City Launches New Customer Service Initiatives

New initiatives launched this week put resident needs at the forefront of the City’s service delivery efforts. These latest steps in Greater Sudbury’s Customer Service Strategy help create consistent, timely customer service. This week, the City extended 311 operating hours, introduced a customer feedback program and adopted a set of response standards.

“Your City Council is committed to implementing opportunities to better serve residents of this community,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “We continue to advance the actions of the Customer Service Strategy to ensure we are doing everything possible to deliver the best customer service, and build a relationship of respect and trust with residents.”

The three new initiatives, part of the Customer Service Strategy adopted by City Council in November, 2018, are now in effect:

311 Extended Operating Hours:

To provide better access to municipal information, the City’s 311 call centre has extended its operating hours. New hours are Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. After-hours service is still available for public works emergencies and animal control issues. For more information on services provided by 311, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/311.

Customer Feedback Program:

Residents now have a simple, quick avenue to provide feedback on their customer service experiences. Customer Feedback forms are stationed at popular service counters, including libraries and Citizen Service Centres, arenas, and throughout Tom Davies Square. Comments can also be provided online at www.greatersudbury.ca/customerservice.  This important feedback will allow the City to continuously improve customer service to the public.

Customer Service Standards:

The City adopted a set of standards designed to provide consistent and reliable responses to inquiries. These standards lay out timeframes and best practices about when and how staff respond to resident requests.

Telephone and email requests for information will receive a reply within two business days, and correspondence by mail will receive a response within 10 business days.

Typically, 70% of calls to the City’s 311 line are resolved by the person answering the phone. Some inquiries may take longer, but our expectation is we will contact a resident within the two day (telephone/email)/ten-day (mail) timeframe and discuss the time expected to fully address the request. These standards apply to all municipal services under normal operating conditions. In unusual circumstances, such as severe weather events, some municipal services may require more time to respond.

“We all understand what good service looks like. In a corporation as large as the City of Greater Sudbury, knowing what to expect – and what’s expected of staff – is important, ” said City of Greater Sudbury Chief Administrative Officer Ed Archer. “Service enhancements like these help establish a positive customer service culture with clear expectations and measured results.”

To learn more about the Customer Service Strategy, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/customerservice.

-30-