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(CNS): Social Development Minister Andre Ebanks told Parliament that the introduction of new technology and the collection of data is beginning to improve the services the Needs Assessment Unit can provide. He told fellow MPs that a team of just four people handles an average of about 350 calls a week. But the minister said the new technology has ushered in a “new era of customer service” and made operations smoother.
This has enabled the department to achieve a first contact resolution rate of 96.5 per cent, providing welfare support to Caymanians more efficiently while gathering important information.
Last month, in response to a question from Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart, Ebanks said NAU had launched Zendesk Advanced AI This has enabled the team of just four staff to work at optimal efficiency, improving communication between the customer service team and the financial aid officers.
“By handling requests and facilitating timely responses, the team ensures customer issues are resolved efficiently,” said Ebanks. “Using advanced AI, Zendesk instantly understands common customer issues, routes tickets efficiently, and provides actionable insights and recommendations to our team.”
He praised the “advanced platform” and said issues are being resolved more quickly. “We now have comprehensive data to analyze customer interactions and feedback,” he said, noting that this will help improve processes, achieve goals, and ensure the department meets and exceeds expectations.
The minister added: “This will mean a huge improvement in the customer experience for those who need financial assistance.”
Key performance indicators show that staff now respond to at least 90% of urgent inquiries within 24 hours, and less urgent inquiries within 48-72 hours. Issues are resolved 70% or more of the time on first contact, which reduces follow-up requests from customers. When people call, the wait time to see a support agent is less than five minutes, and 80% of callers wait less than three minutes.
Between February and June this year, the customer service department resolved 5,513 issues, meeting the first two goals set and continuing to work towards the third.
Ebanks explained that the first goal was to ensure 90 per cent of urgent inquiries were responded to within 24 hours and less urgent inquiries within 48-72 hours, a goal the department had already exceeded. The second goal was to increase the first contact resolution rate to 70 per cent or higher.
“This metric is critical as it measures how effectively the department resolves issues during the initial interaction, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and reducing the need for follow-up communications. The department also excelled in this regard, with an impressive first contact resolution rate of 96.5%,” added Ebanks.
“This means that customers asking about financial assistance are able to receive support and have their concerns addressed without having to speak to multiple people and keep following up.”
The third goal is to reduce the average call waiting time to less than three minutes for 80 percent of calls and have all calls answered within five minutes.
“By collecting this data, we were able to determine that the department receives an average of approximately 350 calls per week,” the minister revealed.
NAU’s average response time for incoming calls is 1.13 minutes, but calls waiting in the queue are abandoned within an average of 3.19 minutes when staff are busy handling other customers. Most calls come in between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., when it’s difficult for the team to answer all calls within the target time.
But Ebanks said that with technology, the ministry is able to make data-driven decisions and develop solutions rather than relying on estimates. As a result, the department is considering staggered lunch breaks for the team and encouraging customers to contact them outside of the working day.
Those peak hours
“The department remains committed to minimizing wait times for those seeking assistance and will continue to evaluate options to ensure timely responses, including encouraging more online applications,” he said, adding that the target for customer satisfaction was 93 percent.
“This excellent rating is a testament to our ongoing efforts to improve service quality, meet customer needs in a timely manner, and ensure that every interaction contributes to a good outcome. It highlights the success of our initiatives, such as implementing Zendesk and fully staffing CCT, in achieving and maintaining high standards of customer service,” he said.
The minister acknowledged that there was room for improvement and said the solution lies in technology, which will enable the government to identify shortcomings and address them proactively.
“For the first time in the department’s history, we have access to comprehensive data that allows us to determine the best improvement strategies through analytics. This transformation marks a major milestone in our ongoing commitment to optimizing service,” said Ebanks, who praised the department’s achievements in answering urgent inquiries, resolving issues on the first contact, and working to maintain rapid response times.
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