Using different methods to reach its customers and staff results in successful communication at Wokingham Borough Council, according to the shortlist of a national awards programme.

The council will be going head to head with local authorities and other public sector organisations from around the country this week (Thursday July 14) after being shortlisted in five categories in this year’s Good Communications Awards. Organised by PSI Ltd, the awards recognise effective government communication with citizens and employees.

The council has been shortlisted in four individual categories:

• Council publication design for Wokingham Borough News (residents’ newsletter)
• Contact centre of the year
• Contact centre training
• Website of the year

The strength of its entries in these categories has led to the council also being shortlisted for Local Authority of the Year. This is awarded to the local authority that is judged to have delivered the most successful all round communications strategy, incorporating print, public relations, IT and telecommunications.

Sarah Barrow, head of customer services and administration, said: "To be nominated for five awards is a fantastic achievement. It is always good to be benchmarked against our peers, particularly when the teams who have been nominated have worked so hard to improve their services.

"External recognition is a great motivator in helping us continue to improve. It allows us to learn from other organisations and look for new ways to make sure we keep everyone informed as we adapt and modernise. Ultimately, it’s all about providing a service which best meets our customers’ needs."

Notes:

• The council’s customer service, web and communications teams sit under the umbrella of Wokingham Direct. Based at the council’s Civic Offices in Wokingham, Wokingham Direct was launched in January 2009 and is dedicated to putting customers first by making it easier and more convenient to get in touch with council services. By dialling (0118) 974 6000, professionally-trained customer service staff are on hand to answer customer queries quickly and efficiently and to deliver a service that is more convenient and fits in with residents’ lifestyles.
  
  

• The contact centre is open from 8am to 6pm and deals with some 800 to 1,000 calls per day, aiming to answer customer queries first time round in four out of five cases. The team also deals with enquiries via emails, SMS, face-to-face and via web chat.

• Wokingham Direct aims to improve overall customer satisfaction by giving customers choice in the way and the times that they are able to access services through a variety of means, including its increasingly interactive website where customers can now carry out more than 50 transactions online, from paying council tax to reporting a pothole for repair, and from requesting graffiti removal to applying for school admissions.  Also through the website customers can chat electronically to an advisor. ‘Web Chat’ has proven very popular amongst Wokingham residents and is particularly helpful to customers with a hearing disability, but who wish to discuss their enquiry with a customer service advisor.
  

• Digital Television is available through Sky and Virgin Media, smartphone app and via the Nintendo Wii, giving customers access to a wide range of council services through their television sets at the touch of their remote controls. And touch-screen information kiosks are available in some libraries for those customers without access to the internet or who prefer a simpler way of accessing council services.