Issue - meetings

This report asks Members to consider proposals for a corporate call centre, following the Call Centre Pilot that has been running since January 2020, helping deliver TMBC Digital Strategy and in line with the “One Council” theme.

This will involve discussions with all Service areas, moving away from decentralised phone numbers, having these calls triaged through the corporate call centre / Bot, and understanding efficiency saving for each service area.

(Report of Director of Central Services and Deputy Chief Executive)

Following the success of a pilot model, the report set out proposals for the establishment of a corporate call centre.  These proposals would facilitate delivery of the Borough Council’s digital strategy and reflected the ‘One Council’ theme.

Prior to the implementation of any call centre model there would be further work on understanding customer requirements, structuring and assigning resources within the Customer Service team and identifying and clarifying potential efficiency savings for each service area.

Following consideration by the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property resolved that:

(1)             the corporate call centre model be adopted in principle, subject to Management Team continuing to work towards ensuring that any costs were paid for through efficiency savings within the Council.

(Decision Notice D210087MEM)

Following the success of a pilot model, the report of the Director of Central Services and Deputy Chief Executive set out proposals for the establishment of a corporate call centre.  These proposals would facilitate delivery of the Borough Council’s digital strategy and reflected the ‘One Council’ theme.

Prior to the implementation of any call centre model there would be further work on understanding customer requirements, structuring and assigning resources within the Customer Service team and identifying and clarifying potential efficiency savings for each service area.

Approval was sought for a one number contact for the public in line with the digital strategy, with all calls feeding through the one number and into the switchboard as opposed to being disseminated to back offices and individual officers directly as was the current process.  A multimedia telephony system had been purchased which would allow for efficiencies to be made and the initial efficiency savings of using BOT were currently being identified across each service area.

RECOMMENDED: That the corporate call centre model be adopted in principle, subject to Management Team continuing to work towards ensuring that any costs were paid for through efficiency savings within the Council.