Surrey County Council - Channel Optimisation

Developing a Customer Access Strategy for a

Lean Future

Simon Pollock

Head of Customer Service

Today

1. Channel Shift

2. Surrey’s Access Strategy

3. Discussion

Channel Shift

Authors

Sarah Fogden, Cabinet Office

Bob Kamall, Cabinet Office

Carolyn Cho, Cabinet Office

Stephen Dodson, DC10plus

Marin Herbert, Student Loans Company

Simon Pollock, Surrey County Council

1. The internet is not always the best

channel

“…..channel shift DOES NOT mean simply moving an organisation’s customer contact online….

“…..deliberate channel shift is the design and marketing of effective and efficient channels because they are the most appropriate channel for the type of contact, customer and organisation….”

Channel Hopping

2. Place One Person in Control

Who’s in Charge?

Who’s in Charge?

Channel Shift at SurreyWebsite Visitors

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

Jan-

06

Mar

-06

May

-06

Jul-0

6

Sep

-06

Nov

-06

Jan-

07

Mar

-07

May

-07

Jul-0

7

Sep

-07

Nov

-07

Jan-

08

Mar

-08

May

-08

Jul-0

8

Sep

-08

Nov

-08

Jan-

09

Mar

-09

May

-09

Jul-0

9

Sep

-09

Channel Shift at SurreyPhone Calls

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2007

2008

2009

3. The Contact Centre Use the Public Website

Use the Public Website

4. Don’t Build Internal Knowledge

Systems

Don’t Build Internal Knowledge Systems

5. Look at the Exit Pages

Look at the Exit Pages

“…the key to driving people online is offering good online experiences, good customer service and outputting good information….”

Tim Moss Director Corporate Strategy Companies House

6. Compare Conversion Rates Across Channels

7. Don’t Launch “Internet Only”

Services

Don’t Launch Web Only Services

Don’t Launch Web Only Services

“ It is unlawful for a public authority to discriminate against a disabled person in carrying out it’s functions”

8. Don’t Pay by Transaction for

Outsourced Calls

Don’t Pay by Transaction for Outsourced Calls

9. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

10. Engage Marketing and

Comms Experts

The Top 10

The Top 10

1. Don’t just think “internet” for channel shift – online is not always the best channel

2. Place one person in control3. Get the contact centre staff to transact using the public website4. Use the public website as your internal knowledge database5. Look at the “exit pages” on your website to see where transactions are

failing6. Compare conversion rates via different channels7. Don’t launch internet only services for the public, it’s against the law!8. Don’t sign any outsourced contracts that are paid per transaction9. Find out what’s worked elsewhere10. Engage marketing or communications experts

Surrey’s Contact Strategy

Contact Centres

Demand for

contact stimulated

Customer chooseschannel

Contactarrives

Contacthandled

Contact resolved..or not….

by us or others

Where we have been focussing

Contact Centres

Demand for

contact stimulated

Contactarrives

Contacthandled

Contact resolved..or not….

by us or others

Where we are now focussing

Customer chooseschannel

Customer chooseschannel

Surrey’s Channel Strategy

Surrey’s Contact Strategy1. All new services should be built for the 24/7 web access

first2. The Contact Centre offers mediated access to the web

using the public site3. Maximum web admin rights should be given to the public4. All contacts should be analysed every month5. Business cases should be prepared to move more

transactions online (including information transactions)6. Where appropriate, online transactions should be closed

down or signposted to more appropriate channels

Customer Services

Contact

Centre

Web

Team

CSI

Team

SALDR

BLUEBADGE

STUDENT

FINANCE

FARECARDS

Channel Shift at SurreyWebsite Visitors

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

Jan-

06

Mar

-06

May

-06

Jul-0

6

Sep

-06

Nov

-06

Jan-

07

Mar

-07

May

-07

Jul-0

7

Sep

-07

Nov

-07

Jan-

08

Mar

-08

May

-08

Jul-0

8

Sep

-08

Nov

-08

Jan-

09

Mar

-09

May

-09

Jul-0

9

Sep

-09

Channel Shift at SurreyPhone Calls

-

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2007

2008

2009

Channel Shift Benefits

Calls Web Emails Total Contacts Increase YOY2007 590,238 2,346,886 43,429 2,980,553 2008 540,677 3,312,881 47,298 3,900,856 30.9%2009 490,537 4,002,318 54,783 4,547,638 16.6%

52.6%

Budget Cost per Contact Reduction YOY2007 3,135,348£ 1.05£ 2008 3,355,020£ 0.86£ -18.2%2009 3,631,438£ 0.80£ -7.2%

15.8% -24.1%

Surrey’s Contact Strategy -

Crossovers

Contact Centres

Demand for

contact stimulated

Contactarrives

Contacthandled

Contact resolved..or not….

by us or others

Where we are now focussing

Customer chooseschannel

Demand for

contact stimulated

Surrey Pothole Process

Surrey Pothole Process

Surrey Pothole Process

Surrey Pothole Process

Surrey Pothole Process

Surrey Social Care Process

Outbound SMS

SMS sent out 46 hours before appointment

Small bills chased by text School closures Street light reporting

Paddling Up Stream

Something Interesting

Avoidable Contact Target by April 2011

- 49,985 Calls

Channel Shift Target by April 2011

45,419 Calls

Total Annual Call volume 500,000

Discussion Points

Questions & Discussion

Which department do you think should “own the website”?

Where does this sit in your organisation? How does channel management work in

your organisation? Are there any successes that you can

share?Is there a better way of managing channels?

Quick Wins

Quick Win 1

Think about each web service where you would rather have a customer ring you

Eg. Outstanding bill, social care, suicide

Place the phone number at the top of the text

Quick Win 2

Begin a jargon busting campaign

“The five Thematic Partnerships will be responsible for delivering the Surrey Community Strategy priority

outcomes and LAA targets agreed by the SSP Leadership Group by developing and commissioning thematic

programmes of work designed to achieve the required benefits and reporting on progress to the SSP Board and

partner organisations. “I think this means…..

Five project groups will implement the Surrey Community Strategy .

Quick Win 3

Get a list of your top 20 Contact Centre call types

Get a friend or relative to try and find each service on your website

Eg, missed bins, registering a birth, pothole

Change the website to make the service easier to find