More and more municipalities are using a digital service desk. This way, residents and organisations no longer need to physically visit the town hall, which is excellent news! But what does the digital service desk mean exactly? Some municipalities already offer a digital service desk by means of a live video connection. But a digital service desk can offer much more.
Most municipalities still require residents to schedule an appointment at the town hall to deal with certain matters, such as applying for a passport, registering a birth, or applying for specific permits. Sometimes because in-person identification is required, or simply because there is no digital alternative yet. The digital service desk can change all that.
Many municipalities with a digital service desk have a one-to-one replacement of the physical service desk. Residents and organisations can use a live video link to take care of a lot of things that you would normally have to stop by a counter for. Live video is a good alternative, but it is far from complete. Video calling is one of the many channels a citizen can use to arrange their affairs with the local government, but it is not always preferred.
To really reach every target group and to ensure that residents and organisations approach you as a municipality, you will have to give people a choice between different channels. Young people may prefer WhatsApp, while older people prefer to use the telephone.
The complete digital service desk gives people a choice between different channels, from Instagram and email to WhatsApp and video calling. The customer decides how and when to get in touch. You might wonder how to organise and manage all these channels.
By logging all conversations and information into Salesforce, you build files of residents of your city. This allows anyone working at the municipality to look up the accounts and update them as needed. This way, more colleagues can immediately help the customer and referrals are often no longer necessary. This reduces the workload and the customers are helped faster.
Also, you can easily switch between different channels. When someone needs to identify himself, for example, you can switch to a live video link thanks to the technology of 24sessions. This way, the resident can immediately fill out the necessary forms.
Download our infographic to understand better how the digital service desk works. You can also request a free demo below for more information.
