City of Ballarat trials new system to improve customer experience

The City of Ballarat is trialling increasing communication and engaging feedback with residents who report issues via the Snap Send Solve app.  

Snap Send Solve is an independent, third-party app that provides residents with a simple and quick way to report problems. The City of Ballarat entered a formal partnership with Snap Send Solve in October last year, which unlocked a range of different features on the app to improve residents’ experience.  

The City of Ballarat Customer Experience team has hired a new Digital and Emerging Customer Experience Officer, whose role will include daily review of Snap Send Solve requests that have been marked ‘complete’ by the relevant department. The officer will then communicate with the customer that made the report, providing them with a summary of the actions taken, before closing the report when deemed appropriate. 

In total, the customer will receive a summary of the actions taken via email, a notification in the Snap Send Solve app that their request has been actioned, and an invitation to rate their experience. Officers will review historic feedback to establish a baseline from which to measure the impact of this initiative.  

The trial will also tie in with the City of Ballarat’s development of a Customer Charter – a document outlining what residents can expect when interacting with the City of Ballarat. The charter will commit to trialling new ways to improve customer experiences. Community consultation regarding the charter has been ongoing via a range of channels – online, at the Phoenix building, and at the end of calls made to the Customer Experience team.  

City of Ballarat Mayor Cr Des Hudson said the new Snap Send Solve system demonstrated the City of Ballarat’s commitment to improving customer experiences.

“We’ve heard feedback from the community and we’re taking considered action to improve residents’ experiences with the City of Ballarat,” he said.  

“This trial will be one of several into the future that will seek to improve customer service across the organisation.”  

The Snap Send Solve app offers residents a simple and quick way to report problems. It is available for use 24/7 and is more efficient than a phone call – residents can make a report in less than 30 seconds. 

The application is free and available on Apple and Android phones. Reporting an issue is easy — simply follow these steps:  

• Download the app via the App Store or on Google Play.  
• Open the app and start a new report.  
• Confirm your location using GPS.  
• Select the type of incident you are reporting and add some extra notes.  
• Take a photograph of the incident or upload them from your camera roll.  
• Leave the rest up to Snap Send Solve, which figures out the responsible authority and sends off the report.  

Residents may still report issues to the City of Ballarat via other methods, including calling Customer Experience on 5320 5500 and via the website.