• A new Customer Relationship Management system (called CRM) will be the technology centerpiece of the new Service Saskatoon model and will help us manage citizen requests and inquiries more effectively.
• For citizens, the service experience doesn't always end after they send an email or hang up the phone. They want to know about the progress we're making on a service request and when it has been resolved.
• We will streamline the information and systems our Customer Service Representatives use to serve citizens.
• We should serve citizens as "One City" whether it's online, in person or over the phone. 

2016 Initiatives

Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)

• We've learned that success is achieved through tackling a CRM in manageable pieces – so we are starting with 5 Public Works Services. Water outages, Hydrant issues, Water Connections, Water & Sewer Locates, and Sewer Backups.

• Citizens who submit issues on these 5 services will receive a tracking number. During the pilot citizens will be limited to following up on service status updates by phoning Public Works Customer Service Centre. In the future, we will have a corporate enterprise CRM solution that will be available to all Divisions.

• In the short-term, we are repurposing an existing software solution – similar to the “Report a Pothole” application. The temporary CRM will only be available to Public Works CSRs to start but citizens will be able to make a service request with an easy to use online form.

• We want to thank the Public Works Customer Service team. Let’s face it – being first can be a little stressful but we are all in this together and that is why it is a pilot. These 5 services provide an opportunity to get started but also to learn what works and what can be better.

• Support is key and our IT staff will provide in person support for the CSRs and the application during the launch of the first 5 services.

• After the launch we will evaluate and collect feedback from Public Works and determine the next steps, including the need for any additional resources as we add new services.

• In the long-term we will have a corporate-wide enterprise based CRM and not just a temporary solution. Our knowledge base will be centralized and it will contain complete and consistent information, and frequently asked questions for all types of inquiries. Citizens will also be able to track progress online once we move to a permanent CRM solution.

• Besides the CRM work, we are also working on developing an online Corporate Directory to look up employee contact information. It's still a work in progress so watch for more information in the near future.