Issue - meetings
Aligning our Customer Services and the Drive to Digital
Meeting: 19/07/2023 - Cabinet (Item 21)
21 Aligning our Customer Services and the Drive to Digital 
PDF 600 KB
Lead Member - Councillor Robert Macey - Portfolio Holder for Culture and Digital
Report of James Walton, Executive Director of Resources
Additional documents:
- Appendix 3 - Customer Service Centre Opening Hours Report DRAFT (002), item 21
PDF 5 MB
- Appendix 4 - ESHIA revised Customer Service Centre opening times final cabinet, item 21
PDF 847 KB
Decision:
RESOLVED:
That Cabinet:-
· Agreed the need to support the Council’s drive to digital services by reducing CSC telephone service opening hours whilst still providing a telephone service for those residents unable to transact online.
· Agreed the revised opening times of the Customer Service Centre general calls as 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday, but with a trial period of opening of up to 6pm starting on or after 21st August 2023, on one of those days in order to consider any change in the level of demand for later opening.
· Delegated the implementation of these proposals to the Executive Director of Resources in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Digital.
Minutes:
The Portfolio Holder for Culture and Digital introduced the report which outline the revised opening hours of the Customer Services Centre.
Members were advised that more focus was being placed on outgoing, proactive calls to reach the most vulnerable and ensuring our resources were in the right place. The proposed hours of operation were as a result of a consultation and met the demand during the hours in which the most calls were received, including one late night per week.
It was reiterated that this was not a closure of the Customer Services Centre and that people would still be able to contact the Council by telephone, acknowledging the rurality of the county and broadband connectivity issues. There would be continued improvement to the experience of residents who wish to contact the council and this will be reviewed over the coming months.
RESOLVED:
That Cabinet:-
· Agreed the need to support the Council’s drive to digital services by reducing CSC telephone service opening hours whilst still providing a telephone service for those residents unable to transact online.
· Agreed the revised opening times of the Customer Service Centre general calls as 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday, but with a trial period of opening of up to 6pm starting on or after 21st August, on one of those days in order to consider any change in the level of demand for later opening.
· Delegated the implementation of these proposals to the Executive Director of Resources in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Digital.