Sutton Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Sutton in Greater London, England. Sutton Council’s contact centre serves over 205,000 residents who seek fast and convenient support. To meet these demands, Sutton Council’s contact centre needs to provide support in a way that is efficient, cost-effective and caters to the diverse needs of different age groups and preferences.
Three years ago, Sutton Council embarked on a transformation project to revamp its customer service strategy, including its telephony system and hardware. They wanted a solution that would improve their way of providing support to different resident groups, enhance their usability for agents, and fit their council budgets.
Fostering resident trust and reliability
"At Sutton Council, prioritising customer service is paramount to our organisational values. With 205,000 residents in our community, seamless access and communication are crucial," emphasises Alex Marston, Head of Customer Services at Sutton Council.
Before, Sutton Council faced challenges with a locally hosted server for their telephony platform, leading to frequent downtime. Recognising the need for a transformative solution, Sutton Council initiated a tender process, seeking an omnichannel platform that not only delivered voice services but also enabled engagement through various channels. The objective extended beyond voice communication; Sutton Council aimed to break down silos within existing systems. For Alex, integrating their CRM and incorporating email management were imperative components to enhance the overall customer service experience at Sutton Council.
Increasing efficiency and agility with Puzzel
After a thorough easement, Sutton Council chose Puzzel's Customer Engagement platform. Puzzel, being cloud-native, offering omnichannel services, and approved by the UK Government’s Crown Commercial Service (CCS) G-Cloud framework (RM1557.13), provided a consolidated, cost-effective solution that matched Sutton Council's evolving business needs.
In just a few weeks, Puzzel was implemented. Alex Marston appreciated Puzzel's immediate impact, stating, "We saw the value right away. It's easy to use and develop in-house, a key factor for us. With its cloud-based server ensuring 100% uptime, Puzzel quickly became indispensable."
The impact was significant, with a remarkable 14% reduction in call volumes since implementing Puzzel. Yet, it's not just Alex who sings Puzzel's praises; the frontline agents also had their say:
"I appreciate the flexibility and the ability to create customisable reports, monitoring real-time performance."
"The freedom to work from home and various locations has been a game-changer for me, something we couldn't do before."
"Everything is on Puzzel, easily accessible for me. It's a breeze to use."
"It's user-friendly, login is a breeze, and everything runs seamlessly. I love it!"
Embracing AI
The Sutton Council team is dedicated to advancing customer service responsibly. Embracing a forward-thinking strategy, Sutton Council aims to use AI-driven chatbots and automation to enhance support, especially in emergencies and peak demand. “We’re really excited to see where AI is going to take us. That is the next big step for us, and we see Puzzel helping us with that journey in the future,” comments Alex.
Puzzel is thrilled to be a part of Sutton Council's journey to redefine customer service for their community of 205,000 residents. We're excited to continue our partnership, ensuring that every interaction is not just efficient but also memorable.
To find out how Puzzel can help enhance the customer experience with empathetic and proactive support, get in touch today.
