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Customer Service Strategy

 
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The Township of Ramara is dedicated to creating a customer service experience with realistic and achievable standards and expectations. 

Customer Service Standards

Phone

  • All phone calls will be acknowledged within 2 business days.
  • Please note that if staff are away, an absence message will be activated providing information regarding staff's return or a co-worker’s name and contact information as backup. 

Email

  • All emails will be acknowledged within 2 business days.
  • Please note that if staff are away, an absence message will be activated providing information regarding staff's return or a co-worker’s name and contact information as backup.

Social Media 

  • All social media messages (not comments on posts) will be acknowledged within 2 business days.
  • Please note that if staff are away, an absence message will be activated providing information regarding staff's return or a co-worker’s name and contact information as backup.

Report a Concern

The public can submit concerns online for their concerns related to issues occuring within the Township of Ramara. 

Report a Concern

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Department Customer Service Standards
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Customer Service Strategy

Customer Service Strategy

Vision

The Township of Ramara believes in creating a consistent customer service experience with realistic and achievable standards and expectations.

Key Principles

Professionalism

We recruit and train staff to provide great customer service and recognize those employees who exceed expectations.

Quality

 We are committed to improving our customer service practices through performance management.

Consistency

 We have agreed upon standards for customer service and service delivery.

Positivity

 We create a culture that endorses a positive customer service experience

Focus Areas

We have identified three key focus areas to give direction to our Customer Service Strategy based on the input given by staff, public and members of council. 

 Accessible Services

 Provide services to residents that are easy to access and understand.

Efficient Services

 Provide clear and easily understood expectations to citizens and staff and commit to ongoing improvements through routinely measured performance. 

Customer Service Culture

 Enhance the Township's customer service culture through recognition and clear objectives

Action Plan

 Accessible Services


Increase access to services at Township facilities.
  • Investigate extending operating hours to increase access to customer service representatives.

  • Utilize partnership with the Ramara Township Public Library to support access to digital
    services.

  • Utilize community centers to help increase access.

Expand knowledge sharing between departments
  • Create an internal document that outlines contacts and other important information such
    as FAQs.

  •  Improve internal communication to ensure that all staff are updated on process and
    service changes that occur in other departments.

  • Expand the use of GIS internally and train staff accordingly.

  • Continue a customer service committee that will consist of administrative staff that will
    meet quarterly to discuss any concerns, issues and things going well.

Expand information and service online and in print
 Ensure departments update online information regularly to ensure information is up to date and accurate.
  • Add other topics to the News and Notices subscription list for residents to receive them via email.
  • Promote and utilize the Community Calendar to increase awareness. 
  • Expand the use of GIS externally
    • Add Interactive Zoning Map in 2022
Create a customer service hub that will help in providing first-response answers
  • Provide information and train administration staff on providing first-response answers to residents to reduce call back.
  • Create an internal and external document that provides the answers to commonly asked questions.
  • Create a Citizen Portal that provides residents a 'one-stop' shop to information, such as their tax/utility bills, news, other information.
Develop and implement consistent messaging
  • Develop external and internal messaging specific for each department, i.e. out of office, service request follow up, etc.
  • Develop and implement a communication schedule to ensure residents are informed
  • on changes to services or programs.

 Efficient Services

 
Create, implement and report on attainable services standards
  • Create service standards that are attainable and achievable.
  • Review service standards yearly to  ensure optimal performance and to make necessary changes.
  • Report to Council once a year on service standard changes and statistics.
Survey quarterly citizens' satisfaction with our services
  • Survey will be sent to residents in the following way during the customer service exchange:
    • Email
    • in person
    • Link posted on social media, website and other modes of communication.
  • Survey will examine their recent customer service experience.
Develop and execute an internal and public communication campaign to create awareness and understanding of service expectations.
  • Internal campaign will consist of training, information sheets, and discussions to ensure understanding and expectations.
  • External campaign will consist of website information, social media, public notifications, media release and other communication publication.
Review and analyze department processes to improve performance and meet best practices to optimize the customer and end user experience
  • Initiate a process review of services offered by each department.
    • Document the processes,
    • Set performance metrics,
    • Review and discuss process changes, and
    • Incorporate technology, if needed.
  • Processes will be shared internally to ensure that staff have access to processes and process changes.
  • Create position manuals that incorporate processes and information pertained to that position. 
Review and expand the use of our complaint/work order system and align service expectations and delivery.
  • Review of our ‘report a concern’ practices and processes to ensure that customers can easily access the form and submit their concerns.
  • Review work order system practices and processes to ensure that all applicable departments are meeting best practices and service standards.
Regular review of department staffing needs
  • Regular review between the Manager of HR and Directors to ensure that departments are staffed to meet service standards.
  • In 2022, the following staffing needs in the following departments will be addressed:
    • Building and Planning Administrative Support
    • Bylaw Administrative Support
    • Infrastructure - Contract Administrator

 Customer Service Culture

 
Engage residents and employees in process improvements in response to feedback
  • Increase engagement opportunities to the community through multiple communication channels.
    • Surveys (Paper and online)
    • Public meetings
    • Website
  • Increase opportunity for all staffing levels to collaborate together in response to process improvements.
Create a recognition program for employees, residents and volunteers 
  • Create a recognition program for internal staff that recognizes their excellence in customer service and service delivery.
  • Create a recognition program for our residents/volunteers that would recognize their effort. 
Hire and trail staff on practices and service standards. Train staff yearly on customer service practices and standards 
  • Train on customer service standards and other service standards Provide yearly training on dealing with difficult customers Provide cross training to improve customer help and first-time response. Review job descriptions and recruitment tools to include customer service competencies.
Create a platform that ensures staff are updated on service and policy changes
  • Develop and implement an intranet that will provide internal access to news, notices, links and up to date information. 

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© 2020 Township of Ramara
2297 Hwy 12, PO Box 130
Brechin ON L0K 1B0

Office Hours
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm


Phone 705-484-5374
Toll-free 1-800-663-4054 

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