Civica Procures Live Chat Software for Hull and East Riding Councils

They have recently introduced the instant communication channel to Hull City and East Riding of Yorkshire councils. Both local authorities were looking for ways to improve resident support whilst moving forward with their digital transformation.

The Implementation Process

Civica approached Click4Assistance with their clients’ initial requirements and questions. Once this had been established a formal training programme was tailored for both of the councils individually. This includes specific training for administrators and/or operators, and also a personalised walk-through of the functionality that will be particularly useful for their needs.

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Once training was complete both councils put together their individual strategies for implementing live chat software onto their websites. This included deciding what pages to display the chat service on, who would be managing the project overall, and their deadlines etc. Having a strategy in place enables the local authorities to keep the focus on their goal and integrate the communication channel efficiently.

Hull City Council’s Partnership with Civica

Hull City Council partnered with Civica Digital to provide better data management and a universal resident portal across all council departments.  The local authority has invested in new technology to improve their services and working processes, as their contact centre currently receives up to 80,000 calls a month, alongside face-to-face enquiries.

The council’s portfolio holder for customer services, Councillor Clark commented, “As with all public sector organisations, we are under financial strain so we need to work smarter and use our resources more efficiently. The new solution will provide us with a state- of-the-art system which will help us to provide a more personalised citizen service while making significant cost savings. It’s a true digital investment for the future of Hull.”

Following their statement, Jeff Hewitt an executive director at Civica said “Hull City Council is already at the forefront of deploying new technologies; however this new holistic approach to digital transformation will take this one step further. Being able to respond and pre-empt possible issues as a result of better data management and sharing will ensure that people are at the heart of all activities.”

Implementing Click4Assistance Live Chat Software

Live Chat Software provides an instant, online communication tool. Residents can easily get help where required from general enquiries to assistance completing online forms. Intelligent chat routing guarantees direct access to the correct team (Council Tax, Refuse, Adult Social Care etc.), predefined responses ensure speed and accuracy, residents can even be signposted to appropriate information with assisted navigation. The ability to handle multiple chats simultaneously allows advisors to improve productivity and efficiency.

Live chat software is a preferred method of contact and helps Local Authorities digitalise their services whilst increasing satisfaction levels. Higher rates of first contact resolution are achieved, and residents are encouraged to complete online transactions. Whether funding chat via departmental budgets or the general purse, live chat has been successfully adopted by many UK local authorities for under £5000/year, negating the need for lengthy tender processes, with resource savings provide an excellent return on investment.

Click4Assistance has been proving live chat software for over 10 years, working with partners such as Civica and Capita to supply their public sector clients with a secure live chat system that improves their online communication. For more information on how the instant communication channel can aid your council with digital transformation contact our team on 01268 524628 or email theteam@click4assistance.co.uk.