Council committed to excellent customer service
Monday 14 February 2022
Inner West Council will review its customer service with a view to increasing responsiveness, reducing Development Application times and improving transparency.
At Tuesday night’s Meeting, Council unanimously resolved to initiate the review and develop and implement a Customer Experience Plan including a Citizen Service Charter.
“Our Inner West citizens are at the centre of everything we do. The whole point of Council is to improve and enhance their lives,” said Councillor Philippa Scott, who moved the motion.
“I know we have dedicated and proficient staff. But we can always do better. We want to make very clear our commitment to quality customer service. The Charter will provide standards for our staff to strive for.
“We want to take customer service to our citizens, rather than them necessarily having to come to us, which mightn’t always be convenient – whether that’s because they’re elderly or a mum with young kids, or someone who doesn’t own a car.
“That could mean we have a customer service presence in our libraries, or mobile vans travelling our streets for maximum flexibility, or making it easier for our residents and business owners to provide feedback on Council projects by locating Your Say engagement hubs where the project is taking place.
“And improving DA times has always been very high on my personal list of priorities. This is one thing I am determined to get right,” Councillor Scott said.
The resolution includes:
• Convening a sub-committee comprising Councillors, staff, resident representatives and external advisors to develop the scope and preparation of a review
• Setting a timeline and implementation plan for developing a Customer Experience Plan including a Citizen Service Charter
• Setting a timeline and implementation plan for development application assessments to 60 days
• Reviewing Council’s complaints function including expansion of the functions of the Internal Ombudsman to be more focused on customer service
• Review and adoption of new technologies to improve transparency around maintenance schedules so residents can know when and where maintenance is due to occur in their neighbourhood
• Your Say community engagement stalls in neighbourhoods on key issues impacting the community
• Citizen service points in every library, and a mobile citizen service van
For media enquiries, contact Elizabeth Heath, Media and Communications Coordinator, 9392 5334 or Elizabeth.Heath@innerwest.nsw.gov.au