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What High Performance Looks Like in Council Customer Experience

High-performing councils consistently demonstrate strong service behaviours across all customer channels. Analysis of the highest-performing councils nationally indicates that excellent customer experience outcomes are less about individual interactions and more about consistently delivering the fundamentals well.

The characteristics below represent common behaviours observed across high-performing councils and provide a practical guide for councils seeking to strengthen customer experience capability.

First Impressions – Accessible and Professional 


High-performing councils make it easy for residents to access services and create confidence from the beginning of the interaction.

Typical high-performance behaviours include:

  • Calls answered promptly and professionally.
  • Emails acknowledged and responded to clearly.
  • Digital information easy to locate and navigate.
  • Friendly, welcoming and professional tone at the start of interactions.
  • Customers can easily identify the right service pathway.
  • Response expectations are clear.

Impact

Customers quickly feel confident they have reached the right place, understand what will happen next and believe their enquiry will be handled effectively.


Communication & Listening – Clear and Customer-Focused


Strong performers communicate clearly and ensure the customer feels understood.


Typical high-performance behaviours include:

    • Staff confirming they understand the enquiry.
    • Clear explanations without unnecessary jargon.
    • Structured responses that are easy to follow.
    • Tone that is respectful, helpful and conversational.
    • Consistent communication across channels.
    • Information presented in a way that supports customer understanding.

Impact

Customers understand what is happening, what their options are and what to expect next.


Ability to Solve a Problem – Practical and Complete Responses 

High-performing councils focus on resolving the enquiry as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Typical high-performance behaviours include:

    • Providing a clear and direct answer to the question asked.
    • Offering practical guidance or next steps.
    • Anticipating related questions where appropriate.
    • Ensuring the customer knows what will happen next.
    • Resolving enquiries at first point of contact where possible.
    • Minimising unnecessary customer effort.


Impact

Customers feel their issue has been addressed, understand how to proceed and have confidence in the outcome.


Knowledge – Accurate and Relevant Information


High-performing councils demonstrate strong subject matter knowledge and provide reliable information that customers can trust.


Typical high-performance behaviours include:

    • Staff demonstrating familiarity with council services and processes.
    • Information provided being accurate and current.
    • Advice tailored to the customer's situation.
    • Confidence in the guidance being given.
    • Consistent information provided across channels.
    • Effective use of supporting information, online resources and self-service content where appropriate.


Impact

Customers trust the information they receive and feel confident making decisions or taking action based on that advice.


Overall Experience – Confidence in the Council


The overall experience reflects how the interaction makes the customer feel about the council as a service provider.


Typical high-performance outcomes include:

    • The interaction feels easy and efficient.
    • The customer feels supported and informed.
    • The council appears organised and knowledgeable.
    • The customer knows what happens next.
    • The customer would feel confident contacting the council again.
    • The interaction builds trust in the organisation.


Impact

Higher levels of customer satisfaction, community confidence and trust in council services.



The Consistency Difference


One of the strongest insights emerging from customer experience benchmarking is that high-performing councils are not necessarily doing fundamentally different things.


Rather, they consistently deliver positive customer experiences across channels, teams and interactions.


Customers often judge their experience through three simple questions:

  • Was it easy to reach the right place?
  • Did they understand my issue?
  • Do I know what happens next?


High-performing councils consistently provide positive answers to all three.


Ultimately, customer experience excellence is less about individual moments of exceptional service and more about delivering reliable, clear and customer-focused experiences every day.



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For questions or to discuss further please contact cx@algim.org.nz

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