More than 320,000 residents, 21,000 properties, and rent arrears to constantly track and chase – no wonder Dudley Council needed a new contact centre solution capable of meeting its complex needs.
A large UK local authority, its social housing rental income plays a vital role in the provision of services to the communities it serves. Tasked with ensuring timely collection, its Lead Income Team faced daily challenges that depended on efficient operations.
As is so often the case, a robust, at-scale means of communication was central to everything. As was an innovative partnership with a technology provider capable of designing and deploying the tools to make it happen.
“Managing rental payments and arrears for over 21,000 properties presented significant challenges for Dudley Council. The Lead Income team needed a system that could streamline their operations, improve performance monitoring, and enhance their ability to serve the community effectively,” says Howard Watson, Sales Director at leading contact centre provider MaxContact, whose powerful dialler system with advanced reporting was the perfect solution.
“As well as tracking and chasing arrears, they also needed better tools for identifying areas for improvement.
The council also wanted to empower its team to work more independently and efficiently.
They needed a system that could handle their complex requirements while also being user-friendly enough for the team to manage on their own. They were looking to reduce their reliance on external support for system updates, which often caused delays in making necessary changes.”
The MaxContact solution significantly boosted the volume of outbound calls the council was able to make, and the tailored reporting feature captured and analysed all call data – giving the team valuable insights into its operations which, in turn, enabled better performance management and service monitoring.
Importantly, a key aspect of the solution was its user-friendly interface, which allowed for ease of use and independent system updates. This feature was crucial in empowering the team to make necessary changes without relying on external support. MaxContact also provided comprehensive training and on-site support during implementation, ensuring a smooth transition to the new system.
“Working with MaxContact has been really positive,” says Kelly Read, Assistant Team Manager at Dudley Council. “They listened to what our concerns were, understood what we wanted the project to deliver for us, and were able to demonstrate how it would be achieved.
“The result has been enhanced efficiency and team empowerment, and the new system has also made a significant difference to the council’s wider operations.
The improved reporting capabilities have been particularly impactful. We wanted better performance management so we devised a way of capturing the data we knew would help us with that. MaxContact has been able to give us reports which ensure our service is closely monitored and able to identify where any improvements are needed.”
One of the most significant benefits was the increased autonomy the new system provided.
“One of the main advantages for us is being able to amend the system without having to rely on other people,” says Read. “The user-friendly interface and the ability to make real-time adjustments independently has greatly improved the team’s confidence, efficiency, and responsiveness. Staff members now feel more empowered to take control of their work processes, leading to improved morale and productivity.”
Of course, introducing a new system is understandably trepidatious for any organisation, regardless of sector or size. Deployment is arguably the easy bit – adoption can be altogether more challenging.
Crucially in Dudley Council’s case, despite initial apprehensions, it found the transition process to be seamless.
“The training that was given by MaxContact was very useful and well received by the team,” says Read. “A smooth transition was crucial in maintaining the team’s productivity during the change.”
As a result, the council’s mission-critical rental income collection operations are now super-efficient, its performance monitoring capabilities are hugely enhanced, and team empowerment is sky high.
“These improvements have enabled the council to manage its properties more effectively and respond to residents’ needs more promptly, making a real difference in how we serve the community,” says Read.
“The whole experience has been a positive one for all concerned.”
To read the full customer story about how MaxContact can help your business work better, visit the website.
