According to recent studies, one in three local councils are unprepared for new legislation governing their customer contact and interaction. Official Government guidance indicates that councils can meet these guidelines by implementing CRM software.
National Indicator (NI) 14 is a new performance indicator, which aims to reduce levels of ‘avoidable customer contact.' This relates to the proportion of contact with the council that is of little or no value to the customer.
The rationale for this indicator states that: “For both citizens and business, the customer experience when contacting their local council should be one which is responsive, timely and efficient, and which enables them to readily access information and provides joined-up services to meet their own individual needs.”
According to research by Rostrvm Solutions, 82% of councils have begun projects to measure avoidable contact; however, 32% do not have mechanisms in place to meet the Government's target date of October 2008.
The most prominent issue in NI 14 appears to be data collection, which CRM software can help with. However of those local authorities which have already implemented CRM, 31% stated that their CRM software was not readily adaptable to measure avoidable contact. The problem for many councils has been integration with existing IT systems. Many CRM systems are not fully compatible with existing IT infrastructures, and this has meant that their success has been limited.
Microsoft CRM 4 from Genesis Communication is the perfect solution for councils, as it is fully compatible with the Microsoft Office Suite, meaning that it is easy to roll out in most offices.
A spokesperson for Genesis had this to say:
“With its full integration with Microsoft Office and other applications, CRM 4 is the perfect solution for councils looking to meet NI 14 guidelines.”
“The software has helped thousands of businesses across the U.K to meet with compliance from their relevant industry governing bodies.”
To find out more about how CRM software can help you to meet the targets of NI 14, call the Genesis team on: 0844 847 9606, or visit http://www.genesis.co.uk/crm4