Peterborough Council's customer services rated excellent for eighth year running

This is the eighth year running that the team has achieved Customer Service Excellence accreditation - a national government standard which assesses and recognises organisations with outstanding performance in customer service.

Serco, which runs the centre, is responsible for a number of tasks involving direct contact with local residents as part of its strategic partnership with the Council, including: organising and conducting specialist interviews for council tax and benefits; taking payments for council tax, parking permits and fines; dealing with welfare benefits, complaints and social care enquiries; and providing contact centre and reception desk services.

On average, the team handles around 350,000 calls and 200,000 face-to-face visits per year from members of the public.

Serco underwent a rigorous assessment process to demonstrate that it is working within the high standards required to achieve accreditation. The team was judged on its ability to understand customer groups; measure customer satisfaction; its commitment to customer service; its standards for service quality; and its ability to take prompt actions on any issues affecting the service.

The Customer Service Excellence assessor was particularly impressed with Serco’s partnership working with the Council to help deliver services to Peterborough residents and the senior level commitment to putting the customer – in this case, local citizens - at the heart of everything it does.

Councillor David Seaton, Cabinet Member for Resources said: “I am delighted the team has been recognised yet again for its consistently high level of service to our residents. The customer services team are the face of the council and deal with an enormous range of queries and issues, both face-to-face and on the telephone. We are very proud to have their achievements recognised in this way by a national customer service excellence organisation.”

Jeff Austin, Serco’s Customer Service Centre Manager, added: “We are proud to serve the residents of Peterborough and strive to provide them with the very best customer service. Most of our team live locally, or have family and friends nearby, so take real pride in their role. The job can be challenging at times, but is also very rewarding, so it’s fantastic to have our efforts recognised in this way.”