The Oudtshoorn Municipality is showing its dedication to customer service by constructing a Customer Care Centre in the entrance of the Municipal Head Quarters.

According to the acting Municipal Manager, Ronnie Lottering the centre is aimed at giving residents consistently excellent standards of customer service and ensuring that all sections of the diverse multi-cultural community, including those with special needs, are not excluded from any area of service delivery.

“The entire entrance of the main building is receiving a complete modernised refurbishment.

“The new centre includes a waiting room, a help centre cubicles where client service officials will operate from and a consultation room where managers/officials will consult with the public after having referred by the client service officials,” Lottering said.

Adopting a wider approach

He added: “The Customer Care service which will resort in the Financial Directorate of the Municipality will adopt a wider strategic approach to customer care, based on the Principles of Batho Pele (“People First”).

“The customer care will go wider than rates and fees for services and include public service and include registering and attendance of complaints in relation to faulty street lights, blocked drains, unlawful dumping of refuse, irregular refuse collection, road maintenance, indigent applications, pipe bursts, water leakages, etc.”

The coordinator for the establishment of the Customer Care Service, also the acting Director for Corporate Services Gavin Juthe said the Council is planning to officially open the Customer care Centre in February 2015.

“A second phase of this project will include a construction of a ramp for wheel chair accessibility. The Municipality intends expanding the Customer Care Centre to other areas in the Greater Oudtshoorn such as Dysselsdorp, De Rust, Bridgton and Oudtshoorn Thusong Service Centre,” Juthe concluded.