DCC outsources after-hours calls to Palmerston North

From next week, calls to the Dunedin City Council's after-hours phone service will be answered by someone in Palmerston North.

On Monday, calls to the DCC after 5.30pm will be diverted to the Palmerston North City Council's call centre, which already provides after-hours call services for 29 other councils.

DCC manager customer service Lyz Harvey said the after-hours call service was already outsourced to a Dunedin company.

The council had outsourced its after hours service for the past 20 years and the Dunedin based Tell Us call centre had been the provider since 2000.

Previous contractors only provided urgent services, water issues, noise complaints and animal services, Ms Harvey said.

Now, residents would have access to a higher level of service at all times of the day, she said.

The move was more cost-effective than doing it in-house, she said.

''The DCC had previously contracted a local company to take after hours calls, but the services and knowledge of Palmerston North City Council meant this was an opportunity for us to offer customers more.''

The change in provider would not affect the DCC's customer services call centre which would continue to operate during normal business hours, she said.

The contract with the PNCC is for two years, with the option to extend for a third year.

tim.miller@odt.co.nz

 

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