The Director of Resources submitted a report presenting the new Customer Experience Strategy and the business case and mobilisation underpinning the implementation of the Strategy.  The following documents were attached to the report:

·         Appendix 1: Customer Experience Strategy

·         Appendix 2: Business case and mobilisation plan

·         Appendix 3: Customer Digital Experience capital bid business case

·         Appendix 4: Equality Impact Assessment

The report explained that the Customer Experience Strategy was built on a best practice approach to delivering customer services in both the public and private sector, using a model that had been adopted by a number of Councils.  The strategy set out a vision to achieve the best possible experience for the Council’s customers which was underpinned by six core themes:

•        Achieving Customer Service Excellence

•        Adopting a mindset and promise

•        Involving the organisation

•        Putting the customer at the heart of service and process design

•        Harnessing digital technology

•        Realising the power of data.

The strategy and mobilisation plan outlined a new operating model under which self-service would become the primary channel for customers to interact with the Council. High volume transactional, processing and assessment services would be brought together and managed in one place within the Council, with technical specialists refocussed on delivery of services to meet the more complex needs of customers.  Moving to a self-serve model would ensure that customers engaged with the Council at the most appropriate point to support their need and would allow resources to be prioritised on customers that required additional support.

The report noted that the strategy would be delivered in a phased manner, and the mobilisation plan set out activities to support the implementation of the strategy in Phase 1 of the programme to the end of 2020/21.  These included moving to a single telephone number, implementing new core service standards and KPIs across the Council, and implementing the new operating model including business process re-engineering.

Resolved –

That the Customer Experience Strategy, mobilisation plan and programme to embed the Strategy within the organisation be endorsed and adopted.