City Calls Itself on Top Rate Customer Service

In June 2010 Customer Service responded to a staggering 9,094 customer telephone enquiries, which equates to approximately 413 calls each day, with each call averaging 3.5 minutes.

Chief Executive Officer Dr Shayne Silcox said that: 35 per cent of the queries were seeking general information; 25 per cent of calls were about waste; 15 per cent were about parks and environment; 15 per cent were rates enquiries; and 10 per cent of calls related to planning and building.

“The City of Melville’s Customer Services Team is a leader within local government and we are very proud  that Customer Service is able to answer almost 80 per cent of these calls at the first point of contact, without putting the customer on hold or through to another area,” he said.

“Customer Service is an extremely busy area and must be kept up-to-date to perform at an optimum level. These results are very, very good but we must continue to strive to be excellent."

Twenty-one staff work at the City’s Customer Service department and this includes full-time, part-time and casual staff.

“We recruit Customer Service Officers who: start and finish the day with a smile; remain cool and calm under pressure; understand the customers’ perspective; and have a desire to be service focused,” Dr Silcox said.

Dr Silcox said that along with the standard enquiries, the City also receives a number of unusual requests such as: a customer who wanted to know what was showing at Hoyts Cinema at Garden City; a caller who sought a contact number for long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives; and a resident seeking advice on what to wear to an event.

“No matter how unusual, the City prides itself on being able to respond to any query,” he said.

To contact the City’s Customer Service Team phone 1300 635 845.