Introduction
The Customer Engagement Strategy 2018 to 2020 is aimed at all existing and potential customers of the Devon Audit Partnership and sets out our customer engagement methodologies and improvement plans that form our strategy for obtaining and maintaining customer insight.
It is intended as a framework for the Devon Audit Partnership to achieve excellence in customer service, by delivering quality, customer-focussed services through continuously improving customer engagement methods.
Organisations that provide the best customer service have a clear vision of the quality and service they want to achieve and the way in which it will be delivered.
Our vision
Our ambition is “to provide high quality independent and objective assurance and consulting services that add value to their customers and protect public resources”. Our vision is to deliver high quality services attuned to customer needs and add value.
Devon Audit Partnership (DAP) is here to achieve the best for our customers and the people of Devon. Identifying and addressing their needs is at the heart of everything we do. In working with people we aim to listen, to be fair, open and honest, and to do what we say we will do.
We will demonstrate respect, understanding and fairness to all. We aim to be a modern and improving organisation providing efficient and cost effective services in touch with customer needs. We work in close partnership with our customers and other organisations to achieve our vision. As a customer of Devon Audit Partnership you have the right to be treated fairly and considerately when using any of our services.
The customer experience
Our customer feedback tells us that generally our customers are very satisfied with the way in which services are delivered as shown through statistics which are published on our website.
However in seeking Customer Service Excellence accreditation it has been identified that there is scope for expanding our existing customer engagement and insight methodologies in order to broaden the range of feedback enabling enhancement of the customer experience.
Over the next two years we plan to build upon our existing arrangements to transform the way in which we engage and involve our customers to shape our service delivery. Effective customer engagement will lead the Devon Audit Partnership to be both proactive and predictive in relation to customer and market expectations.
Customer engagement
It is important to us to obtain our customer views and opinions on our service. Devon Audit Partnership currently uses a range of feedback and consultation methods to assess customer views and comments on all aspects of the service, ranging from audit assignment specific (operational) to existing and potential service provision as a whole (strategic).
In addition to the mechanisms detailed on our website, we have made some further developments in relation to customer feedback forms, through the introduction of a three tier customer survey questionnaire. This allows us to tailor the questionnaire to the individual respondent and thus make the questions more relevant to them and their experiences.
Devon Audit Partnership employs various options for customer contact.
Customer engagement performance monitoring
Feedback forms are analysed, recorded and monitored for identifiable areas of customer service excellence and improvement. The design of the forms encompasses a means by which we can evidence completion of the feedback cycle, thereby demonstrating action taken to improve the customer experience. The analysis is collated and published on our website.
The effectiveness of engagement methods and their suitability including customer opinion on the methods are subject to regular reviews to ensure that not only is the method appropriate to the customers needs but that it also provides us with accurate, reliable and representative results. These reviews occur quarterly on the production of the performance monitoring data, and annually at the review of this strategy.
Customer engagement development – Changing relationships with our customers
We will continue to develop and foster a culture of all working together seamlessly in a customer focussed approach. We ensure customer engagement through the following methods:
- Staff training programme
- Use of Customer care champions throughout the partnership
- Consultation with our customers and continuously evaluate our engagement methodologies
- Regular customer care and service meetings in the workplace
- Identify and investigate customer engagement methodologies
- Continuously develop the use of technological solutions to customer engagement
- Review and develop communication methods and customer standards analysis
- Regular staff surveys
- Publishing of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Outcomes
Service solutions that meet the customer’s needs now and in the future
- Involvement in helping to shape both the design and delivery of services
- Greater customer clarity on what to expect from our service provision
- All customers are treated fairly
- Increased confidence and trust in DAP
- Our customers become our advocates
- Opportunity to increase market share
- Increased staff competency in and championing of customer engagement
Success factors
A range of factors will be identified and targets set to judge the success of the Customer Engagement Strategy. These will include measures that matter to the customers and to the Devon Audit Partnership:
- Improved customer and market insight
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Results of quarterly review of engagement methods
- Results of the annual review of strategy
- New engagement methodologies introduced
- Achievement and retention of CSE (Customer Service Excellence) Standard
- Increased customer market share
We will consult with our customers regularly and this consultation will inform our ongoing targets for customer satisfaction. We will feed back our performance against targets and advise customers of our ongoing progress and planned improvements.