Customer Strategy. Quality working together integrity innovation commitment Delivering excellent services through resident-led management

Transcription

1 Customer Strategy Quality working together integrity innovation commitment Delivering excellent services through resident-led management

2 1. Introduction The TMO s business Plan was agreed by the Board in July 2014 and sets both the vision and mission for the company and as the strategic priorities for the next three years. The 2014 Residents Conference team Vision: our community a great place to live This vision is an aspirational target and looks 10 years ahead. It recognises that the majority of the Board and the residents live in the borough and are a part of the community we serve. Mission: delivering excellent services through resident-led management The mission is a realistic target and looks some five years ahead. The mission reflects the fact that the TMO already deliver more than housing services (such as resident training, employment, welfare reform support, commercial property, community alarm services and so forth) and there is an aspiration to do more Strategic priorities Our mission is underpinned by five strategic priorities which need to be achieved to deliver the mission: customers at the heart fantastic people work here invest to make great homes and communities deliver excellent good value services grow our scale and scope. Each of these priorities is supported by a strategy and this strategy supports the priority of customers at the heart. 2. Aim Our customer service strategy aims to deliver excellent services to our customers however they choose to access them. They will deal with customer focused staff who will take ownership of the customer enquiry ensuring that they are responded to courteously effectively and efficiently. 2

3 3. Scope We mange approximately 10,000 homes on behalf of the Council and the customer strategy will apply to every aspect of the TMO s work. The range of services that the TMO delivers on behalf of Kensington and Chelsea is set out in the modular management agreement and other services the Council wishes us to deliver through additional funding, such as tenancy support through welfare officers. Services are delivered to customers from two main offices: Blantyre in the South and Network Hub in the North. In addition to this we have a customer call centre and a small office at Lancaster West Estate. The strategy goes beyond the staff that work in these areas and encompasses all staff within the TMO in their customer facing roles. 4. Stakeholders and external environment All customers of the TMO are our stakeholders and this will range from our residents to RBKC Councillors and officers. We are also living in an increasing digital age which has already changed the way we shop, work and play and has also changed customers perceptions of how they access our services and the way they receive information. 5. Strategic objectives The objectives of the customer strategy describe the main ways in which we can achieve the overall aims of the strategy. Our objectives are: ensuring that our service delivery is excellent providing a variety of access methods to suit customers needs using the latest technology to deliver joined up services. Ensuring that our service delivery is excellent There are a number of factors which contribute to excellent service delivery and these include: 1. Understanding our customers Our starting point understands who our customers are and what services they need and want. We need to know how and when they want to access these services. Understanding the cyclical nature of demand helps us to anticipate the level of customer requirements over time and from this we can undertake the necessary capacity planning. We will collect customer profile information in a number of different ways and our tenancy audit programme will provide detailed household information. Customer insight means analysing our customers and identifying groups across the organisation. Our current resident age profile shows that 68% of our customers are aged 60 and over. The Community Alarm Service and our supported housing service help us to focus resources to help customers to live independently. 2. Culture We need to create a culture of customer focus that will translate into our customers receiving an excellent experience when contacting the organisation. The people strategy 3

4 provides the framework for how our employee engagement work will be implemented and embedded throughout everything that is delivered. 3. Staff training, development and support Our staff are our most important and valuable asset. The TMO recognises and value the contribution that our staff make in delivering services. We aim to ensure staff are well motivated and equipped with the right skills and knowledge to deliver excellent services. A corporate customer service training programme has been developed and delivered annually across the whole organisation. A leadership and management training plan is to be implemented in 15/16 to support our managers within the business. The customer service centre now has a dedicated trainer that helps to coach, mentor and performance manage the quality of the calls answered by the customer service advisers. 4. Managing demand and expectation through consultation and communications If we do not know what our customers want we cannot hope to meet their expectations. It is important to pass feedback from customers to staff at all levels. It is vital that we complete the feedback loop and demonstrate that it is a learning process and that we have taken into account the outcome of consultation exercises. We will be setting up a consumer panel that will be made up of groups of customers with the aim of obtaining feedback on the quality of our service. The panel will look at specific areas and will also undertake mystery shopping to test quality. The TMO has eight area review boards (ARB) and 64 resident associations which operate geographically across the borough. As a tenant-led organisation effective contact and communication with our customers is a critical factor in the success of the customer strategy. 5. Performance management, change management and continual improvement An effective organisation has clear targets which enable it to recognise and build on success and address opportunities for improvements. A performance management framework leads into a cycle of change management and continual improvement. Providing a variety of access methods to suit our customers Customers access our services in a variety of different ways and we need a co-ordinated approach if we are to deliver real benefits to our customers in the form of improved service delivery and efficient use of resources. Research has shown that customers will use a variety of different channels for the same transaction; for example initial information via the internet, further details from the contact centre and the completion of the transaction in the service reception. We will review and improve access at: 1. Our office main receptions Two main reception areas at the Network Hub and the Blantyre office, plus a satellite office at Lancaster West. These offices provide customers living in the north and south of the Borough with a face to face facility that provides a high quality, seamless and consistent service. We will make the best use of information technology to ensure the majority of enquiries are resolved at the first point of contact for the convenience of our customers. 4

5 2. Customer Service Centre The purpose of the Customer Service Centre is to handle many different types of customer contact. The centre will predominately handle telephone calls, s, social media, online services, and text messaging. Significant investment into the TMO website will enable our customers to use online services which will provide a self service option for those customers that choose not to call the contact centre. 3. Self-service delivery channels The self-service delivery channels will enable our customers to access information and services by themselves without dealing directly with a member of staff. These compliment rather than replace traditional methods. Customers can currently complete and submit online requests. This will be developed so that customers can report a repair, choose and book their own appointment, and track the progress of the repair. They will also be able to access their own rent account and make payments through an online service. The website will provide residents with vital information on our policies and will signpost to other services related to housing and the community. 4. Mobile services Mobile or outreach services can be defined as those which are taken to customers who are unable or unwilling to access our services. We have two welfare officers who work within customers homes to provide support on benefits and housing options. A new service providing two further neighbourhood support roles will shortly be established to provide further outreach support. Using technology to deliver joined up services In order to ensure that our access channels deliver high quality joined-up services we need to have the appropriate technology to support them. We will look at the following key components: 1. Customer relationship management (CRM) It is important that customer requirements drive IT developments in terms of service delivery. CRM helps us to understand our customers and provide high quality consistent services. Staff are helped by scripting within the system to resolve a wide range of straightforward transactions at the first point of contact. 2. Knowledge engine Our ability to function efficiently and effectively depends on our ability to gather, manage and share information and to develop our knowledge base. Technology is an important enabler and can provide tools to harness and utilise information and experience through creation of a knowledge engine. The collation of information about services and activities is a critical factor in the success of any CRM system and will provide staff with the knowledge they need to provide an excellent service to our customers. 3. Payment engines A payment engine can be defined as the technology and processes which enable customers to pay for services using different types of payment and across delivery channels. We are currently introducing new software called RentSense that will enable staff to manage income collection more efficiently and to help customers from falling into debt. 5

6 4. Document management system A document management system manages documentation received and handled by an organisation. The TMO s system, W2, ensures that documents are scanned, indexed and stored electronically. The system incorporates a workflow function so that transactions and the relevant documents are directed to the appropriate member of staff and dealt with quickly and consistently. This provides managers with a way of tracking actions to ensure staff call customers back when requested. 5. Geographical information systems The TMO s geographical information system (GIS) enables storage, retrieval, mapping and analysis of geographic data. It can help to answer queries relating to land, property, people and services. 6. Mobile working Mobile working allows staff to use mobile devices such as phones and tablets whilst they are working outside of the office. The TMO has introduced mobile working solutions for our estate services assistants (ESAs) to allow them to work more effectively remotely without wasting time completing paperwork in the office. Repairs Direct s operatives also use mobile technology to receive their job information and to record outcomes. This ensures a more effective use of their time. We will continue to investigate such mobile solutions for other areas of the business. 6. Resources In reviewing the resource requirements for these objectives we need to understand the capacity of the organisation to develop improved services and the addition of new software. The funding for CRM has been built into budgets, and other initiatives will be delivered from existing resources. 7. Monitoring This strategy fits within the overall business plan and actions contained in the delivery plan will be monitored and evaluated by the Board. Plans will be updated and reviewed on a quarterly basis and refreshed annually as necessary. 8. Supporting policies and plans The customer strategy has links with: the people strategy, investing in our homes and communities strategies (increased investment, new homes) and the value for money strategy (cost of our service). 6