Christchurch City Council’s Contact Centre has once again been recognised as one of the best in the country for customer service, winning the Industry Sector Award for Public Services for the fifth consecutive year.

The 80-strong team provides round-the-clock assistance to Christchurch residents, even on Christmas Day, and handles a wide range of queries, including unusual ones such as marriage proposals to staff and advice on wild deer in Halswell.

At the annual CRM/CCNNZ Contact Centre Awards on 20 September, the team also won Gold in the Supreme Awards category for the second year, reinforcing their dedication to delivering exceptional service to the community.

Christchurch City Council Acting Head of Customer Services Simon Hay said the team’s problem-solving skills and passion for customer service were key to their success.

“Our staff are resilient, consistent, and committed to providing help, even for issues outside the Council’s jurisdiction. They’re always ready to guide residents to the right place.”

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger applauded the Contact Centre team for their achievements.

“The staff do a terrific job, and the fact they’ve been recognised nationally year after year is a testament to their hard work and commitment to excellent customer service,” Mauger said.

The team underwent a rigorous 10-week judging process, which included “mystery contact” emails and phone calls. Judging criteria included answer time, professionalism, product knowledge, and quality of listening.

In 2023, the Contact Centre handled over 750,000 interactions, including 299,000 calls, 194,000 emails, and out-of-hours social media queries. Hay said residents appreciated having a local team that could quickly respond to their concerns.

The Christchurch City Council’s Contact Centre can be reached by calling 941-8999 or 0800 800-169, or via online forms at ccc.govt.nz.