Spelthorne Borough Council is further strengthening its route to E-Government with the introduction of Comino’s online payments system in customer services. Spelthorne customers will be able to pay their bills, rent and other fees over the telephone, through the Internet or via TouchTone - options which were previously impossible.
Prior to implementation, Spelthorne Borough Council could only accept payments on-site or through cheques in the post. The Comino solution will enable Spelthorne to accept payments 24/7, improve service delivery and allow Council resources to be routed elsewhere within the authority.
The online payments project looks set to repeat the success of the Comino implementation in Spelthorne’s revenues and benefits department, which has been effectively functioning as a paperless office since 2002 and achieved savings of between £40,000 and £50,000 per year.
Implementing Comino’s contact manager has also enabled Spelthorne’s customer services department to increase service hours by 22 per cent. This is primarily due to staff using the same Comino contact system across reception and customer services, allowing staff resources to be pooled.
Richard Wilkinson, head of customer and e-government services at Spelthorne comments, “With the help of Comino, we have been able to improve our processes and customer service delivery. This year, for example, we sent out the Council Tax bills, half with the customer services telephone number on and half with the Council Tax department’s number. This worked extremely well as we managed to split the work evenly and process customer enquiries quickly.
“Comino is a major strategic partner that pulls together all elements of our council - from revenues and benefits through to planning. We hope to further establish and build on this partnership in the future,” adds Wilkinson.
About Spelthorne
Spelthorne Borough is a compact urban area, with a population of approximately 90,000 people, covering some 20 square miles. The major centres of population are Ashford, Shepperton, Staines, Stanwell and Sunbury with no physical boundaries between them. The area comprises 65% green belt and 30% of the total area is either floodplain or reservoir. The River Thames is a particular feature, forming much of the Borough boundary and the Council is working hard to secure even more public access along this length of the Thames.