HARLOW Council has launched a fundamental review of its customer services to ensure every resident receives the responsive service they deserve from their local council.

As part of the “Building Harlow’s Future” plan, the review marks the start of an ambitious refresh of how customer services at the council are delivered. It builds on improvements already made, but the council is committed to going further to ensure services continue to evolve and meet residents’ needs.

The review will examine every aspect of resident interaction – from phone calls and emails to online requests and face-to-face support – with the aim of creating a seamless, responsive, and data-driven service centred around residents.

It will also explore opportunities to:

Improve the speed and quality of responses to enquiries.
Use data and feedback to proactively identify and resolve issues.
Equip staff with the tools and training to deliver excellent service.

Led by a dedicated project team, the review will involve front-line staff, residents, and service experts. Initial findings and improvement actions will be shared later this year.

This initiative is part of the council’s wider transformation programme, which includes six bold missions to improve life for every resident – including the mission to ‘transform our council’.

Councillor Hannah Ellis, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Transformation, said:

“Harlow Council exists to serve the residents of Harlow and I am determined for the needs of residents to be at the heart of everything we do.

“We are always looking for ways to improve the customer service we offer to our residents, but this review is not about making small tweaks. It is about going back to basics and making meaningful changes to make sure we have the systems, policies and approaches needed to provide the service that residents deserve.

“This means every call answered quickly, every enquiry resolved properly, and every resident treated with the respect they deserve.

“We would very much like to hear feedback from residents to make this review as impactful as possible. Please do share any recommendations you may have by emailing [email protected].”

Image by Brian Thomas Photography.