You're hardworking and citizen-focused. You need to drive continuous operational efficiencies across your council by doing 'more with less'.
You need ways of generating revenues or collecting revenues more quickly and seamlessly.
You know that public perception of the council can always be improved, and you want to deliver on your responsibilities to residents, however…
Your teams are struggling with high volumes of repetitive telephone calls and email enquiries, they feel;
• Overwhelmed
• Frustrated
• Demoralised, and...
• Under constant pressure to hit outdated KPIs
You need to help citizen-facing staff find a way to quickly, accurately, and efficiently respond to enquiries without increasing team headcount or demanding even more of the current personnel. But your resources and attention feel constantly stretched…
You know that there must be a way to decrease non-essential citizen calls and emails. And you know that the effects of directing Council resources to support vulnerable, isolated and disadvantaged residents can often be life-changing.
You also know that if you could make your team’s roles more fulfilling, it would improve morale, and have a massive positive impact on the service they deliver, but…
You're growing tired of increasing demands and decreasing budgets. Frustrated citizens and team members can be a constant challenge.
You’re also likely concerned that handling public money, means you're under additional pressure to make the right choices. Additional scrutiny on finances means you have to invest wisely.
You may be aware of the potential of automation, but you’re acutely conscious of the ‘job loss’ fears surrounding the topic and need to better understand how you can navigate this effectively.
Even though it's not true, people in your position often think service automation tools like chatbots and digital assistants are a risky investment.
It could be deemed a waste of public money or worse… that they could contribute to job losses!
You’ve probably heard mixed reports about this type of technology, and wonder if it can genuinely help citizens and support your staff.
Maybe you've already tried to implement self-service tools like apps and portals before, but it didn’t work out. That's no one's fault!
The fact is, app download numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years. There is a lot of friction in the download process, and there are growing privacy concerns surrounding the major app stores and 'big players' like Apple and Google.
Studies show that 84% of mobile users’ time today is spent using only 5 of their favourite apps. Chances are (with respect!), a Local Authority app isn't one of them.
As for self-serve portals… unfortunately, they are often set up to fail for the following reasons:
- Citizens are often unaware of them
- They ask too much of the citizens (too many clicks, remembering usernames, passwords etc)
- They’re clunky, unintuitive and hard to navigate
- They’re hard to update, meaning information quickly becomes obsolete
And yet…
Big technology companies charge a small fortune for these outdated platforms, leaving you and your teams struggling, overwhelmed and locked into expensive contracts!
But what if there was another way?
There is...
We’re excited to tell you about it because it’s an important step forward in serving your citizens, and it's a step that should be taken sooner rather than later. Every day of inaction steals time away from supporting society’s most vulnerable (domestic abuse victims, the homeless, the economically disadvantaged, the old and isolated). Unfortunately, it's these citizens that pay for Local Government inefficiencies every single day.
You can make a real difference in their lives!
Covid-19 taught us all a lot of lessons, and we saw first-hand how digitising and automating manual activities returned time to stretched teams. That time was used by our Local Government clients to make a massive difference in the lives of those most in need. This is why we’re so passionate about helping Local Authorities deliver on their commitments to the public.
Inefficiencies in the Public Sector can have far more serious consequences than those in the private sector. When Public Sector workers are bogged down with manual, repetitive, high volume, low-value activities, VERY REAL consequences can play out;
- Victims of abuse can continue to suffer
- People struggling to find financial support can be left homeless
- The elderly and isolated can feel scared and lonely
- In the most extreme of cases, people can lose their lives
“Business as usual” is not an option anymore.
Local Authorities are often (unfairly) highlighted as the point of failure, and the buck can stop with you.
It's a massive responsibility, and when things go wrong people in your position can find themselves in the public firing line. The good news is, we can start making progress toward fixing many of these issues today.
By implementing technology like this, you are showing support for your citizens' growing desire to self-serve.
And…
Doing so releases your team’s time to help those incapable of self-serve, which is what’s really important!
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of digital tools used to access council services and being in such an important position, you need to build a strong self-serve strategy.
Now there's the Ukrainian crisis, the fuel crisis, the cost of living crisis. These are not normal times, and we can't rely on business as usual.
Citizens know this, and are happy to self-serve; they don't want to call and be on hold for long periods or wait days for an email reply. They often appreciate your resources are stretching to breaking point, and don't want to bother your teams with menial enquiries.
Don't ignore the huge opportunity in front of you... Citizens expect to self-serve and are willing and ready to do so. Please don’t fail them, or your team!
