New charter for council

Ringing a business or company can be tiresome at times. The phone rings for what seems like ages, you are put on hold for what feels like hours, a robotic voice tells you to leave a message and then no-one calls you back.

Not if you are ringing Stratford District Council (SDC) says director of community services Kate Whareaitu.

"We are really proud of our new customer service charter which we launched this week. Customers will immediately notice some of the changes, while others will be less obvious. From calls being answered by a staff member rather than an automated voice, to clear guidelines and expectations set for response times to letters and emails, every part of the charter is aimed at ensuring we are delivering quality service to all our customers."

The customer service charter came from a review of how some services were delivered to the public, especially regulatory matters, says environmental services director, Liam Dagg. The review highlighted a lack of consistency in the way different parts of council responded to requests from the public. "The charter aims for a consistent approach, regardless of whether you're borrowing a book, going to the pool or lodging a building consent."

"Rules and regulations are a part of life, but we are working towards balancing this with a customer service approach that aims to reduce time and the amount of paper shuffling for all concerned." He says the charter is one of several business improvements being introduced at SDC, with other changes planned including an increase in the range of online services available for customers.

As part of the focus on consistency, i-SITE manager Trish Dent has unofficially become "the voice of SDC" with her calm voice being used to record voicemail greetings for all staff. "I used to do speech at school and enjoyed it. It's a bit of a shock though, if I call another staff member and hear my own voice on their answer phone," she says. Trish was an obvious choice for the role says Kate, "she has a great voice; it is clear and easy to understand. Plus it is more personal than using a robotic, automated voice".

Kate says the charter builds on the already high standards of customer service at SDC. "The responses to the annual customer satisfaction survey we send to residents reflect that the majority of people are already extremely happy with the level of service they receive."

A full copy of the Customer Service Charter can be found on Council's website, www.stratford.govt.nz.