Updates

With the City moving forward with our At Your Service Niagara Falls (AYSNF) customer service initiative, we are about to make some changes to accommodate new customer service counters and staff at City locations, including City Hall, and starting with the MacBain Community Centre.

The new service counter and service space at MacBain will be located in the area presently occupied by the Finance service counter, parking dispute office, and counting room, as well as the area now occupied by Finance staff, the Recreation ＆ Culture Administrator and the General Manager of Recreation, Culture, & Facilities. Numerous iterations and locations within the MacBain Community Centre foyer were considered for the customer service desk, which will accommodate five staff stations. Architect Emilio Raimondo will prepare the design for the new service counter and service space.

This area was chosen as preferred for the customer service space for several reasons:

  1. Utilizing the existing glassed-in customer service area will make the renovations much easier and less expensive
  2. The area is out of the line of weather entering through the front doors
  3. Other locations within the foyer were found to be acoustically inferior for interactions with customers
  4. We want to ensure that viewing spaces for the pool and gymnasium and space for the new café were retained, providing a good customer service experience for those attending for programming

The existing recreation services counter will be reconfigured to accommodate a smaller counter to provide equipment rentals, a paywall and additional space for recreation staff displaced from their offices.

In addition to making space for Customer Service staff, there is also a corporate directive to make our best effort to locate departments in the same space, if possible, for collaboration where more innovation and faster decision-making can result. Finance staff displaced from MacBain will be relocated back to City Hall, and the finance area will undergo renovations to accommodate staff comfortably. In the interim, work-from-home and desk-sharing arrangements may be utilized.

The MacBain changes are slated to begin in April. We will share more details about the timing as we have them.

December

  • Service Requests & Cartegraph Integration

    We're excited to announce that, with support from MuniPaaS and the Municipal Works department, we're enhancing our service request processes within Salesforce CRM. This will integrate with Cartegraph for a seamless customer experience through work order generation and status updates.

    Once finished, residents will have easy access to city services via a user-friendly self-service portal, allowing them to find information and support quickly, reducing wait times and improving overall satisfaction.

    Stay tuned!

  • Looking Ahead

    Looking ahead, we have exciting plans for the Customer Service Department. As we expand the team, we will continue to refine our processes and tools to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction. There’s more to come, and we’re thrilled to have everyone’s continued support as we shape this important part of our organization’s goals.

November

  • Coming soon: Customer Service Advisor position

    The Customer Service Advisor will:

    • Act as the first point of contact for customer service resolution
    • Support customer inquiries across various contact points & strive for first-contact resolution to ensure efficient problem-solving
    • Diagnose concerns and recommend appropriate services
    • Leverage the knowledge base to deliver an exceptional and seamless experience
    • Utilize CRM software to create tickets and monitor customer cases from initiation to resolution
    Stay tuned for updates about this position!

  • Meet the newest members of our team!

    We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Customer Service Specialists, Charlene Towne, Kelley Moynagh & Jared Schutt. Their contributions will be pivotal in enhancing our commitment to providing outstanding customer experiences. Welcome to the team!

  • CRM Project Update

    We are excited to announce that on October 17, we officially began the implementation of our new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and Knowledgebase in collaboration with MuniPaaS. This marks the start of a transformative journey aimed at improving how we manage customer interactions and information.

    View the MuniPaas meeting highlights here. 

  • At Your Service, Niagara Falls FAQ's

    Learn more about the At Your Service, Niagara Falls initiative.

    Review the FAQ page to find answers to your questions like:

    • When will the Customer Service Department be up and running?
    • What are the new roles and how many positions will be posted?
    • What training and support will be available?
    View the FAQ document here. 

October

  • Customer Service Specialist Positions

    Thank you to those who applied for the Customer Service Specialist positions!

    The Customer Service Specialists will:

    • Act as first point of contact for customer service resolution
    • Maintain and update the Knowledge Base System for Customer Service functionality
    • Deliver exceptional and efficient service
    • Connect residents, navigate challenges, and find real solutions to help people

    The application process is now closed. Thank you!

    View the detailed job posting now! 

September

  • Coffee & Convos Information Sessions

    You can now sign up for a one-hour information session with Stephanie Young, Manager of Customer Service, to learn more about the positions, their requirements and the AYSNF model!

    Sessions will be held between Tuesday, September 10 and Monday, September 16. Limited spots are available at each time and location!

    Book your session by clicking here! 

  • At Your Service, Niagara Falls FAQ's

    Learn more about the At Your Service, Niagara Falls initiative.

    Review the FAQ page to find answers to your questions like:

    • When will the Customer Service Department be up and running?
    • What are the new roles and how many positions will be posted?
    • What training and support will be available?
    View the FAQ document here. 

  • Meet the newest members of our team!

    We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Supervisors of Customer Service, who will be instrumental in driving our commitment to delivering exceptional customer service.

    Please join us in welcoming Leah Harman and Michael Stewart to the AYSNF team. Both Leah and Michael bring extensive experience in customer service, making them well-suited to enhance our customer service operations.

Our Customer Service Journey

In early 2023, City Council made Customer Service one of our top priorities for the 2023-2027 term, as approved in the Strategic Plan. Here's what we've committed to do:
  • Use new technology and processes to meet customer needs efficiently, allowing them to engage more with the city
  • Ensure all city services are inclusive and accessible. Develop policies and practices to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and respectfully.
  • Build and keep customer trust by handling requests and communicating effectively
  • Work together within city departments to offer a consistent customer service experience
  • Listen to customer needs, expectations, and preferences

In November 2023, City Council approved a Customer Service Strategy to ensure we provide consistent, reliable, and efficient service through in-person, phone, and online channels.

Now, we're excited to launch our new service delivery model, At Your Service, Niagara Falls.

This model focuses on making it easy for the people we serve to get the right information and help using their preferred methods. Our goal is to get things done quickly and seamlessly.

At Your Service will roll out citywide, impacting many parts of our operations and service delivery. While it won’t be easy or happen overnight, we’ve already started to make it a reality, focusing on a better way for citizens to engage with us.

The At Your Service Model:

City staff are the heartbeat of our new service delivery model. We will ensure our team has the tools, training, and information they need to offer friendly and responsive service.

We will introduce a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to handle service requests. This system will help us track and communicate our progress on requests.

We will implement clear service standards to ensure consistency, measure our progress and inform the public when their requested services will be delivered.

We will create more opportunities for citizens’ ideas and feedback to help us shape our services and meet their needs.

The At Your Service Niagara Falls initiative will centralize our customer service by:

  • Creating a team to act as the first contact point for city services – through one phone number, one email, chat, etc.
  • Introducing a multi-location, expanded hours approach to ensure customers have greater flexibility and convenience in accessing a wide range of City services.
  • Ensuring customers can engage with the City through multiple channels seamlessly and in a manner they choose (in-person, phone, online), introducing chat functionality and utilizing artificial intelligence.
  • Shifting to a customer-centric approach adapting our hours, processes and methods to better suit the needs of our community and customers.
  • Utilizing our new CRM system and knowledgebase to provide accurate and timely information through first point of contact resolution or referral with technical expertise.
  • Rebuilding our website to enhance self-service options.

The System That Makes It All Work

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system will help us store and manage customer interactions. It connects customers and the City through one integrated platform, offering a unified view of every customer and ensuring accurate information.

With a CRM, we can:

  • Manage a central database of customer information that can be shared with colleagues
  • Receive, track, and resolve customer inquiries
  • Ensure requests/interactions are trackable, ensuring transparency and accountability. Customers will know exactly who is handling their request and the expected timeline for resolutions providing them with a traceable path.
  • Notify customers about service disruptions
  • Understand customer behaviour, anticipate issues and find opportunities for improvement
  • Develop self-serve options and automate the service process

Along with the CRM we will have a knowledgebase that will outline details and information to provide single-source repository to assist with customer inquires and responses. The knowledgebase will:

  • be a digital library of information that streamlines collecting, storing, and distributing knowledge. No more searching the department drive for a form or process!
  • include information about services, training materials, forms, best practices and much more
  • offer on-demand support by addressing common inquiries
  • be well-organized, accessible and searchable
  • allow for faster problem-solving and enhanced productivity

Staffing - the Heartbeat of Customer Service

Introducing Stephanie Young, the Manager of Customer Service who has proudly served the City of Niagara Falls for over ten years in various roles. Enthusiastic about delivering customer-centric services and modernizing service initiatives, Stephanie will be responsible for operationalizing the City's customer service strategic goals and objectives and will provide leadership and direction for centralized customer services.

We are also pleased to announce the appointment of our new Supervisors of Customer Service, who will be instrumental in driving our commitment to delivering exceptional customer service.

Leah Harman and Michael Stewart bring extensive experience in customer service, making them well-suited to enhance our customer service operations.

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of our new Customer Service Specialists, Charlene Towne, Kelley Moynagh & Jared Schutt. Their contributions will be pivotal in enhancing our commitment to providing outstanding customer experiences.

Interested in joining our team?

If you’re a customer service enthusiast with a positive attitude, look out for the new Customer Service Advisor position opening in December!

Staff are working on a detailed implementation program. The customer service strategy and corresponding policies modernize how the City of Niagara Falls serves its residents and businesses. With the number of current and planned initiatives underway, staff anticipate a preliminary Spring 2025 launch of the first phase of At Your Service, Niagara Falls.

In September and throughout the Fall, we will provide an opportunity for all staff to be engaged and learn about the details of the model and the customer service initiatives underway. The sessions will include details about the new positions, job duties and responsibilities, initial recruitment and project timelines.