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AGENDA - Special General Committee - 20081215SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA NO, 08-40 MONDAY, DECEMBER A 2008 1:00 PM L CHAMBERS AURORA TOWN HALL PUBLIC RELEASE 12/12/08 Auwoi A TOWN OF AURORA SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA NO. 08-40 Monday, December 15, 2008 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers Mayor Morris in the Chair I DECLARATIONS OF PECUNIARY INTEREST 11 APPROVAL OF AGENDA RECOMMENDED: THAT the agenda as circulated by the Corporate Services Department be approved. Ill CONSIDERATION OF ITEM REQUIRING SEPARATE DISCUSSION 1. BA08-009 — CSI Aurora — Survey Results and Customer Service pg. 1 Models RECOMMENDED: THAT Council receive report BA08-009 for information. IV ADJOURNMENT SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15, 2008 ITEM # AUK TOWN OF AURORA GENERAL COMMITTEE REPORT No. BA08-009 SUBJECT: CSI Aurora —Survey Results and Customer Service Models FROM: Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Building Administration And CSI Aurora Lead DATE: November 18, 2008 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT Council receive Report No. BA08-009 as background information on the Customer Service Initiative, CSI Aurora; and THAT Report No. BA08-009 be referred to a Special General Committee Meeting be scheduled for Monday December 15, 2008 to discuss Customer Service for the Town. BACKGROUND In January 2006 Convenco Ltd, a management consulting company was retained.by the Town to perform an operational review of Public Works Operations Services Division and Leisure Services, Parks Division. The Final Convenco Report was circulated to Council on December 19, 2007, The Report recommended the implementation of an enterprise work order system that integrates seamlessly with a town wide citizen inquiry call centre system. Throughout this report the'work order system combined with a call system is referred to as a CRM system, Customer Relationship Management System. As part of the 2007 budget Council approved a capital asset management project that contained provisions for the purchase of a CRM system and the hiring of a project manager on contract to oversee the implementation. Upon the approval of the CRM system the Senior Management Team began discussing the launch of a CRM system and the merits of further customer service considerations for a successful transition. In the fall of 2007 the Senior Management team toured the Newmarket centralized customer service unit and in the early part of 2008 the Town of Aurora corporate customer service initiative, CSI Aurora was established. CSI Aurora is a team of staff from all levels of the organization whose mandate is to review customer service within the organization with the objective of improving service delivery. Atthe meeting of April 8, 2008 Council approved the Terms of Reference and Workplan for CSI Aurora. The Report and Workplan identified the methodology for determining customer service strengths and weaknesses through internal interview sessions with staff followed by an external customer service survey. - 1 - SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15, 2008 ITEM # " 2 November 18, 2008 - 2 - Report No. BA08-009 CSI Aurora tabulated the results and information captured through the internal sessions and requested the Communications Division to assist the team in the development of an external survey and communication strategy. Council approved the external survey on July 15, 2008, In accordance with the Workplan this report provides Council with the results of the external survey and opportunities for customer service improvements through various service delivery models. COMMENTS CSI Aurora's mandate is to review the current customer service approach and make recommendations for improved service delivery. The team, comprised of representatives from across the corporation, has engaged in this project with enthusiasm and passion with a sincere interest in improving customer service. One of the first tasks undertaken by the team was to consider the importance of customer service along with our corporate values and create a vision statement to guide us to our future. Vision Statement "To provide a customer focused service that is informative and easily accessible" Internal interviews — Improvement Opportunities In the spring CSI conducted internal interview sessions with staff. In total there were 15 sessions with four to five participants in each session. The sessions were intended to provide CSI Aurora with an understanding of the real customer service issues faced every day by our staff. The sessions were informative and a_valued endeavour which identified five improvement opportunities. Town Hall layout creates customer service barriers Staff require additional training to deliver knowledgeable/accurate information • Information sharing and communication flow needs improvement Inconsistent or lack of Customer Service standards Lack of corporate technology enabling tools eg. CRM software, phone system External Survey The five improvement opportunities listed above became the nucleus forthe development of the external survey questions. CSI Aurora enlisted the Communications Division to conduct the survey. The survey questions are attached. for your reference. -2- SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15, Zoos ITEM # 1-3 November 18, 2008 - 3 - Report No. BA08-009 Below are significant key points with respect to the development, delivery and direction of the external survey • The questions.were based on the outcomes of the internal interview sessions with staff with a focus on the identified improvement opportunities • The survey was developed and conducted in house by CSI Aurora and Communications for a very low cost of approximately $2500.00. • The goal was to obtain a total of 500 responses over a period of six weeks. A temporary staff person was hired to cold call and the survey was available at all Town Hall counters, recreational facilities and on the Town's website. In reality it took eight weeks to obtain 559 Legitimate responses. • The survey was a widely advertised through the notice board, a media release, website an Intranet and via a link on Yorkregion.com • The results of the survey set a benchmark for future improvements. Survey Results Attached is a copy of the survey results for your perusal. A total of 559 Survey responses were received over a period of eight weeks mainly through cold calling. Interestingly the split of mate to female respondents was 68% to 32% respectively. The majority at 55% of respondents were between the ages 41 and 65 and almost all of them were residents of the Town as opposed to business owners; developers, etc. The method of contact to obtain services was most significantly by in -person at 409 followed by telephone at 270 and their reasons for contact varied fairly evenly. Survey participants ranked the top three words describing good customer service as Courteous, Knowledgeable and Friendly A total of 20 service statements were asked and the results were positive with an average of 24% of respondents satisfied and 48% very satisfied with the Towns service approach. The statement that ranked the lowest at 12% dissatisfaction was with respect to the level of personal approach at Town Hall. Other areas of dissatisfaction included timely response and the timeframe in which a response or action taken was taken by the employees. Several open ended questions were also included in the survey giving participants the opportunity to provide specific input or comment on their personal customer service experience. Forthe purpose of reporting, the responses have been grouped into the areas identified as problematic during the internal interviews. Common improvement themes. emerging from the survey were around the desire for personal contact, accountability, responsiveness, the "run around" factor, the lack of widespread knowledge base. The phone system and website were targeted areas requiring updating. -3 SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15, Zoos JITEM # " 4 November 18, 2008 4 - Report No. BA08-009 The response to the question about a single point of contact versus individual departmental service yielded a spilt of opinions (250 to 212) with a slightly higher desire for individual departments. Reasons given for individual departmental service were that staff are more knowledgeable and efficient. Reasons given for one point of contact service were that it is easier and services are obtained in a timely manner. The survey results are not surprising and have emphasized areas that were already identified as requiring improvement. The survey should also be used as a benchmark for determining success with any customer service initiative undertaken in the future. Continuous improvement requires continuous surveying. OPTIONS CSI Aurora has considered three customer service models being a centralized customer service unit, a decentralized customer service approach and a hybrid model that combines a centralized call centre with a decentralized counter service. There may be variations of each model however the concepts, benefits and challenges presented with each model would be similar. Centralized Customer Service Model Concept A single corporate customer service unit • Single entry point into the organization with the objective of single contact service and response • One Customer Service phone number • One Customer Service Counter • One Customer Service e-mail • Many service delivery channels (phone, counter, e-mail, web) Benefits • Improved tracking of service and information requests and complaints • Better training opportunities leading to improved knowledge base with respect to corporate service delivery • Ability to effectively implement customer service standards •" Improved monitoring to ensure corporate goals are achieved • Consistent customer service experience provides a comfortable environment • Simplicity ie. Staff always know where to direct a customer • . Fewer interruptions for other staff on an ongoing basis leads to improved productivity • Possible increase in response times • Possibilities to outsource • Facilitates a cultural change — a unified customer service approach -4- SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15, 2008 ITEM # November 18, 2008 - 5 - Report No, BA08-009 • Ability to implement resources to deal with accessibility issues such as language barriers or disabilities • Easier to fill vacancies • Corporate investment in the future Challenges • Costly to fully implement o Town Hall space requirements for single CS unit o Additional Staff resources required ( Manager of CS Unit and CS representatives, some hiring from within existing complement however anticipate a net gain) o Additional technology required (customer response management system) • Requires a corporate champion, corporate vision and corporate strategy • Requires a cultural. change (requires involvement for buy in from staff) • . Takes time and commitment to execute and develop knowledge base Requires a cultural change • Not all services included due to specialized technical knowledge eq. Zoning • One public entrance to Town Hall (currently the first floor and third floor have public entrances • Eliminate direct enquiry lines to individual departments and staff • General knowledge in a centralized unit versus specialized knowledge * . Loss of direct departmental authority . Decentralized Customer Service Model Concept Information and services obtained in individual departments • Many Customer Service counters • Many Customer Service phone lines Common CRM system Benefits Less costly and less time to implement • Ability to track requests with a common CRM system • Ability to develop CS standards for all staff Ability to train staff with CS standards • No additional staff resources required Challenges • Difficult to provide uniform service. Varying levels of consistency and commitment to customer service Breeds isolation and silos -5- SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15; 2008 ITEM# 1-6 November 18, 2008 ME Less accountability Navigating through Town Hall, two public entrances Hybrid Customer Service Model Concept • Combination of centralized and decentralized services • Centralize call centre and electronic service channels • Maintain individual counter service for each department Benefits • Require Customer Service Manager to oversee call centre • Options to outsource call centre • Initial phase of customer service philosophy and transition • Space challenges and required renovations less costly . • Options to. include ground floor reception in call centre unit • Concentrated effort on implementation leads to higher success rate • Improved tracking and monitoring of calls Challenges • Some renovation and allocated space required • Additional staff resources, possible net gain in complement Higher turnover of staff Double standards, information over the phone may differ from information received at counters Other Municipalities The trend in municipal organizations is moving toward centralizing customer service. Several surrounding municipalities have implemented a centralized customer service unit. The Town of Newmarket was among the first'few to take the leap in 2005 and has won awards for their customer service initiative. Our Senior Management Team did tour the Newmarket unit in the fall of 2007 where the Newmarket Manager of Customer Service shared their experiences, milestones and challenges. The most recent municipality to launch a centralized unit is the Town of Richmond Hill who have also shared some information with CSI Aurora. In both instances it took two to three years to launch the project. A Manager of Customer Service was recruited and involved in the project from the onset. New positions for customer service representatives were created and valued by the corporation. Construction renovations were required to outfit the buildings with the appropriate facilities and the appropriate technological tools were acquired with linkages to existing software ie. a CRM system and supporting telephony. Estimated costs for the both of these projects is in the neighbourhood of 2 million plus. -6- SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15, 2008 ITEM # November 18, 2008 - 7 - Report No. BA08-009 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Currently Council has approved funding in part for this project through the Capital Asset Management project. The 2008 budget included $200,000 for the acquisition of the CRM system and the hiring of a project manager on contract to oversee the implementation of the technology. This funding is still in the coffers. The IT Division has submitted a separate 2009 Capital Project Sheet for this project for an additional $300,000. If approved the total 1T budget for the technology portion would be $500,000. Each of the models presented will require additional funding. Specifically the centralized customer service unit will require significant funding for start up costs estimated at 2 million dollars and further funding for operational costs. Costs associated with this project include the acquisition of the CRM system, additional costs for upgrades to the phone system, construction or renovation costs, additional staff resources and staff training and improvements and maintenance of the Town's website. The commitment and direction will drive the requirement for funding which may be phased over several years. CONCLUSIONS The Town of Aurora is growing and is expected to continue to experience growth. The number of people accessing our services in increasing and at the same rate, there is an expectation from our customers to deliver accurate information and service, efficiently and in a timely and responsive manner. Timing for decisions and direction with the respect to any customer service initiative is critical as it ties in with other corporate initiatives such as the space needs analysis and the organizational review. Also, we are entering the 2009 budget discussions and depending on the direction, provisions must be made at this time for project funding. Regardless of Council's preferred Customer Service model, CSI Aurora is recommending that Council, at the very least give consideration and direction regarding current concerns in the areas outlined below. Corporate Cultural Shift The Town of Aurora has experienced significant growth in recent years and providing customer care to all residents, business owners and clients has become increasingly demanding. As the Town changes to keep up with the growth so must our approach for delivering services. We must strive to understand who our customers are, howthey access our services and what their needs and expectations are. Technology has played a role in -7- SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 155 2008 ITEM # 1- 8 November 18, 2008 -8- Report No. BA08-009 changing our service delivery channels. Many people now use e-mail or the web to obtain information. To remain on par with our customers the corporation must make a cultural shift from the top down. We must instil our vision and values throughout the organization as we ondeavour to provide our customers with exceptional care. Acquisition of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System Identified in the Covenco Report was the need for an integrated work order, customer enquiry system also known as a CRM system. The 2008 Capital Budget included provisions for a CRM system that would provide reporting and call tracking capabilities for the entire Corporation. Regardless of the customer service approach the acquisition of a CRM system would result in efficiencies and improved accountability. Project Manager Along with the acquisition of the CRM system the Capital Budget project did include a contract position for a project manager. A project of this magnitude and impact requires at least one dedicated position to lead the project to success. The project manager will be responsible for the acquisition and implementation of the CRM system..lf Council's direction is to move to a centralized customer service unit then additional dedicated resources such as a Manager of Customer Service will be required for the onset to assist with the development of a new customer service strategy. Customer Service Standards In order to provide a consistent customer service experience for all customers on every occasion we must develop standards that address every service channel including phones, e-mail, walk-ins, etc. The standards would clearly outline to staff our corporate vision and expectations for delivering exceptional customer service. Mandatory Staff Training In order to support the cultural shift and implement the CRM system and customer service standards it is imperative that staff training be mandatory at all levels of the organization. Customer service standards and staff training is imperative to overall improvements. Town Hall Improvements Regardless of the customer service direction, improvements can be undertaken in Town Hall to achieve a more welcoming environment. Currently there are three public entrances into Town Hall with the reception located on neither of them. Two entrances are located on the third floor and one entrance is on the first floor. Thought should be given to the main -8- SPECIAL GENERAL COMMITTEE - DECEMBER 15, zoos ITEM # November 18, 2008 - 9 - Report No. BA08-009 public entrance with improved reception area including sufficient coverage throughout the day to ensure the public is greeted appropriately. Improved sign -age throughout Town Hall would also assist the public in finding their destination. Steering Committee CSI Aurora is seeking direction from Council on the preferred customer service model. Depending on the direction, CSI will reconvene to discuss next steps and its future involvement in this project. It is strongly recommended that staff at all levels be engaged in the development of this project to ensure buy -in and a successful transition and implementation. Establishing a working team with participants from front line positions and a Steering Committee to oversee the project is highly recommended. LINK TO STRATEGIC PLAN Goal D: Ensure transparent, accountable and open governance in concert with informed and involved citizens Objective D2: Enhance customer service ATTACHMENTS Attachment #1 — 2008 Customer Service Survey Results PRE -SUBMISSION REVIEW Senior Management Team — November 5, 2008 Prepared by., Techa van Leeuwen, Director of Building Administration Ext. 4748 Techa.van Leeuwen Director of Building Administration -9-