Smiles for miles at city hall
Warmth, courtesy and empathy can be expected by ratepayers walking through the Manawatu¯ District Council’s doors.
The council’s customer service team is rated the second best in New Zealand, after a mystery shop by researchers with the Association of Local Government Information Management.
Disguised as customers, judges called each council three times and averaged the results to determine a fair reflection of the overall experience.
They found Manawatu¯ ’s representatives had a friendly rapport, and handled calls with confidence and professionalism.
Although most customers were pleasant, frontline staff member Bridie Moffitt has dealt with her fair share of complaints and agitated people.
Ratepayers typically fronted with a host of different queries and concerns, ranging from rates and dog registrations to road maintenance and recycling.
The art was in making people feel like they had been listened to.
‘‘Sometimes you’ve just got to let them get out what they need to and then you can find out how to best help them. It can be difficult sometimes, [but] we get training.’’
Association spokesman Jordan Dempster said a customer’s experience dictated how they viewed an organisation. ‘‘Local government is no exception.’’
The results would be used to help other councils and boost the sector, Dempster said.
Council chief executive Richard Templer said those on the front desk strived to show the council worked hard for its community.
‘‘This national ranking shows that this focus is working.’’
According to the feedback, the team handled escalating calls and transferred calls efficiently to other areas of the council.
They actively listened, were concise and clear to the customer, and minimised the average wait time for calls to be answered.
Business support team leader Linda Griffith said the result reflected a positive team culture where staff felt valued and wanted to do their job well.
‘‘It’s all about the customer experience and how they perceive the level of service they have received from the council.’’
Ranked first was the Great Lake Taupo¯ District council.