Customer Service Strategy
( endorsed by Regional Council on June 28, 2001)
June 2001
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REGION OF YORK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
1.
2.
3.
4.
PAGE
Introduction
1
1.1
Background
1
1.2
Objectives
1
1.3
Process
2
Customer Service in York Region Today
4
2.1
Building on a Strong Foundation
4
2.2
Key Opportunities for Improvement
9
Strategic Directions for the Future
17
3.1
Customer Service Mission and Values
17
3.2
Customer Service Strategic Directions
19
• Leadership
19
• Customer Voice
22
• Staff Development
24
• Access & Information Systems
27
• Service Standards & Consistency
31
Moving Towards Implementation
35
4.1
Summary of Recommendations
35
4.2
Next Steps
38
APPENDICES
A.
Customer Service Strategy Employee Survey
B.
Employee Survey Results
C.
Selected Findings from Customer Service Research
- page ii -
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
1.2 Objectives
1.3 Process
Customer Service Strategy
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
We are here to serve our customers. Customer service is at the root
of everything York Region does in providing a variety of services to
meet the needs of its communities and customers.
This strategy has been developed as part of the Regional Municipality
of York’s commitment to implementation of its Multi-Year Corporate
Plan. (The Multi-Year Corporate Plan was approved by Regional
Council on March 11, 1999.) One of the eight strategic directions in
the Multi-Year Corporate Plan is “Developing an effective
communications and customer service strategy”. In 2000, Regional
Council received the Communications Strategy. This initiative
addresses the Customer Service Strategy.
In Fall 2000 the Region retained The Randolph Group to develop a
Customer Service Strategy in cooperation with the Senior
Management Group and the Customer Service Strategy Team. This
document represents the first component of this Strategy – the overall
strategic directions for the future. A “toolkit” which will assist staff in
the Region with developing and delivering effective customer service
will be completed by September 2001.
1.2 Objectives
The overall objectives of the Customer Service Strategy Project
include:
•
Understanding customer service in York Region today
•
Developing future directions for customer service
•
Building the capacity to implement a customer service strategy
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1.3 Process
The work on the Customer Service Strategy Project has involved the
following major activities:
•
Meetings with departmental management teams in all
7 departments to introduce the project and to conduct an overall
strategic assessment of customer service (November - December
2000)
•
Departmental inventory of customer service practices – data
collection and analysis (November - December 2000)
•
Interviews with the Regional Chair and Chief Administrative Officer
(January – February 2001)
•
Consultation session with Council (February 2001)
•
Customer Service Strategy Employee Survey (February – March
2001).
The survey of Regional employees conducted in February-March
2001 was designed to:
-
Understand the level of commitment to customer service
-
Identify barriers to strengthening customer service
-
Identify the level of support for change, and highlight areas
where special implementation support will be required
-
Provide a baseline for ongoing evaluation of customer service
-
Provide a benchmark self-evaluation by Regional employees
which can be compared in the future with customer evaluation
A total of 687 employees responded – representing a very good
response rate of 44%. This response rate provides a high rate of
statistical validity – overall findings are accurate plus or minus
3.8% 19 times out of 20.
•
Four focus groups with front-line employees (April 2001).
The focus groups were designed to:
-
Develop a more detailed understanding of the customer
service realities experienced by “front-line” or “first contact”
staff (e.g. challenges, barriers to effective customer service)
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Introduction
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-
Help to develop strategies for how best to equip employees to
deal with these realities (e.g. priority needs and tools that
would help employees strengthen customer service)
-
Probe results from the recently administered Customer
Service Strategy Employee Survey and develop a better
understanding of the underlying reasons for the data results
A total of 37 staff participated in these focus groups.
•
Collection and analysis of information from the private and public
sectors on best practices in customer service including a review of
the latest customer service research and service standards being
used by public sector service providers
•
Discussions with the MYCP Customer Service Strategy Team in
November 2000, January 2001 and April 2001
Customer Service Strategy
Introduction
3
2. CUSTOMER SERVICE IN
YORK REGION TODAY
2.1 Building on a Strong
Foundation
2.2 Key Opportunities for
Improvement
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2. CUSTOMER SERVICE IN YORK REGION TODAY
2.1 Building on a Strong Foundation
York Region’s Customer Service Strategy has a strong foundation
upon which to build. The foundation is based on corporate
commitment from Council and Senior Management and staff
commitment to excellence in customer service. There is broad-based
recognition of the need to continuously improve the Region’s
customer service, an understanding of the range of customers, and
numerous examples of customer service commitment and innovation.
Each of these elements of the foundation is described below:
•
Corporate commitment: The concept of quality service is built
right into York Region’s Mission Statement:
York Region Mission Statement
York Region staff are committed to providing cost
effective, quality services that respond to the needs
of our rapidly growing communities.
The commitment to quality customer service has been a strong
feature of many of the Region’s corporate planning documents
including its Multi-Year Corporate Plan and its most recent 2001
Business Plan and Budget.
Council, the Regional Chair, the CAO and the Senior
Management Group have emphasized the commitment to
customer service on various occasions. A central theme of the
2001 Business Plan adopted by Council in April 2001 is “Focusing
on Customer Service”. Improvements in customer service are
reflected throughout the 2001 Business Plan and Budget and
funds have been committed for a number of customer service
initiatives.
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“We need to build a
better understanding
of the Region and its
value.”
(Employee comment in
focus group)
•
Staff commitment to excellence in customer service: There is
a broad-based understanding among employees of the
importance of customer service. Employees are themselves
customers in their daily lives. An overwhelming 99% of the
employees responding to the Customer Service Strategy
Employee Survey believe that providing excellent customer
service is an important part of their job.
•
Recognition of the need to continuously improve the
Region’s customer service overall: Internal discussions and
external research highlight the need for the Region to strengthen
its customer service. A variety of reasons for strengthening
customer service were highlighted during discussions with staff
including:
-
Meeting growing and changing public expectations
-
Building a better understanding of the Region and its value
-
Providing greater return on investment for the taxpayer
-
Addressing historical perceptions of “bureaucracy”
-
Ensuring that first and ongoing experiences with the Region
are positive
The need for public sector service providers such as York Region
to place special emphasis on providing high levels of customer
service is validated by a variety of research studies and
experience in other jurisdictions. In their landmark book on
Reinventing Government published in 1992, Osborne and Gaebler
noted:
“To cope with these massive (societal) changes entrepreneurial
governments have begun to transform themselves. They have begun
to listen carefully to their customers, through customer surveys, focus
groups, and a wide variety of other methods.”
Governments in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada
have made significant commitments to service improvement. The
British Citizen’s Charter, proclaimed in 1991 by Prime Minister
John Major, required all government agencies to publish service
standards and measure their performance. In 1993, President
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Clinton issued Executive Order 12862 requiring all government
departments to:
a. identify the customers who are, or should be, served by the
agency;
b. survey customers to determine the kind and quality of services
they want and their level of satisfaction with existing services;
c. post service standards and measure results against them;
d. benchmark customer service performance against the best in
the business;
e. survey frontline employees on barriers to, and ideas for,
matching the best in business;
f.
provide customers with choices in both the sources of service
and the means of delivery;
g. make information, services, and complaints systems easily
accessible; and
h. provide means to address customer complaints.
Source: Obsorne and Plastrik, Barnishing Bureaucracy – The Five Strategies
for Reinventing Government, 1997.
The President further proclaimed that “the standards of quality for
service provided to the public shall be: Customer service equal to
the best in business”.
Efforts at improving service to the public have been active in
Canada for many years. In the February 1994 budget, the
Federal government announced a service improvement initiative
that required government wide implementation of service
standards. In 1994, an expanded Quality Services Initiative was
launched with a focus on improving client satisfaction. The
strategy to be phased in over three years was based on four
principles: client involvement; leadership; employee involvement
and innovation. More recently the focus has turned to citizencentred service with an emphasis on improving access and more
seamless delivery.
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In Canada, the most significant and up-to-date research work on
customer service in the public sector has been conducted by the
Citizen-Centred Service Network. The Citizen-Centred Service
Network (CCSN) is a network of quality service leaders from
federal, provincial and municipal governments brought together by
the Canadian Centre for Management Development. A survey of
Canadians conducted in Spring 1998 for the CCSN revealed that:
“Forty-two percent stated that governments should
provide even better service than the private sector, and
more than half want governments to provide service on a
par with the private sector. Only five percent allowed
governments a lower level of service than the private
sector.”
Source: Erin Research for the Citizen-Centred Service Network and
Canadian Centre for Management Development, Citizens First
Summary Report, October 1998
•
“Many of our
customers don’t have
a choice on whether to
be a customer or not –
that affects the whole
interaction”
(Employee comment in
focus group)
Broad-based understanding of the range of customers
Employees in York Region recognize a broad range of external
and internal customers. Frequently cited “customer” groups
include:
-
The public in general (residents, taxpayers)
-
Direct clients (service recipients, businesses)
-
Other staff
-
Other municipalities and other levels of government
-
Elected officials
-
Service partners (e.g. other service providers, vendors, etc.)
One of the key challenges facing the Region is the range of
reasons for people being customers. For example customers may
be:
-
People wanting information
-
People wanting support or service of some kind (Region may
or may not be able to provide given regulatory or resource
constraints)
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-
People not wanting to be customers (e.g. in some areas of
service people are required to deal with the Region as a result
of enforcement of laws and regulations e.g., in Courts
Administration or in Health Immunizations)
-
People affected by the Region’s plans (both positively and
negatively, e.g. a transportation project could affect their
property)
-
Internal customers needing support so that they in turn can
provide effective customer service
In a report entitled The New Public Organization (2000),
Kernaghan, Marson and Borins noted that…
“The meaning of concepts like “client” and “customer” is
more complex when applied to the public sector and
must, therefore, be carefully defined… Work by the
federal Treasury Board of Canada and Professor Al
Hyde of the Brookings Institution, shows that everyone is
a citizen, who has both rights and responsibilities. But
when a citizen comes into contact with government
programs, he or she may also be a customer (someone
who pays for a service, that may be available from other
suppliers); a client (someone who receives a service
from a professional on an ongoing basis); a claimant
(a client who must qualify for a service); and a complier
(someone who is regulated by a public agency or
someone required to pay a tax); or a captive (someone
detained or incarcerated by a public agency).
Research for the Citizen-Centred Service Network demonstrates
that the public has some understanding of the unique public sector
service challenge faced in serving the range of ”customers”:
“Citizens’ expectations provide an important context for
approaching the public sector service challenge. Indeed,
the research indicates that citizens appreciate the
complexity of government; 54 percent agree that
“Governments have a more difficult task than the private
sector – they must protect the public interest as well as
meet the needs of citizens.”
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•
Numerous examples in York Region of customer service
commitment and innovation: The Region has a strong
foundation upon which to build in customer service excellence and
innovation. In recent years both Council and staff have joined
together to implement a broad range of strategies and service
improvements designed to support effective customer service.
Some specific examples of these include:
-
York Region Integrated Transit implemented January 1, 2001
-
“Water for Tomorrow” program that has assisted over 100,000
customers
-
The Integrated KIDS LINE which provides a single point of
access to information about Child Care, Early Intervention
Services, Preschool Speech and Language Programs and
Child Care Fee Assistance
-
A “Customer Service” education day for all long term care
facilities in York Region planned and implemented by the
Health Services Department in partnership with the York
Region Alzheimers Society
-
The Community Services & Housing Mission Statement rollout with its theme “Focusing on Unparalleled Customer
Service”
-
Retooling of the client service function for the Court
Administration Clerks to focus on external customer service.
-
Development Charge Agreements process streamlines
-
Health Connection line – a multi-disciplinary, multi-lingual
telephone information system providing counselling and
referrals (to over 33,000 callers in 2000)
-
The introduction of a “client service” model to the Human
Resource Services Department through the Business Services
Branch
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-
The development and continued updating of YorkLink’s entries
for over 500 service providers
-
Various enhancements to the Region’s Web Site
-
Additional visitor parking at the Regional Administrative Centre
-
The introduction of the Customer Service and Information
Kiosk at the Administrative Centre
There are many examples of customer service initiatives. Yet
there is still a need for an overall comprehensive plan to knit the
various initiatives together and to have consistent standards in all
departments.
2.2 Key Opportunities for Improvement
Throughout the customer service strategy development process a
number of areas have been identified as key opportunities for
improvement. These include:
•
Increasing awareness of the Region and its services
•
Developing a better understanding of the Region’s customers and
their expectations and needs
•
Improving the accessibility of services
•
Improving the timeliness of services
•
Equipping employees with the necessary tools to provide effective
service
•
Maximizing the benefits of technology to support effective service
•
Developing an organizational culture and systems that value,
reinforce and continuously improve customer service
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A general assessment of each of these areas for improvement is
outlined below:
Increasing Awareness
•
“If we want
citizens to use our
services and to
become satisfied
customers we
must first make
them aware of all
that we have to
offer”
(Employee comment
on Employee Survey)
Increasing awareness externally and internally of the Region
and its services: All of the groups consulted during the
development of this strategy expressed concern about the
relatively low level of public awareness of the Region and the
services it provides.
One of the most recurrent challenges in customer service is that
citizens often don’t know who to contact about a public service
issue. By the time they get to the right group they are often
already exasperated with the service. The results of the recent
Employee Survey reinforce the need for the Region to strengthen
its external communications. Approximately half of the Region’s
employees think the Region does not yet do a good job at
communicating the services it provides. The Region’s recent
corporate commitment to strengthened communications will assist
in this regard.
An essential first step in strengthening customer service will be
building a better external understanding of who does what. This is
also a key area for improvement internally. While approximately
85% of employees feel they have sufficient information to forward
a call internally within their department, only 54% of staff feel they
have enough information to effectively forward a call/inquiry to
another department.
The front-line staff consulted during the focus groups indicated
that they frequently lack sufficient information about another
department to be able to effectively forward a call. (This is a
problem shared with other government service providers that
contain a number of distinct “businesses”.) The growth in recent
years of the Region and its businesses means that even longstanding employees may lack the full knowledge base necessary
to effectively refer customers.
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Increasing Awareness
•
Developing a better understanding of customers and their
expectations and needs: Many of the Region’s individual
service areas have undertaken specific consultation and surveying
processes to understand customer needs and views of their
services. For example: the Community Services and Housing
Department conducts many regular surveys such as the Child
Care Program Satisfaction Survey; Health Services conducts a
variety of evaluations and ongoing surveys including for example
the Support Services for Seniors Client Satisfaction Survey;
Human Resources conducts focus groups and employee surveys
to understand its internal customers; both Planning and
Development Services and Transportation and Works have
conducted public opinion surveys to understand changing public
needs and views on a variety of topics.
However, at this stage there are no ongoing regular corporate or
departmental processes for tracking customer perspectives on
service quality. In addition there are no corporate standards or
benchmarks that are being tracked consistently over time.
Improving Accessibility
•
Improving the accessibility of services: There is a broad range
of determinants of service accessibility. In Appendix C, we
include a listing of the 10 major barriers to access cited by citizens
trying to access government services. These include telephones,
internal bouncing, voicemail, parking and quality of information.
York Region employees identified a variety of similar areas of
concern with respect to accessibility to the Region’s services. The
most frequently identified areas include: availability of parking;
hours of service; and the Region’s telephone system (multiple
numbers, use of voicemail, access to live voices, after-hours
service, training). 71% of the employees consider parking to be a
concern.
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65% of staff believe that the Region should extend its regular
business hours – to either 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. 58% of staff think that the telephone system provides
easy access to the Region. Further exploration of this area in the
focus groups however, indicated that staff believe that customers
are experiencing a variety of challenges in accessing the Region
via phone.
“We are a service to
the public … our
hours should reflect
this.”
(Employee comment on
Employee Survey)
“Four things
distinguish
organizations that
successfully deliver
high quality service…
they understand their
customer’s wants and
needs, and the simple
fact that customer
satisfaction is created
‘a moment of truth at a
time’... they have a
well developed and
broadly communicated
sense of what they
want to accomplish
with the customer.
…they design their
delivery systems with
customer accessibility
in mind…, they
recognize the
importance of having
well trained employees
who understand the
needs and wants of
the customer…”
Source: Ron Zemke,
Managing “Knock Your
Socks Off service”,
1991.)
The changing demographics of York Region are also creating
customer service challenges both in terms of growth in demand
and the changing nature of demand. One of the emerging
challenges facing the Region is the growing language diversity of
the population. 64% of employees believe that the Region should
make its services available in languages other than English. Staff
working in front-line positions are often challenged to be able to
effectively respond to the growing number of inquiries in multiple
languages. Staff report that this challenge is predominantly in the
southern parts of York Region, and that the changes are occurring
quite rapidly.
Different departments have handled these challenges in different
ways. For example in the Social Assistance Division of
Community Services & Housing translators may be hired to assist
in working with an applicant. The Health and EMS Department
has hired more nurses who speak different languages for the
Health Connection Line and has used the telephone translation
services offered by AT&T.
Improving Timeliness & Consistency
•
Improving the timeliness and consistency of services: One of
the primary determinants of service quality is timeliness. While
many individual divisions and departments have instituted some
service timeliness guidelines, there are no consistent corporate
standards. Some staff indicate that they find it particularly difficult
to respond in a timely manner as they are often out of the office
and may lack easy access to e-mail and voicemail.
A landmark study conducted for the Ontario Public Service entitled
Best Value for Tax Dollars: Improving Service Quality in the
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Ontario Government (Continuous Improvement Services Inc. and
Erin Research Inc., 1992) revealed:
“The number of contacts and the time required to
complete the service are the two factors that profoundly
affect Public assessment of performance. These two
factors are the strongest determinants of performance
ratings for a specific service experience…”
Equipping Employees with Supporting Tools
•
Equipping employees with the necessary tools to provide
effective service: Employees cited a number of critical tools that
they need to be able to provide effective and timely customer
service.
Employees cited the need for sufficient staff resources to enable
them to provide effective customer service. In the Employee
Survey administered before the last round of budget approvals,
59% of staff indicated that staff resources are a barrier to effective
customer service. (It should be noted that this survey was
conducted in March 2001, prior to recent budget and staffing
approvals.) In some areas there may not be sufficient staffing
back-up to support timely service when key staff are away due to
illness or vacation or when there are unusual peaks in demand
(e.g. seasonal peaks in immunization calls). Staff resources are
most likely to affect customer service in those areas where there
are unique jobs and it is difficult to backfill.
The next major barrier to effective customer service identified by
staff was lack of training. If employees are to be able to provide
effective service, at least four different types of training are
needed: orientation to the Region; training on the use of the
phone system and computers; customer service training; and jobspecific training. The Region has put additional emphasis on
training in the last two years. Yet, in the Customer Service
Strategy Employee Survey 63% of staff indicated that they had not
been trained in good customer service practices.
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Other critical tools identified include access to information systems
(see below) and access to appropriate technology including
remote access to e-mail.
Technology
•
Maximizing the benefits of technology to support effective
service: There is growing recognition within the Region of the
potential benefits of technology to serve the customer. The
Region’s web page has significant potential for providing
customers with easy self-serve access to information. However
the Internet also has significant potential for providing a variety of
services on-line through interactive applications. In the Customer
Service Strategy Employee Survey, over 80% of staff supported
more electronic/credit card based transactions. This recognizes
the significant growth of these types of transactions in the private
sector in recent years.
A study by Deloitte Research entitled Through the Portal –
Enterprise Transformation for e-Government indicates:
Customer-centric portals have four major attributes.
First, they appeal to customers enough to get them
not only initially interested but also to return regularly…
Second, portals aggregate information about how to
access services across the enterprise. This is how
customers locate the content they desire with “one-stop
shopping” … Third, customer-centric portals fulfil
customers’ demands for service in the form of
downloads, monetary and non-monetary transactions
or instructions for obtaining further information …
Lastly, governments derive more value when they
connect portal services to databases integrated in the
back office, greatly enhancing management of
customer information.
Source: Deloitte Research, Through the Portal – Enterprise
Transformation for e-Government, 2000.
A number of government organizations including the Government
of Canada, the Maritime Provinces, the Provinces of Ontario and
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British Columbia and numerous municipalities (e.g. City of Ottawa,
Town of Markham) have launched, or are planning, major
e-government initiatives designed to increase the user-friendliness
and satisfaction with government services.
While there is significant potential in this area, staff noted that
technology is not a panacea for many of the Region’s customers
who may lack easy access to appropriate technology (e.g. many
of the customers of Community Services & Housing and Health).
Organizational Culture
•
“Customer service
needs to start from
within”
(Employee response on
Employee Survey)
Developing an organizational culture and systems that value,
reinforce and continuously improve customer service: A key
underpinning for any customer service strategy is the overall
corporate culture and the extent to which customer service is
valued and modelled. 84% of employees think that Management
at York Region is committed to good customer service. 61% of
employees indicate that they are getting enough
support/encouragement and feedback from their supervisor to
provide excellent customer service. On the other hand, only 41%
of employees believe that the Commitment to Excellence program
provides adequate recognition to employees who have provided
excellent customer service. In addition, only 17% of employees
believe that the Region’s good news stories about customer
service get communicated enough at the Region.
While the overall management support for customer service is
strong, there is clearly room for change in the overall
organizational culture.
An organizational culture that supports customer service is one
where supervisors and employees value each other as customers,
where managers “walk the talk”, positive recognition and support
are a daily norm, there is open two-way communication, and
teamwork replaces hierarchy and silos. This culture supports a
customer focused organization where customer input and
feedback are encouraged and acted upon.
The standard principle in successful public and private sector
organizations is “treat your employees well and they will treat their
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customers well”. This is a culture where managers and staff all
treat each other as customers. Research has shown that
changing corporate culture is typically a 4 to 8 year process.
Evidence from various organizations shows that there is a high
correlation between organizational culture and customer service.
In the document Good Practices in Citizen-Centred Service, the
following is noted:
Research suggests that employee satisfaction is linked to
client satisfaction: if employees lack the tools required to
perform their tasks, or suffer from low morale, for
example, this is likely to affect the type of service citizens
receive. Thus undertaking internal service
improvements, based on employee identified
priorities (e.g. through surveys, focus groups, needs
assessments, etc.) is necessary to improve the
service performance of the organization.
Source: Blythe and Marson, Good Practices in Citizen-Centred Service,
March 1999)
In the following section we present a range of strategies that build
on York Region’s foundation of good customer service and
address the above noted opportunities for improvement.
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15
3. STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
FOR THE FUTURE
3.1 Customer Service Mission
and Values
3.2 Customer Service
Strategic Directions
Customer Service Strategy
16
3. STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
The strategic directions for the future outlined in this section provide a
blueprint for change. The “blueprint” includes a Mission Statement,
Values and Strategic Directions organized into five groupings:
Leadership; Customer Voice; Staff Empowerment & Development;
Access & Information Systems; and Service Standards and
Consistency.
As with many corporate strategies the capacity to implement the
strategic directions will rest on the continued leadership, commitment
and involvement of Council, management and staff within the Region.
No single group alone can implement all of these directions. The
success of the Region’s Customer Service Strategy will depend on
commitment, teamwork and mutual support.
3.1 Customer Service Mission and Values
Our customer service mission builds on our overall commitment to
quality service as outlined in our corporate mission statement:
Customer Service Mission Statement
We at York Region are here to serve you. We are committed to
providing cost-effective, customer-centred service that is accessible,
timely, knowledgeable, competent, courteous, caring, and fair.
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Accessible
Fair
Cost-Effective
CustomerCentred
Service
Courteous and
Caring
Timely
Knowledgeable and
Competent
Customer Service Values
Our customer service mission statement is supported by the following
values:
• Cost-Effective: We are committed to delivering services in the most
cost-effective manner.
• Customer-Centred: We are committed to continuously communicating
with and listening to our customers and putting ourselves in our
customers’ shoes to ensure that we can meet or exceed our customers’
needs.
• Accessibility: We are committed to ensuring that our diverse range of
customers knows how to find us and can get to us easily through a
variety of means (in person, on the phone, through correspondence, via
technology)
• Timeliness: We are committed to providing service in a timely manner.
Our commitment to timeliness will be reflected in a corporate
commitment to timeliness standards.
• Knowledge & Competence: We are committed to continuously
developing the necessary knowledge and skills to support effective and
professional service to our customers. “Customer focus” will be a core
competency of all of our employees.
• Courtesy & Caring: We will serve our customers with respect and
courtesy in a way that demonstrates that we care about them.
• Fairness: We will treat our customers in a fair and equitable manner
and in accordance with the regulations and/or policies that govern our
services.
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Strategic Directions for the Future
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3.2 Customer Service Strategic Directions
To provide effective customer service the Region will need to
implement strategic directions under five key themes: Leadership;
Customer Voice; Staff Development; Access & Information Systems;
and Service Standards & Consistency.
Overview of York Region Customer Service Strategic Directions
Leadership
Service
Standards &
Consistency
Customer
Voice
Access &
Information
Systems
“All of us here at
York Region, no
matter what our
Department, are in
the customer
service business.
Our primary focus
is to meet the
needs of our
customers through
the delivery of
cost-effective,
quality services.”
(Letter from Regional
Chair Bill Fisch and
Alan Wells, CAO to all
employees)
Staff
Development
Leadership
Research on best practices in customer service quality demonstrates
that leadership at multiple levels is essential. A review of case studies
of good practices in citizen-centred service among federal, provincial
and municipal governments indicated that:
“Leadership from senior executives is needed to provide
support and give commitment to the initiative.…Some
organizations noted the importance of having champions at
various levels of the organization. Champions help to build
support among employees and also help to maintain
momentum...”
Source: Blythe and Marson, Good Practices in Citizen-Centred Service, March
1999)
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
19
REGION OF YORK
To ensure that there is significant and sustained leadership for the
Customer Service Strategy the following specific strategies are
proposed:
Leadership: Championing
1. Council & Senior Management must continually reinforce the
commitment to customer service.
Council, the Regional Chair and the CAO have championed this
commitment in their actions and various messages to staff. The
commitment to customer service by all of Council and senior
management must be achieved through frequent and visible
communications to staff, as well as role-modelling. Use of the
internal employee newsletter and frequent messaging around best
practices in customer service will assist in this regard.
“Walk the talk.
Treat employees as
valued customers
… Role model how
you want to treat
others.”
(Employee response
on Employee Survey)
2. All of management must act as role models and take
responsibility for building an organizational culture that
fosters customer service.
Management staff should be encouraged to model effective
customer service practices, gain a better appreciation of the
customer service realities and see their own staff as customers.
Some staff have suggested that all of management should “Spend
a Day on the Front-Line” to increase their understanding of the
customer service challenges they face. This is a practice used by
many in the public and private sectors (e.g. Hyatt Hotels, City of
Madison, Wisconsin).
Some employees consulted during the focus groups noted that
their ability to provide timely service may sometimes be hampered
by lack of authority or their own challenges in connecting with their
supervisors (e.g. to seek clarification or interpretation of a policy
prior to responding to an external customer). The Disney example
is that staff are generally authorized to satisfy customer’s
concerns on the spot. Staff buy-in to the Customer Service
Strategy will be even stronger if all managers act as role models,
treat their staff as customers and utilize management techniques
that empower their employees (e.g. Nordstrom’s).
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
20
REGION OF YORK
3. A dedicated position (Customer Service Manager) should be
established to provide ongoing leadership and coordination.
“Put someone in
charge of making
sure it happens.”
(Employee response
on Employee Survey)
Experience in the private and public sector indicates that if the
Strategy is to be effectively implemented across the organization
there needs to be a dedicated staff member whose sole role is to
coordinate and lead the Customer Service Strategy. The key
responsibilities of such a position would include: leadership for
the implementation of the Customer Service Strategy and
corporate wide-initiatives; monitoring and communication of
policies, procedures and performance measures; support to
Department Heads and Senior Management in design and
implementation of customer service initiatives; ongoing research
and evaluation of customer service practices including surveys;
support for the design and maintenance of training and other
programs necessary to motivate and equip staff to provide
effective service; and coordination of the Customer Service
Leadership Network (see below).
4. A cross-departmental Customer Service Leadership Network
should be established.
An ongoing Customer Service Leadership Network with
representation from customer service leaders in all departments
should be established. This network would continue the excellent
work of the Region’s Customer Service Strategy Team and would
report to the Senior Management Group. This network should be
the focal point for communications in and out of departments
related to customer service strategies, best practices and strategy
implementation. Over time the Region may wish to build on this
Network through linkages with other key external groups including
private sector and area municipality customer service leaders.
“Customer service
needs to be an
integral part of
department,
division and
business unit
plans.”
(Employee response
on Employee Survey)
Leadership: Continuous Planning for Improvement
5. The Region’s ongoing corporate and business planning
processes should incorporate customer service
measurements and plans.
“Customer focus” should continue to be an ongoing component of
both corporate and departmental business planning. Managers
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
21
REGION OF YORK
should be as accountable for customer service as they are for
their budgets. Business plans should include tracking data on
overall customer satisfaction and timeliness standards.
Departmental planning should take into account key areas of
concern as identified through ongoing service evaluations.
6. Departments should annually establish one or more priority
areas for service improvement and develop and implement
Service Improvement Plans.
There is room for improvement in customer service in all
departments. Each year each department should identify (on the
basis of customer and employee input) one or more areas for
customer service improvement. This would be part of the
Business Plan process as it is now. For example, a department
might identify improved turnaround time on customer inquiries as
a priority. A team involving both front-line staff and management
would then be established and given the task of developing,
implementing and monitoring a Service Improvement Plan.
Customer Voice
Listening to the voice of the customer can be a powerful driver for
increasing customer service effectiveness. Many organizations have
found that by listening to the customer’s voice they learn simple ways
to close the gap between service expectations and the service
experience. The customer voice becomes one of the primary
mechanisms for measuring an organization’s customer service
effectiveness over time.
“We need to find
out what different
customers think is
good service.”
(Employee
response on
Employee Survey)
Customer Voice: Seeking the Customer’s Views
7. An annual survey of the public should be conducted to gauge
the Region’s overall progress in building awareness of its
services and strengthening customer service.
This survey should include core questions that are repeated over
the long term to enable longitudinal comparisons. *Note: these
core questions will form part of the Toolkit to be presented in
September 2001. The Customer Service Strategy should be
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
22
REGION OF YORK
reviewed and amended each year to recognize significant
changes in customer feedback.
8. Every department should conduct service-specific surveys
on an ongoing basis.
Surveying needs to become a way of doing business.
Departments should establish a rotating schedule to ensure that
customers from each service area are surveyed at least once
every three years. (Some service areas conduct much more
frequent evaluation as a requirement of regulation or
accreditation.)
All service specific evaluations should incorporate a core set of
common questions that provide an assessment of the extent to
which the core values are being achieved, e.g. Customer-Centred;
Accessibility; Timeliness; Knowledge & Competence; Courtesy &
Caring; and Fairness. (*Note: these core questions will also form
part of the Toolkit to be presented in September 2001.) Both the
general and department-specific surveys should be backed by
focus groups where necessary.
Customer Voice: Customer Feedback & Complaints
Resolution Systems
9. All departments should have in place a customer feedback
system that enables customers to comment on their services
and provide suggestions for improvement.
At a minimum, departments should provide feedback cards for onsite service. This is a standard practice in private sector
organizations such as hotels and department stores. Others may
wish to establish a feedback phone line or e-mail that customers
may contact in order to provide comments and they may also wish
to advertise a contact who will act as a customer service
ombudsman.
10. Develop and institute a general York Region customer
feedback mechanism.
Opportunities for instituting a general feedback mechanism by
phone and/or e-mail should be explored as part of the Region’s
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
23
REGION OF YORK
further development of its telecommunications and technology
development plans.
11. Develop and implement a complaints resolution system in all
departments.
A corporate complaints resolution system and standard template
should be developed to guide the handling of customer
complaints. It is suggested at this stage that the responsibility for
the maintenance and management of the system should remain
with each department, but each system should fulfil a number of
basic requirements including: a definition of what constitutes a
complaint; timelines for complaint handling; and protocols for
internal and external communications.
It should be noted that some departments and divisions (e.g.
Community Services and Housing) already have systems in place,
and some may need to address regulatory requirements in their
handling of complaints.
Staff Development
People make the difference in customer service. They have the
power to either transform a difficult service experience into a great
one or vice versa. Successful organizations recognize and invest in
the skills of their people and build a customer focus into all aspects of
their human resource strategies:
Staff Development: Competencies & Recruitment
12. “Customer focus” should be a core competency for all
employees.
A core competency for all employees should be “customer focus”,
i.e. the capacity to ensure customer satisfaction by such actions
as understanding who customers are, identifying and recognizing
their needs, solving problems, being helpful and courteous,
appropriately referring calls, etc.
For managerial level positions the capacity to develop and
implement programs to address customer needs should also be a
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
24
REGION OF YORK
core competency. Note: this recommendation has recently
been implemented by the Region.
13. Staff recruitment processes should emphasize “customer
focus”.
Job descriptions should emphasize customer focus and job
interviewing and reference check processes should incorporate
questions related to customer focus. In addition, the Region
should consider language diversity in its future hiring practices to
improve its capacity to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the
York Region population.
“With all the
growth I barely
know my own
department, let
alone the rest of
the Region.”
(Employee
response in a focus
group)
Staff Development: Orientation & Training
14. The Region’s employee orientation program should be
strengthened to include an “Orientation to York Region”
program.
A key underpinning of many customer service “leaders” such as
Disney, Scandinavian Airlines, Proctor and Gamble, Home Depot
and the City of Phoenix is a thorough staff orientation program.
All new Regional employees should participate in an orientation
program that covers, among other things: the communities of
York Region; the structure of government (elected officials and
who does what); the services that the Region provides; the
Region’s Vision, Multi-Year Corporate Plan, other major corporate
initiatives and the fundamentals of customer service. This
orientation program should also be offered as a refresher course
to other employees who may not have received this kind of
orientation.
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
25
REGION OF YORK
Clearly,
responsiveness,
assurance and
empathy
represent the
human
dimension of the
service
experience, and
staff training in
these factors can
make a great
difference to
service and client
satisfaction”
Source:
Kernaghan,
Marson and
Borins, The New
Public
Organization, 2000
15. All employees should participate in a mandatory customer
service training program.
It is recommended that all employees participate in a mandatory
customer service training program that outlines the Fundamentals
of Effective Customer Service and equips employees with
strategies for dealing with customer service challenges. (Note:
the manual to be used in this training is being developed as part of
the Toolkit that will be brought forth in September).
Managers and staff should also participate in this program, but an
additional module on Managing for Effective Customer Service
should be included in their training.
A phased approach to implementing this training should be
developed. For new employees it is suggested that the customer
service training program be incorporated into their orientation.
(91% of employees felt that customer service training should be
part of the Region’s orientation/training). For existing employees a
phased-in approach to ensuring all staff have received this training
by 2003 should be considered. (84% of employees felt that
customer service training should be mandatory for all Regional
employees.)
16. All employees should participate in a training program on the
effective use of the Region’s phone and technology systems.
Proper use of phone and technology systems will improve
customer service. All employees should receive training on the
phone and technology systems in the Region. This training
should include how to use the Region’s phone system effectively
and appropriately (e.g. voicemail) and how to use the Region’s
computer systems (e.g. Intranet, e-mail) effectively.
“By the time I get
back to my
desk…10 more
calls and 10 more
applications will
have arrived –
there’s no one to
back me up.”
(Employee
response in a focus
group)
Staff Development: Staffing Strategies
17. Staffing strategies should be developed to ensure that all
front-line positions have trained back-ups.
One of the barriers identified to effective customer service is the
lack of back-up for key front-line positions. Departments should
ensure that all positions have trained back-ups to handle customer
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
26
REGION OF YORK
service during peak times, vacations, absences, etc. Clearly the
capacity to implement this strategy is somewhat resourcedependent, but it is critical if the Region is to be able to provide
consistent levels of quality, timely service.
Staff Development: Performance Management &
Recognition
18. “Customer Focus” should be a central component of the
Region’s performance management system.
All employees should be evaluated in terms of their customer
focus. Ongoing feedback as well as annual performance reviews
should address how customer-focused employees are and
opportunities for improvement. Employees with excellent
customer focus should be recognized and/or rewarded while
employees without customer focus should be coached/managed
to improve.
19. The “Commitment to Excellence” Program should be
reviewed and strengthened.
The Region’s Commitment to Excellence Program recognizes
outstanding commitment to customer service, innovation or quality
in the delivery of programs and services. While there is general
belief that there is a need to recognize excellent customer service,
there is some concern that the ”Commitment to Excellence”
program requires review and strengthening. In particular, staff
consulted during the focus group believe that the nominations
process and criteria for selection should be reviewed to ensure
that excellence is rewarded.
Access & Information Systems
Knowing where to look, finding the right person and place at the right
time, and getting quality information are all essential contributors to a
quality service experience. The Region’s access and information
systems include such things as external communications, phones,
information technology, and physical facilities. These systems need
to be used properly in order to be effective. Strategies for
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
27
REGION OF YORK
strengthening access and information systems and their effective use
are outlined in this section:
Access & Information Systems: External Communications
20. Utilize a variety of means to build public awareness of the
Region and its services.
The Region’s Communications Strategy will play a key role in
building public awareness of the Region and its services. Such
planned improvements as expanded use of the Internet, increased
news media exposure and improved and expanded print
publications will contribute to the improved awareness of the
Region and its services.
21. Communicate service standards (i.e. educate expectations).
Corporate-wide standards as well as department and servicespecific standards should be communicated to external customers
through a variety of mechanisms. For example voicemail
messages should indicate the expected response time.
Service-specific communications should educate customers about
how to help expedite service (e.g. please be ready to supply the
following documentation) and what to expect (e.g. assuming your
application is complete you can expect a response from us within
15 days).
Educating customers about expectations fulfils a number of goals:
it minimizes the time spent answering routine questions
(e.g. when will my application be processed?) and it provides the
Region with the opportunity to meet or exceed the customer’s
expectations by establishing them at a reasonable level.
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
28
REGION OF YORK
Access & Information Systems: Telephones/
Telecommunications
“The lack of live
bodies at the end
of the phone line
means that some
customers get
bounced around
and frustrated.”
(Employee response
in a focus group)
22. Strengthen phone systems.
There has been considerable discussion in recent months about
the Region’s phone systems. A variety of groups have expressed
concerns about the overall structure of the phone system
(e.g. multiple general numbers) and the way the phone system is
used (e.g. use of voicemail, accessibility of a live voice).
The need to strengthen the phone system and its use has clearly
been identified as a priority and will contribute to the Region’s
overall capacity to provide effective customer service. The Region
should continue to work with its telephone provider to identify
ways of strengthening phone service across the Region. The
Region’s overall set of general numbers should be reviewed with
the goal of rationalizing the range of numbers provided. Phone
training and standard voicemail scripts will form part of the
Region’s training programs described earlier.
23. Improve internal phone referral/back-up systems.
One of the most recurrent sources of frustration for customers is
the “bounce” effect – being bounced from one person to another
or bounced into what customers may perceive as a “dead end”,
i.e. voicemail.
It is recommended that individual departments examine the
routing of incoming calls to their main reception lines and put in
place steps to minimize the number of redirects and to provide
effective options for callers so that they are not continuously
redirected or directed to a “dead end”. After-hours options should
also be examined as part of this department by department
review.
24. Evaluate the potential for a Regional Call Centre.
The Region already has many groups that are operating functions
that are somewhat similar to specialized “call centres” (e.g. Health
Connections Line).
Customer Service Strategy
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29
REGION OF YORK
It is recommended that the Region monitor the type and volume of
calls coming into its major incoming lines and consider whether a
Regional Call Centre may be warranted. In order for a Call Centre
to work the Region would need an integrated information
database that would enable Call Centre service representatives to
answer frequently asked questions and to appropriately direct
callers to the right place.
Access & Information Systems: Information Management
25. Develop a Regional Database/Service Directory.
A comprehensive service directory should be developed to enable
customers to answer their own questions and to enable
employees to appropriately answer and refer inquiries. This
Service Directory could be developed at two different levels of
detail: an abbreviated version for public dissemination and a
detailed version for internal use. The abbreviated version should
direct the public to appropriate public information and contacts.
The more detailed version could include links to internal staff and
background documentation on the Intranet (there may be privacy
and confidentiality issues in making the full database available to
the public). Both could be available electronically, i.e. the
abbreviated version as a searchable database on the Internet and
the more detailed version could be available on the Intranet.
Access & Information Systems: Information Technology/
Web-Services
26. Continue to improve employee access to computers (on-site
& remote) and to electronic data.
One of the current barriers to utilizing technology for strengthening
external and internal customer service is the level of access to
computers. In some service areas employees lack direct access
to a computer and must share access with many different
employees (e.g. 8 to 10 employees sharing 1 computer). The
expansion of access to technology on-site and the further
development of remote access systems will support efficiency
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
30
REGION OF YORK
customer service improvement. There may also be a need to
continue to migrate from manual systems to electronic systems.
An Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) holds a
great deal of potential in this regard.
“Putting more
information on the
Internet would
enable people to
self-serve and
reduce the
number of calls I
get…so then I
could spend more
time really helping
people”
(Employee
response in a focus
group)
27. Continue to increase the quantity and quality of information
on the Regional Web-site.
Making more and better information available via the Internet
provides customers with the opportunity to self-serve at any hour
of the day from their own home or work location. Current
employee views on whether the Region is using its web-site
effectively to serve its customers are mixed – 41% said yes, 37%
said no and 22% did not state an opinion. Needless to say, the
Region’s Web customers should be surveyed on the Web Site for
any suggested improvements.
Many government organizations are investing a tremendous
amount of resources in their web-site as they believe it can
support effective customer service. As Deloitte Research has
noted:
“Through portals, less distance, cost, time, materials and
repetition are needed to achieve broader, faster and more
accurate fulfillment.
28. Continue to increase the quantity and quality of information
on the Region’s Intranet site, mYnetwORK.
The Intranet offers significant potential for increasing employee
capacity to provide effective customer service. Current employee
views on whether the Region is using the Intranet effectively are
mixed – 42% said yes, 32% said no and 26% did not state an
opinion. Increasing the quantity, quality and user-friendliness of
the Intranet will help equip employees to understand Regional
policies and other departments better and to effectively refer calls.
29. Evaluate the potential for e-business applications to improve
customer service.
There is a strong level of interest across government in reengineering service delivery to enable e-business transactions.
The Region should evaluate its high volume routine service
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
31
REGION OF YORK
transactions to see if moving them online could provide costeffective customer service benefits.
Access & Information Systems: Physical Facilities
30. Investing opportunities to improve parking.
A key area of concern in terms of physical access to the Region is
the availability of parking. 71% of employees believe that the
Region does not provide adequate parking facilities for its
customers. (25% believe the Region does provide adequate
parking). The Region should continue to investigate opportunities
to improve parking at its facilities.
31. Continue to improve the accessibility and comfort of the
Region’s facilities.
Service standards
are a
‘performance
promise’ to
customers.
Setting customerdriven service
standards and
measuring how
well the
organization is
doing are
essential activities
to providing
customer-driven
service.
The Region should continue to make improvements in external
and internal signage so that customers can get to the right place.
In addition departments should continue to ensure that they have
appropriate reception areas that are welcoming and provide
adequate and appropriate space for customers.
Service Standards & Consistency
More and more organizations are setting service standards and
communicating them to the public. The Ontario Government has
recently set service standards for all of its ministries. Good service
standards educate and assure the public while at the same time
enabling the organization to drive and measure its service
performance.
Source:
Kernaghan, Marson
and Borins, The
New Public
Organization, 2000
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
32
REGION OF YORK
Service Standards and Consistency: Accessibility
32. Consider extending the Region’s core business hours for
staff-assisted service.
The Region’s current business hours create access challenges for
some customers, particularly for individuals who may wish to
access the Region’s offices before or after their own working
hours. 65% of employees think that the Region should extend its
business hours.
Consideration should be given to extending the core business
hours to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This would mean that during
these hours counter and telephone service would be available.
It would not mean that these are the hours that all employees
would work. The Region should also develop a strategy for
responding to “after-hours” enquiries.
Clearly the capacity to implement this standard will be resourcedependent and may need to be phased in over time as budget
permits. The Region’s compressed work weeks, flex-time and
other HR initiatives can help facilitate implementation of this
change.
33. All callers during regular business hours should have the
option of reaching a live voice.
The Region’s phone systems should be configured so that there is
always a “zero-out” option to a live voice for those who reach
voicemail.
“We need to strive
to serve our
multilingual clients.”
(Employee response
on Employee
Survey)
34. Pursue a variety of strategies to support accessibility of
services in languages other than English.
The Region and its departments should develop a policy regarding
what services will be available in languages other than English.
During the focus groups many employees noted the significant
differences across the Region in terms of the diversity of
languages.
Key documents describing the Region and its services should be
made available in other languages. The Region should develop a
database of staff who speak other languages fluently and who
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
33
REGION OF YORK
could be available over the phone to assist with handling a call in
other languages. The Region should also make further use of the
AT&T telephone translation services in areas where this may be
warranted.
35. Implement a standard whereby all front-line Regional
employees wear first name identification.
More and more organizations are having employees wear tags or
passes with their first names on them. This standard facilitates
security and customer service at the same time.
Service Standards and Consistency: Timeliness
“Set Regional
standards and make
someone
accountable for
meeting and
monitoring them.”
(Employee response
on Employee
Survey)
36. Implement a corporate standard of all telephone calls being
returned within one business day.
75% of employees agreed that the Region should have a standard
whereby all telephone calls will be returned within 24 hours. Many
other organizations have adopted a similar service standard (e.g.
the Government of Ontario). Based on input from staff it is clear
that there may be some service areas or times of year where this
standard may not currently be achievable. These areas should be
specifically identified by their departments and measures put in
place to work towards the standard over the next two years.
37. Implement a corporate standard of all mailed or faxed
correspondence requiring a response being answered within
15 working days of receipt.
83% of employees agreed that the Region should have a standard
whereby all correspondence requiring a response will be
answered/acknowledged within a certain number of working days.
The corporate standard of an answer within 15 working days
should apply to all regular incoming mail that requires a response
including mail received by post or fax. (A standard related to email is outlined below). The standard should not apply to
correspondence where other deadlines apply (due to policy or
regulation).
Customer Service Strategy
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34
REGION OF YORK
38. Implement a standard of acknowledging receipt of e-mails
within two business days and responding within 15 days.
69% of employees believe that the Region should have a standard
whereby e-mail requiring a response is answered/acknowledged
within a specific time. Research elsewhere suggests that the
public have much higher expectations regarding response times
for e-mails than for regular mail. It is therefore suggested that an
interim step is to acknowledge receipt within two business days.
39. Implement a standard for walk-in service whereby customers
will be served in order and told the expected waiting time.
Some Regional services experience high volumes of walk-in
traffic. In these areas it is particularly critical to establish an
appropriate service standard to minimize frustration.
40. Implement a standard for the handling of customer
complaints – acknowledgement within two business days;
follow-up within specified time.
Experience elsewhere indicates that the way in which complaints
are handled is absolutely critical to an organization’s overall
customer service strategy. It is recommended that the Region
implement a standard of documenting and acknowledging
complaints within two business days and following up with any
required actions within a specified timeframe (to be specified upfront in the acknowledgement).
The proposed strategies outlined above set the stage for the Region
to provide cost-effective, customer-centred service that is accessible,
timely, knowledgeable, competent, courteous, caring and fair.
A consistent corporate commitment to change will be an essential
ingredient to change. The changes proposed in this document cannot
all be implemented immediately. Corporate culture change generally
requires a number of years to achieve (experts cite 4 to 8 years).
Ongoing monitoring and strategy updating will be necessary to ensure
forward movement and customer responsiveness.
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
35
REGION OF YORK
4. MOVING TOWARDS
IMPLEMENTATION
4.1 Summary of
Recommendations
4.2 Next Steps
Customer Service Strategy
Strategic Directions for the Future
36
4. MOVING TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION
4.1 Summary of Recommendations
The following chart summarizes the recommendations contained within
Section 3.2 – Strategic Directions.
Leadership
Championing
1. Council & Senior Management must continually reinforce the
commitment to customer service.
2. All of management must act as role models and take
responsibility for building an organizational culture that fosters
customer service.
3. A dedicated position (Customer Service Manager) should be
established to provide ongoing leadership and coordination.
4. A cross-departmental Customer Service Leadership Network
should be established.
Continuous Planning for Improvement
5. The Region’s ongoing corporate and business planning
processes should incorporate customer service measurements
and plans.
6. Departments should annually establish one or more priority
areas for service improvement and develop and implement
Service Improvement Plans.
Customer Voice
Seeking the Customer’s Views
7. An annual survey of the public should be conducted to gauge
the Region’s overall progress in building awareness of its
services and strengthening customer service.
8. Every department should conduct service-specific surveys on
an ongoing basis.
Customer Service Strategy
37
REGION OF YORK
Customer Feedback & Complaints Resolution Systems
9. All departments should have in place a customer feedback
system that enables customers to comment on their services
and provide suggestions for improvement.
10. Develop and institute a general York Region customer
feedback mechanism.
11. Develop and implement a complaints resolution system in all
departments.
Staff Development
Competencies & Recruitment
12. “Customer focus” should be a core competency for all
employees.
13. Staff recruitment processes should emphasize “customer
focus”.
Orientation & Training
14. The Region’s employee orientation program should be
strengthened to include an “Orientation to York Region”
program.
15. All employees should participate in a mandatory customer
service training program.
16. All employees should participate in a training program on the
effective use of the Region’s phone and technology systems
Staffing Strategies
17. Staffing strategies should be developed to ensure that all frontline positions have trained back-ups.
Performance Management & Recognition
18. “Customer Focus” should be a central component of the
Region’s performance management system.
19. The “Commitment to Excellence” Program should be reviewed
and strengthened.
Customer Service Strategy
Moving Towards Implementation
38
REGION OF YORK
Access & Information Systems
External Communications
20. Utilize a variety of means to build public awareness of the
Region and its services.
21. Communicate service standards (i.e. educate expectations).
Telephones/Telecommunications
22. Strengthen phone systems.
23. Improve internal phone referral/back-up systems.
24. Evaluate the potential for a Regional Call Centre.
Information Management
25. Develop a Regional Database/Service Directory.
Information Technology/Web-Services
26. Continue to improve employee access to computers (on-site &
remote) and to electronic data.
27. Continue to increase the quantity and quality of information on
the Regional Web-site.
28. Continue to increase the quantity and quality of information on
the Region’s Intranet site, mYnetwORK.
29. Evaluate the potential for e-business applications to improve
customer service.
Physical Facilities
30. Investigate opportunities to improve parking.
31. Continue to improve the accessibility and comfort of the
Region’s facilities.
Service Standards & Consistency
Accessibility Standards
32. Consider extending the Region’s core business hours for staffassisted service.
33. All callers during regular business hours should have the
option of reaching a live voice.
Customer Service Strategy
Moving Towards Implementation
39
REGION OF YORK
34. Pursue a variety of strategies to support accessibility of
services in languages other than English.
35. Implement a standard whereby all front-line Regional
employees wear first name identification
Timeliness Standards
36. Implement a corporate standard of all telephone calls being
returned within one business day.
37. Implement a corporate standard of all mailed or faxed
correspondence requiring a response being answered within
15 working days of receipt.
38. Implement a standard of acknowledging receipt of all e-mails
within two business days and responding within 15 days.
39. Implement a standard for walk-in service whereby customers
will be served in order and told the expected waiting time.
40. Implement a standard for the handling of customer complaints
– acknowledgement within two business days; follow-up within
specified time.
4.2 Next Steps
The next steps in the Customer Service Strategy Development process
include the following:
•
Once basic agreement to the strategic directions has been reached,
we will develop an implementation strategy that outlines
responsibilities and timelines
Recommendations will be sorted into short term (2001); medium term
(2002) and longer term (2003 and beyond). Individual departments
will need to consider the administrative and human resource
implications associated with implementing specific recommendations
(e.g. staffing of front-line functions). Each department faces unique
constraints in terms of its capacity to implement some of the proposed
changes, and it is not anticipated that all of the standards are
achievable at once. Nevertheless, the experience elsewhere
Customer Service Strategy
Moving Towards Implementation
40
REGION OF YORK
demonstrates that the setting of standards is an important ingredient
in creating a customer-centred organization.
•
Over the next few months the Customer Service Strategy Toolkit will
be developed. This toolkit will contain the following:
A. The York Region Customer Service Training Manual: This
manual will include a general orientation to York Region, an
overview of York Region’s approach to customer service (mission,
values, standards), and how-to’s in customer service (e.g.
customer friendly behaviour, communication skills, telephone
skills, dealing with difficult customers). An additional module will
be included specifically for managers on “Managing Effective
Customer Service”.
B. The York Region Approach to Customer Service Surveying
and Monitoring: This manual will include a proposed approach
to surveying and monitoring customer service including core
questions to be incorporated into all surveys. Strategies related to
surveying, sampling, analysis, tracking and reporting will be
included.
•
Over the next few months we will also be developing a plan for the
launch of the Customer Service Strategy including a Communications
Strategy.
Customer Service Strategy
Moving Towards Implementation
41
APPENDICES
A. Customer Service
Strategy
Employee Survey
B. Employee Survey
Results
C. Selected Findings from
Customer Service
Research
A. Customer Service Strategy
Employee Survey
B. Employee Survey Results
C. Selected Findings from
Customer Service Research
C. SELECTED FINDINGS FROM
CUSTOMER SERVICE RESEARCH
Ten Common Barriers to Access for Government Services
Barriers to Access
Percent of
Respondents
Telephone lines were busy
28
I got bounced from one person to another
25
I got conflicting information
21
Trouble with voice mail or answering
system
21
I received incorrect information
14
No one took more time to explain things
13
Parking was difficult
13
I couldn’t find it in the phone book
9
I didn’t know where to look
9
I had to travel too far
7
Other
Source:
13
Erin Research for the Citizen-Centred Service Network and
Canadian Centre for Management Development, Citizens First
Summary Report, October 1998