The annual ALGIM Customer Service Symposium is the premier event for customer service managers and teams in the public sector (local and central government).
It is designed for the sector by the sector, and aims to bring local government customer service practitioners together to face the challenge of higher customer expectations through multi-channel delivery mechanisms including online self service, social media, web, text, email and chat.
Managing the customer experience is how Local Government can achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction.
This year the annual Customer Service Symposium was hosted by Nelson City Council in conjunction with ALGIM at the superior venue the Rutherford Hotel Nelson.
Symposium Highlights
Programme highlights included:
- An official welcome to Nelson by Mayor Aldo Miccio.
- Nelson City Council’s Chief Executive, Keith Marshall opened the Symposium with an inspiring presentation on leadership
- Christchurch City Council’s Customer Service Manager shared the experience of his team following the February 22 earthquake
- Kay Maryan’s journey one year after taking up the position of Customer Service Manager at Hutt City Council
- Skill Sets: Call Centre vs Service Centre Staff Rotation – a panel discussion expressing viewpoints from several representatives outlining their council’s experience within this area
- Top of the South Maps - a joint project between Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council, which won the 2011 ALGIM GIS Project of the Year Award
- Text Channels – a text message initiative to assist the community with reporting faults to their local authority.
- Cherie Irving, Manager – Customer Service Centre spoke about the formalisation of an electronic complaints & feedback system at Nelson City Council
- Manawatu District Council demonstrated their electronic visitors’ sign-in system
- Launch of ALGIM’s Customer Service Toolkit - Best Practice and Customer First Modules
- Doing more with less in your contact centre. Steve Miller from absol explained how this can be done
- Nelson City Council’s experience implementing Microsoft Communicator to manage presence of staff
- Super sizing customer service, Auckland Council’s story.
- Responding to the call for help in a national state of emergency. How two local authorities banded together in a time of need to take over the NZ Red Cross 0800 number following the Christchurch earthquake
- Are motivation levels the key to reaching team goals in challenging times? Sean Beattie from the Farmers Mutual Group (FMG) award winning contact centre provided attendees with his views
- Exciting local government case studies, facilitated discussions and motivational speakers.
Speaker Presentations
View the ALGIM 2011 Customer Service Symposium speaker presentations.
Symposium Photos
View photos from the 2011 Customer Service Symposium on Facebook.
The 2011 ALGIM Customer Service Symposium Awards are your opportunity to shine among your peers and be recognised for your efforts within the local government customer service sector.
Congratulations to the following award winners:
Local Government Customer Service Manager of the Year
Winner:
Cherie Irving - Nelson City Council
Individual Who Personifies Local Government Customer Service
Winner:
Garry Edlin - Wanganui District Council
Local Government Frontline/Customer Service Representative of the Year
Winner:
Louise Woodthorpe - Wanganui District Council
Local Government Customer Service Team of the Year
Winner:
Horizons Regional Council
The Ultimate Local Government Customer Service Centre
Winner:
New Plymouth District Council
Symposium Enquiries
For symposium enquiries please contact Rebecca Swansson (ALGIM’s Conference and Events Coordinator) on (06) 351 6336 or email events@algim.org.nz