and Scrutiny Committee comments are welcomed and give confidence that the approach of the Strategy is valid. Indeed it is recommended that the core Strategy presented in September should be adopted as drawn – see Annex B. However the opportunity has been taken to amend and develop the Annexes to the Strategy: the Service Standards (Annex 1) (download as .doc file) and more particularly the Action Plan (Annex 2) (download as .doc file).
7. The issues identified by the consultation respondents should be effectively addressed by the proposals in the Strategy and revised Action Plan – in particular by the development of the authority wide information system; the improvement of accessibility, including local access points, the proposed electronic telephone directory identifying people’s key responsibilities and web site development; and the introduction of Customer Relationship Management with emphasis on customer service skills in recruitment and training.
8. Subject to approval by the Executive the Strategy and Action Plan will be launched with staff, as a first step in the Customer Service Awareness programme proposed in the Action Plan. All the elements of the Plan will be pursued under the overall direction of the Customer Service Steering Group, who will monitor implementation and consider what adjustments and developments may be desirable on the basis of their evaluation of the success of the programme as it progresses.

RECOMMENDATION

9. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:
   

STEPHEN CAPALDI
Assistant Chief Executive
Chairman of the Customer Service Steering Group

DEBBIE DENT
Customer Service Manager

Background Papers: Nil

Contact Officer:
Stephen Capaldi, Tel (01865) 815466
Debbie Dent, Tel (01865) 810127

November 2004

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