More using digital ways of contacting the council – What would you call Wrexham Council’s chat bot?

The number of people contacting Wrexham Council via digital services is increasing, with your queries possibly being answer by chat bots in the future.

The council are thinking about enhancing the current webchat service with a ‘chat bot’ such as one used by Monmouthshire Council being evaluated. In Monmouthshire a public competition was held to name the bot, which Monmouthshire Council note ‘thankfully avoided the now ubiquitous moniker Botty McBotface’, ended up with the name ‘Monty’. They explained the benefits as Monty learning ‘about the questions people ask most often to develop quicker and better responses, releasing council staff to support vulnerable people and those with more complex queries’.

The information features as part of a report due before members of the customers, performance, resources and governance scrutiny committee tomorrow afternoon.

The document itself shows that there has been a move towards more members of the public contacting Wrexham Council online, with a 155 per cent increase in ‘digital contacts’ between April 2018 and March 2019.

This is compared to a 13 per cent decrease in the number of face to face contacts. The number of contacts made via phone is described as being “consistent”.

The report continues onto say: “The volume of customers using digital channels to access Council services has expanded considerably throughout 2018/19.

“The number of customers signed up to My Account has risen from 10,000 to almost 19,000 and over 13,000 transactions have now been received.

“This trend is expected to continue as more services become available on line and more customers choose digital as their preferred method of contact.”

Other figures within the report include:-

– Over 12,000 customers signed up to the bin collection reminder service and over 1,500 reports of potholes and 700 missed waste collections reported on line.

– The volume of Blue Badge applications to the adult social department has increased by over 17 per cent and this is likely to continue with an extension to eligibility to cover “hidden disabilities” due to be introduced in 2019.

– During 2018/19 the Contact Centre also took on responsibility for the assessment and issue of applications for bus passes. Over 700 passes have now been issued with the vast majority of these completed on the same day compared to the previous 4-6 week waiting period.

– Over 3,500 digital transactions have been completed by customers for services such as viewing Council tax on line, setting up direct debits and applying for single person discount or vacant property exemptions.

– An on line application for the Pupil Deprivation Grant (school uniforms) was provided to all parents and over 1,000 applications were received through digital channels.

– Over 5,000 customers supported to register their birth, marriage or death

– The volume of customers accessing Contact Wrexham to make payments via cash or credit / debit card has also fallen considerably reflecting the Council’s ongoing drive to promote direct debit, the success of the E Store for on line payments and changing customer preferences away from cash options.

The document also outlines the council’s continued move towards digital going forwards. This includes the relaunch of the Wrexham Council website this summer and the “continued expansion of the services available through the My Account service.

There is also scope for a more enhanced webchat service, with the report noting that the council is “reviewing the potential for chat bot services as used by Monmouthshire Council amongst others”.

The report continues onto say: “In September 2019 the Contact Centre will move to a new technology platform procured as an all Wales Collaboration Project.

“The platform will provide functionality which has previously been beyond our reach financially and will enable us to both improve services and drive efficiencies within the Contact Centre.

“Contact Wrexham services will also form part of the wider review into Libraries and Community resource centres to establish if there is a more effective way in which to deliver the Councils face to face services and potentially those of partner organisations.”

Yesterday Wrexham.com also reported that committee members will also be presented with a document highlighting the number of complaints and compliments made to the council between April 2018 and March 2019.

The report will be considered by members of the customers, performance, resources and governance scrutiny committee at 1:30pm on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting will also be webcast on the Wrexham Council website.

Top pic: The chat robot being put through its paces outside the Guildhall last week.

(In what we think could be a first, we tried to ask Monty what he felt any new chat bot up here should be called, however he would not be drawn on an answer…)