The roll out of FISH! has helped dramatically reduce the number of complaints from customers about how they’ve been treated by 64%”
Ian McPherson, Customer Service Manager
You introduced FISH! to address low morale. What had caused that?
Morale in the customer service team had dipped following a period of change and consolidation. On top of that the recent re-zoning of the waste services in the city had caused a much busier than usual period.
Where did you get the idea to use FISH!?
I’d used it in the past and absolutely loved it. I did a bit of research amongst councils and found that Oldham had been using it. They couldn’t praise it enough and said that the benefits they got from it were amazing.
Bearing in mind that you’re not a trainer, was it easy to use the FISH! resources?
I’ve never run a training session before but the trainer pack that comes with FISH! is absolutely brilliant. It includes advice on delivering a training programme and a DVD of training techniques and examples … It’s very easy to follow the guidelines and it’s really easy to adapt to suit your audience.
So all of your customer service people have been through the FISH! Programme?
Yes, we initially provided training for the council’s 70 customer services staff. However, word spread internally and several other departments – including HR and Revenues & Benefits – asked for their staff to be trained too. 367 people have now been trained.
What are the business benefits?
It’s helped us to provide a better service, cut customer complaints, improve employee morale and motivation and create a more enjoyable and supportive work environment. The roll out of FISH! has helped dramatically reduce the number of complaints from customers about how they’ve been treated: by 64% when comparing the first six months of this year to the first six months of last year. Despite these difficult times for the public sector, our motivation is very high and working relationships have blossomed.
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