Council’s Customer Services Contact Centre Team shortlisted for national award success

The award nomination follows the introduction of a new Chatbot service to help residents to find the service or support they need much more easily, as well as a redevelopment of the Contact Us pages on the Council website.

Customers are now able to feedback on their experiences with a short survey at the end of each telephone and webchat conversation, and this feedback is then shared with the team.

The team have been shortlisted in the “Small Contact Centre of the Year” category.

The team will be alongside national companies including HSBC, Crown Commercial Services, and Legal & General, in their category at the finals.

Andrew Spice,  Strategic Director of Commercial and Change at Worcestershire County Council said: “As a Council we value highly our contact with residents but equally face the challenge of using precious resources ever more efficiently. Our contact centre has been able to demonstrate it is possible to improve our engagement with customers and through intelligent use of technology, great planning and a dedicated well-led team do so more efficiently. The contact centre has absorbed work from other hard pressed areas of the council and is an exemplar for continuous improvement across all our back office functions.  I’m very grateful to the team for this achievement.”

St Richards Hospice are one of the customers that have complimented the team on their service, they said: “I just wanted to say a big thank you to you for your support with Blue Badge applications for our patients over the last year. Patients have always remarked how quick and supportive your service has been and how grateful they are that it makes life just a little easier at a difficult time. I thank you for your support with this, it makes an amazing difference.” 

Advice, guidance and support to process a range of applications is provided by the team for 20 different services across the Council. 

The enquiries the team receive from customers, often span broad areas of knowledge ranging from Social Care, School Admissions, to Highways and Travel.  

The Contact Centre also continues to deliver the Council’s Here2Help service. 

This project was initially a Covid response service but is now much more wide-ranging. Advisers provide advice, help and support to Worcestershire residents in relation to cost of living, financial and food support, how to access help as well as signposting to Adult and Children’s services where required.