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Swindon Borough Council will be launching a new-look customer services department to make it easier for local people to contact them with queries, requests and information.
A central office will be set up to answer all in person enquiries together with a team dedicated to answering all your phone calls. Staff will be able to answer the majority of your queries without having to pass you on to other departments.
There'll be two aspects to the new customer services team. One will be called a One Stop Shop where you can drop in and speak to a member of staff face to face. The other will be known as the Contact Centre for those who prefer to get in touch using the phone, email or by letter.
This new customer services department is one of the many improvements Swindon Borough Council is making to the way the council is run to provide a streamlined service which focuses more on helping local people. The council wants to make it easier for the public to get in touch and believes this new service will do just that.
The council will open its One Stop Shop and Contact Centre next year. Initial plans are to locate the One Stop Shop in the town centre before being moved to a permanent home at the new Civic Centre once it's built in 2010.
This is part of the council's commitment to deliver the 50 Promises it made to the community by 2010. The One Stop Shop and Contact Centre are Promises One and Two.
To ensure the council is meeting the needs of its community it will be asking local people about its plans to improve customer service and asking for feedback on opening times and preferred ways of getting help and advice - whether it is by phone, email, over the internet or face to face. The feedback from local people will help shape the way the One Stop Shop and Contact Centre will deliver service in the future.
Councillor Fionuala Foley, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member
for Corporate Affairs (Old Town & Lawn) said:
"We are very excited about our new One Stop Shop and Contact Centre as
it will provide a much more efficient and flexible service to our customers.
"What we need from the public is their thoughts on how best we can serve
them in terms of which opening hours will suit them and generally what
services they would find helpful from a new One Stop Shop and Contact
Centre. We appreciate that people have very busy lives and that when dealing
with a Council matter they want to get it sorted out as quickly as possible.
That is why our target will be to resolve 80% of enquiries and requests at
the first point of contact.
"We want to encourage people to have their say now and let us know how Swindon's One Stop Shop and Contact Centre can help make their lives easier. So my message to everyone is please do take five minutes to fill in a questionnaire so that we can help you in the future."
If you're interested in giving your views please visit the council's website at http://www.swindon.gov.uk/ or pick up a questionnaire in any of its libraries, leisure centres or council office reception desks.
The council is putting its customers first and believes this new One Stop Shop and Contact Centre is the best way of achieving that goal.
The closing date for completed questionnaires is June 16. Do take time to fill one in. The council would like to hear from you.
Cllr Justin Tomlinson, "Improving frontline services is a key priority for the Conservatives, and this is yet another step towards improving Swindon Council. We would value your feedback on this issue."