Your Requests for Action in Action

Ever wondered what happens when you ring, email, facebook or approach the Hurunui District Council about something? Your query is most often turned into a ‘customer service request’ and then assigned to the right person to address it.

A customer service request (or CSR) is the immediate action most often taken after a person asks for some sort of service from us (The Hurunui District Council).

You may have communicated with us in person, over the phone, in a text, email, letter, or note, through the app Snap Send Solve, through a third party or through social media messenger services. This communication with us, if it requires action, is then inputted into our online system as a CSR.

We record your basic information and the nature of your request. The request is then assigned a department and service type, which directs it to the right area in the organisation for response. Each request is then assigned by name to a specific council officer for them to address. Officers follow up on each CSR they receive and record how they respond to it.

For example, a CSR regarding a wandering dog will be allocated to Environmental Services/Dogs. It would then be assigned to our Animal Control Officer who takes appropriate action.

Our online system faithfully records all CSR activity and multiple reports are available to follow their progress.

Some actions are relatively simple and close out the request, whilst other CSRs can set in action a chain of events which unfold over a significant time period. These CSR’s may take months or even years to close.

Some requests are simply resolved at the time they are received and may not make it to a CSR. For example, a request for a piece of known information (e.g. is the library open today?), can be immediately answered. These direct transactions which are responded to on the spot are generally not recorded in the CSR system.

Of the 4,476 CSRs received last year, 4,017 were completed in time, a further 417 were completed out of time and, as at 20 February 2019, 42 remained open. These 42 CSRs are not considered overdue as work continues on each one of them.

For further information:

Naomi Woodham
Team Leader, Customer and Information Services
Mobile 029 770 9151
Email naomi.woodham@hurunui.govt.nz