Strategic Priority - Stabilize and Streamline Service Delivery
- Indicators: Customer service metrics, Annual savings from shared service agreements, Online available services metrics
- Current Status and Future Strategy: Interim Report
Customer Service Metrics
79% first-contact resolution rate (2023)
Why it matters
Resolving customer interactions at the first point of contact boosts satisfaction, strengthens the Town’s reputation for responsiveness, and saves time for customers, departments, and Council members. The Customer Experience Office (CXO) aims to resolve all inquiries at first contact across all channels, with telephone and in-person service being the most commonly used.
What it means
The Town established the Customer Experience Office in 2021 to resolve simple and routine inquiries on first contact and reduce follow-ups or escalations. Third-quarter 2024 results show a 5% increase over the 2023 response rate, indicating a strong improvement in customer service efficiency and effectiveness.
Annual Savings from Shared Services
$56,439 (2023)
Why it matters
For small municipalities, meeting service expectations can be challenging with limited staff and resources. Shared service agreements help improve service levels and reduce costs by pooling resources across a broader base. These partnerships allow municipalities to operate more efficiently, enhance service delivery, and strengthen community resilience.
What it means
In 2023, Midland and Penetanguishene signed a shared services agreement for Mid-Pen Transit, resulting in more than $50,000 in cost savings or cost avoidance. In 2024, the municipalities will renew shared service agreements for Building Services, generating additional annual savings or cost avoidance for Midland.
Services Available Online
55% of services are available online
Why it matters
Digital services make it easier for residents to access information, complete transactions, and interact with the Town. Moving services online streamlines processes, reduces administrative work, and creates consistent service delivery across all channels. Digital options also improve accessibility by offering 24/7 self-service and enabling assisted support through family, friends, or Customer Experience staff.
What it means
Because the Town had not previously measured its online service offerings, this result serves as the baseline for future improvements. The percentage reflects customer-facing services that require transactional steps -such as applying or paying for something and whether those steps can be completed online.
For the baseline measurement:
- 9% of services are fully online
- 46% have at least some steps available online
This totals 55% of services with partial or full online access.
Interim Report
Current Status and Future Strategy
- Stabilizing and streamlining service delivery is crucial for Midland to ensure the efficient and effective use of our resources. As demonstrated in the activities assessed, this leads to cost savings and improved service quality. Eliminating redundancies, sharing services with neighbouring municipalities, optimizing processes, and offering digital services all provide consistent and reliable services to our residents.
- In 2023, Planning, Building and Engineering completed a Development Services service delivery review that recommended 26 process and service improvements. Major activities implemented include making information about planning more accessible to users online, resulting in new online forms and user guides. Another outcome was a fee review to ensure improved cost recovery on development activities, including the introduction of engineering fees. Passing these costs along to the development community as opposed to the taxpayer ensures that growth pays for growth in development activities.
- During review of the Building Services shared service agreement with Penetanguishene, a process and financial review was completed. This resulted in a new Building Services shared service agreement that improved cost recovery of staff time and improved service delivery for users.
- The Town is committed to improving access to customer service, including both in-person and digital services. The Customer Experience Office continues to offer a simple one-stop-shop for many Town services, adding Finance activities, Transit and Parking services over the last three years. In addition, with the migration to a new Town website in 2023, several new online services or service activities have been delivered over the past two years, including:
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- A plow tracker for snow events to improve customer awareness and provide a self-serve option to reduce customer service calls.
- The ability to pay for many Town services using debit/credit card at Town locations, online and at events.
- Online applications for fireworks and burn permits, dog tags, planning, special events and requests for proclamations, flag events and for the Mayor to attend private events.
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Town of Midland
575 Dominion Avenue
Midland, ON L4R 1R2
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