The draft Customer Contact Strategy was considered by the City Executive Board in September 2013. The Board agreed to consult upon it. This report contains the outcome of that consultation, and recommends the adoption of a Strategy.

The Board is asked to approve the Customer Contact Strategy.

The Head of Customer Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Council’s Customer Contact strategy. Councillor Susan Brown, Board Member for Benefits and Customer Services, presented the report to the Board and highlighted its key points. She thanked staff working at the Customer Contact Centre for their hard work, noting that responses about the service had been positive.

Councillor Brown informed the Board, in response to questions, that quite a high percentage of people would be happy to make and accept contact by telephone and email, however there was a view that the website could be much more user friendly. Internet contact was significantly cheaper than other methods. People were happy too with face-to-face contact, but there was no appetite at all for video conferencing (as previously suggested by the Scrutiny Committee), and therefore this option would not be pursued.

Resolved to approve the Customer Contact Strategy.