New technology might help improve customer contact at Dorset Council – but still runs the risk of being undermined by a lack of decent phone and internet services across the county.
Other hurdles includes a quarter of the population not being able to fully use internet services, either because of affordability, a lack of decent services, or a lack of willingness.
The comments came as Dorset councillors discussed a new customer contact system using more IT, including Artificial Intelligence.
They were told it would improve the experience of customers contacting the council while also reducing council costs.
Officers told a overview committee meeting that while there would be more future reliance on automated systems and IT, the changes would free up staff to deal with those unable to use those systems, or who preferred direct contact.
Cllr Ray Bryan, from the East of the county, said services in his area were ‘worse than the Third World’, having to use satellite technology to get a digital service: “We do need to push for a better service from the providers,” he said.
The meeting heard that the new council system should simplify contact, replacing the 225 published contact phone numbers for the authority and 450 email addresses which the public can use.
Head of customer services, Anthony Palumbo, said the new system aimed to prevent customers having to guess who they needed to contact and, often, having to tell their stories several times.
“Customers say they don’t want to be passed from department to department – they want their enquiry resolved at the point of contact,” he said, adding that few people understood the way the authority worked or what each department did : “customers just see ‘the council’ – not various departments of the council,” he said.
Several councillors spoke about the need for an interlinked customer service – giving examples of families registering a death only for contact from the council to continue because the information was not shared with different departments; or calls from residents living on the county’s borders being told, wrongly, they needed to contact the neighbouring council.
Several told of being passed from department to department, to get problems resolved, partially because those calling in did not have the same ‘council-speak’ as those working for the authority.
Said corporate director for transformation, customer and cultural services Lisa Cotton: “We want our services to be simple and straightforward, streamlined and joined up.”