Work is underway on Thuringowa City Council’s new customer service centre. The centre, due to open in May, will be a one stop shop for Council business. A team of up to 10 specially trained staff will process inquiries from rates and registration to property searches and community information.
The idea is to make it easier for people to do business with Council and to save them from wandering around the buildings to different departments. Council hopes that up to 90 per cent of inquiries will be handled at the centre. Should other Council officers be required to assist on technical matters, they will be called to the centre rather than the public being referred to other departments for service.
Thuringowa City Council joins only a handful of Councils across Queensland who have set up customer service centres.
Councillors and senior Council staff inspected similar centres across the city last year and incorporated what they thought were the best aspects from each in Council’s own plans.
The centre will be located on the ground floor of the Council offices next to a new telephone call centre to enable multi skilling of Council staff. The customer service centre will feature three interview rooms with video conferencing facilities, a public lounge, five service counters, a kids’ corner, tea and coffee making facilities and a lobby area, which will have Council and community displays as well as works from Pinnacles Gallery.
There are also plans to install a computer with internet access in the centre to enable ratepayers to conduct their business online.
