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David Cook has taken a refreshing approach to customer services at Kettering BC, and it seems to be working, as Jamie Hailstone finds out. When you first walk into the office of Kettering BC chief executive David Cook, you can't help but think that something's different. It could be the large Pulp Fiction poster on the wall, or the absence of the standard-issue chief executive desk, complete with PC and nameplate. Or it could just be David himself. His handshake is firmer than a foundry vice and his passion for customer service is 115% genuine. In fact, the customer service ethos flows throughout the entire building, from the open-plan civic centre foyer, with its mixture of self-service points and friendly council staff, ready to help on all manner of problems, to the customer contact centre upstairs. ‘I look for lessons everywhere,' he tells The MJ. ‘The self-service planning counter came from a discovery about what happens in McDonald's. ‘You go to McDonald's. You walk up to the counter, by the kitchen. You have a fixed menu. ‘You say what you want. They bring the food to the counter. You take it to the table. When you're finished, you take the food and throw it in the bin. Who does all the work? You do.' ‘What eBay teaches us is that most people are honest,' he adds. ‘They can do self-service. They are not crooks. ‘I'm not aware we've ever had a violent incident with staff in the foyer. For us, it's what the customer experiences which counts. ‘Are we cold and indifferent or are we warm and empathising? Are we talking with them on their terms?' Kettering has made many recent innovations in customer service, not least putting contact points in libraries where residents can access borough and county council services, as well as police and fire and rescue services, if needed. The council also has a text and tell service, which utilises latest mobile phone technology so people can text pictures taken on their mobile phones of graffiti, which council staff will then tackle. ‘I always say to people about customer service, "How would you like your granny to be dealt with?". That's what we should be doing, because they are someone who should be treated with dignity and respect. We are constantly saying what would be right for her?' One person who understands the importance of customer service at Kettering is its former deputy chief executive and current boss at Rushcliffe BC, Allen Graham. ‘Part of the reason I went to Kettering was because of David's enthusiasm and vision for customer service,' Allen tells The MJ. ‘I genuinely believe David is one of the leading chief executives in the country for having that passion and vision for customer service. ‘Whatever level you are working at, whether it's regional, local or national, David would always say, "Bring it back to a simple point", and that immediately breaks down the barriers of joined-up working.' And David adds: ‘We are trying to look at this from the point of view of real people. Real people want human interaction. ‘Why should you have to work out whether it's the fire and rescue service, district council or county council?' The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say. As The MJ concludes the interview with David, he asks if we need any more information. Journalists always say yes, but experience tells us that we won't get anything. The next day, a seven-page document is e-mailed to us, with a plethora of details, contact names, facts and figures. Now that really is customer service.

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Service with a smile

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