To Shift or not Shift

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To Shift or not Shift that is the Question (
and how do you know when you have got there
anyway ?)
Buckinghamshire County Council

• Amanda Brooke-Webb
• Head of Customer Contact
• Buckinghamshire County Council

May 2011
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Libraries
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(No Transcript)
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Libraries

• Majority of contact are renewals or reservations
• Successful campaign to launch the 0845 number to
  move away from face to face transactions
  increased choice and access
• Introduction of an automated renewal line and its
  impact offers 24 hour service but requires a
  PIN to be remembered
• Fridge Magnet syndrome and number of first
  choice ?
• Plateau of calls and worrying decline in
  automated calls
• Spikes in call volume relating to bad weather and
  physical access issues but not on the automated
  line or the web ?
• Consistency of offer on all channels remains a
  challenge
• Is this as good as it will get ?
• Are we unrealistic to aim for total shift?
• Is there , dare we say, too much choice ?

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Transportation fault reporting
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Transportation fault reporting

• Slow decline in calls as on line reporting tool
  re-launched with improved features
• Sharp spikes in all channels with adverse weather
  significant re-work and duplication as
  customers use multiple channels for the same
  enquiry
• It is a challenge for the service area to cope
  with faster access which can lead to a rise in
  avoidable contact at the front end significant
  proportion of chaser contacts
• Customers like on line tracking but expect to
  be able to see it cross a range of enquiries
• Twitter Gritter a great success did result
  in a change of inbound calls
• More appealing front end access needs to be
  supported by streamlined back office delivery

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Online payments

• Slow but steady rise in online payments
• Variety of offers but in the main, low value
  transactions
• Grappling with inconsistencies with channel
  offers between telephone and web (library fines)
  
• Spiderweb legacy of differing systems and the
  complications it brings
• Compliance and call lengths become an issue
  where payments are involved

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Our Gordian Knots

• Channel shift has to be born in the back office
  creating pdf forms for customers to print is
  not e-enablement or channel shift . Nor is an
  on line application system that then creates
  letters to be posted with tear-off slips to be
  returned.
• Customer Confidence is problematic an on line
  application is often followed up with a letter or
  call to check up. Feedback indicates that
  customers either do not like or distrust
  standard auto responses for time critical , or
  emotive , issues.
• Being clear about customers and who is accessing
  which services is crucial to overcoming perceived
  barriers to greater self service e.g in social
  care.
• Why ask for email addresses or mobile numbers if
  you are not going to use them ?