Buckinghamshire County Council

To Shift or not Shift – that is the Question ( and how do you know when you have got there anyway ?)

Duncan Grainge

Customer Insight and Integration Manager

Buckinghamshire County Council

Buckinghamshire County Council

Libraries

Channel Shift L & H

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Voice

Buckinghamshire County Council

• Majority of contacts are renewals or reservations • Successful campaign to launch the ‘0845’ number to move away

from face to face transactions – increased choice and access• Introduction of an automated renewal line and its impact – offers 24

hour service but requires a PIN to be remembered • “Fridge Magnet “ syndrome and number of first choice ? • Plateau of calls and worrying decline in automated calls • Spikes in call volume relating to bad weather and physical access

issues but not on the automated line ?• Is this as good as it will get ? • Are we unrealistic to aim for total shift? • Is there , dare we say, too much choice ?

Buckinghamshire County Council

Transportation : fault reporting

Channel Shift TfB

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Web

Voice

Buckinghamshire County Council

• Slow decline in calls as on line reporting tool relaunched with improved features

• Sharp spikes in all channels with adverse weather – significant re-work and duplication as customers use multiple channels for the same enquiry

• It is a challenge for the service area to cope with faster access which can lead to a rise in avoidable contact at the front end

• Customers like on line tracking – but expect to be able to see it cross a range of enquiries

Buckinghamshire County Council

On line payments

• Slow but steady rise in on line payments

• Variety of offers – but in the main , low value transactions

• Grappling with inconsistencies with channel offers between telephone and web (library fines)

• Spiderweb legacy of differing systems and the complications it brings

Buckinghamshire County Council

Our Gordian Knots

• Channel shift – has to be born in the back office – creating pdf forms for customers to print is not “e-enablement” or channel shift . Nor is creating an on line application system that then creates letters to be posted with tear-off slips to be returned

• Customer Confidence is problematic – an on line application is often followed up with a letter or call to check up. Feedback indicates that they do not like or distrust standard auto responses for critical, or emotive issues.

• Being clear about customers and who is accessing which services is crucial to overcoming perceived barriers to greater self service e.g. in social care

• Why ask for email addresses or mobile numbers if you are not going to use them ?