North Herts adopts CRM to support citizens

North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) has installed a customer relationship management (CRM) system to support its newly opened call centre.

The system is part of a £2.1m Access-to-Service programme being carried out by the council to improve citizen's experience of interacting with local government.

The customer service centre, supported by the CRM system, is central to improving efficiency and service quality, says NHDC's customer services manager, Neil Sloper.

'It will help the council to resolve more customer enquiries at the first point of contact and, ultimately, will provide the public with a single point of contact for all council services and information,' he said.

As part of the Anite-administered Access-to-Service change programme, NHDC has already moved to an open software architecture, integrating its departmental systems and creating a council wide intranet.

It has also implemented a mobile work system for 15 members of its revenues and benefits staff, who use tablet PCs to go out and contact citizens in the borough area.

The scope of the programme reduces the risks and costs associated with procuring the various solutions separately, says NHDC's strategic director of customer services, John Robinson.

'It allows a more collaborative approach and has helped to promote joined-up working, cross-departmental coordination and a consistent quality of service for the public,' he said.

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Further reading:

• East of England Development Agency installs CRM system
• Rugby club installs CRM to target fans
• British Gas Business opts for on-demand customer system