This year, the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale’s customer service team introduced a new cloud-based contact centre platform that streamlines communication across multiple channels.
The system integrates calls, emails, and a knowledge base into one centralised platform. With the addition of a new IVR (Interactive Voice Response) option, calls related to missed bins or rates payments are now directly routed to the appropriate service providers. This helps reduce wait times and ensures that residents receive faster resolutions.
The knowledge base also plays a key role in supporting the customer service team during calls by providing suggested articles and solutions. This feature enhances the team’s ability to resolve issues on the first point of contact, minimising the need for transfers to other departments. Additionally, the knowledge base is accessible to all staff members, allowing them to quickly assist residents with inquiries outside their usual areas of responsibility.
The introduction of the contact centre platform on 5 March 2024 has led to a 50 per cent reduction in customer service requests. It has also prevented more than 800 missed bin collection-related calls from reaching the customer service team, and improved visibility into service levels, with an average of 70 per cent of calls being resolved at the first point of contact.
With the closure of the Shire’s waste transfer station, the Shire implemented a bookable hard waste collection. The Shire’s contact centre provided the option for an additional IVR option and allowed all calls related to hard waste collections be referred to a dedicated team.
Where outside business hours calls were previously diverted to an after-hours call centre, the contact centre platform provides residents with the option to leave a voicemail for non-urgent enquiries.
These are actioned the next working day by the customer service team. This has greatly reduced calls to our after-hours provider, decreasing costs and providing residents with clear information on business hours and the option to have a call returned to them.
