Telford & Wrekin Council has been recognised at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards for its commitment to enhancing customer service. This award was won for the Council’s AI assistant, “Ask Tom”, which has achieved tangible benefits for the local government in regards to efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Since its inception, “Ask Tom” has managed over 25,000 resident queries and has achieved an impressive satisfaction rate of 99.3%. Additionally, operational savings have been made due to the 24/7 AI assistant, along with a reduction in waiting times and the freeing up of essential resources for the council to manage complex enquiries.
Furthermore, the Council’s customer satisfaction index score (71.2%) has outperformed the average score for other councils (64.4%). This is demonstrated by the customer effort score, which measures the ease of customer transactions, standing at 4.2 compared to the UK organisation average of 5.2.
The Council has also been able to integrate three new services: homelessness, registration services, and libraries, amounting to nearly 4,000 calls per month. This flexibility has allowed Telford & Wrekin Council to better serve residents who may not be as technologically adept or lack online access.
Fiona Watson, Chief Marketing Officer at ICS.AI, said: “Telford & Wrekin Council’s proactive approach sets a standard for other councils and their AI journey has inspired many.”
Gemma Hancox, the Council’s Customer Contact Group Manager, remarked: “A council isn’t a choice, customers have to come to us… local authorities have to be up there with the best private companies for customer service as that is our expectation as customers and it’s important that’s what we provide”.
The success of “Ask Tom” has led the Council to consider additional use cases and contact channels to extend their AI transformation journey. The AI assistant’s integration into the Council’s MyTelford phone app also reiterates the Council’s commitment to ensuring their residents are always connected, informed, and empowered.
Telford & Wrekin Council has been commended at the APSE Awards for its commitment to enhancing customer service. This is demonstrated through their AI assistant, “Ask Tom”, which has achieved an impressive satisfaction rate of 99.3%. Furthermore, operational savings have been made and three new services have been integrated, amounting to nearly 4,000 calls per month.
Fiona Watson, Chief Marketing Officer at ICS.AI, commented: “Telford & Wrekin Council’s proactive approach sets a standard for other councils and their AI journey has inspired many.” Gemma Hancox, the Council’s Customer Contact Group Manager, also remarked: “A council isn’t a choice, customers have to come to us… local authorities have to be up there with the best private companies for customer service as that is our expectation as customers and it’s important that’s what we provide”.
Telford & Wrekin Council has been recognised at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards for its customer service initiative “Ask Tom”. The AI assistant has managed over 25,000 resident queries since its inception, achieving an impressive satisfaction rate of 99.3% and operational savings due to the 24/7 AI assistant. Additionally, the Council has been able to integrate three new services amounting to nearly 4,000 calls per month.
Chief Marketing Officer at ICS.AI, Fiona Watson, commented: “Telford & Wrekin Council’s proactive approach sets a standard for other councils and their AI journey has inspired many.” Gemma Hancox, the Council’s Customer Contact Group Manager, added: “A council isn’t a choice, customers have to come to us… local authorities have to be up there with the best private companies for customer service as that is our expectation as customers and it’s important that’s what we provide”.
Telford & Wrekin Council has set a benchmark for success after being recognised at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards for its customer service initiative “Ask Tom”. The AI assistant has managed over 25,000 resident queries since its inception, achieving a satisfaction rate of 99.3% and operational savings due to the 24/7 availability. The Council has also been able to integrate three new services amounting to nearly 4,000 calls per month.
Fiona Watson, Chief Marketing Officer at ICS.AI, commented: “Telford & Wrekin Council’s proactive approach sets a standard for other
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