‘Ultimate Customer Service Centre': Rotorua District Council

12 September 2012

‘Ultimate Customer Service Centre’ award for Rotorua District Council

It's been a week of awards for Rotorua District Council (RDC) with the latest announcement that the council has taken out top spot in the ALGIM (Association of Local Government Information Management) Customer Centre Awards.

RDC customer centre manager Roanna Dunn was presented with a trophy and certificate yesterday (Tuesday 11 September) in Auckland when it was announced that Rotorua had the country’s 2012 ‘Ultimate Local Government Customer Service Centre.’

ALGIM Customer Service Awards recognise and celebrate best practice in customer service among New Zealand local authorities.

Roanna Dunn said RDC's Customer Centre had clearly ticked all the right boxes with the panel of judges.

“This year's awards received the most entries ever so our team is absolutely delighted to have been named New Zealand’s Ultimate Local Government Customer Service Centre."

"Our mission is to strive for excellence, continuous improvement and value for customers, in line with the council's Vision, Mission and Values statement, and that really struck a chord with the judges.”

RDC chief executive Peter Guerin said it was a big and bold decision some years ago when the council decided to totally transform the way staff interacted directly with customers.

“This involved closing down 13 separate customer desks spread throughout the Civic Centre and replacing them with a single integrated 'one-stop-shop' customer centre on the ground floor supported by a trained back-of-house call centre team.

"So the announcement this week that RDC has the country’s local government customer service centre is a stunning endorsement of that earlier decision.

“But more importantly it's acknowledgement of a great team who have made our unique customer centre concept work exceedingly well through innovation, continuous improvement and an outstanding commitment to providing excellent customer service.

It’s very encouraging to be named the best in New Zealand for customer service among all local authorities, but that accolade has even more impact having come from our peers in local government.”

The council’s Aquatic Centre also picked up national honours this week in the 2012 Local Government Excellence Awards, for its ‘Lean Thinking’ business efficiency programme.

ENDS

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