Plan and execute for post-COVID19 now
Many citizens are currently staying home and limiting their contact with other people. This will continue in the near future. But, when restrictions inevitably are loosened, citizens will return to the public sector. They will need certificates, permits, applications, benefits and so on. All the services public offices deliver, are still in demand after COVID19.
Looking at data from the Danish public sector, May is one of the busiest months during the year and since Denmark locked down the 12th of March, upwards of 400.000 people have not been able to visit a public office, compared to the same period in 2019.
Do citizens have to show up in person?
Consider taking the initial meeting with a citizen virtually. Use the phone or a video conference link to meet the citizen in the comfort of his or hers home. Citizens, who the last few months, have been told to limit personal contact, will most likely have second thoughts about introducing personal contact from day one.
But their needs still exist. Use FrontDesk online reservation tool to help citizens book a virtual appointment, after going through an online screen process of the subject of the call.
In other words, call the citizen when he/she is ready and let your services come to the citizen’s home – virtually.
What about your waiting and high foot traffic areas?
The best option is to remove your waiting area. Remove chairs, tables etc. and let FrontDesk’s queue management system eliminate the need for a waiting area. The smart software plans the day to avoid peaks and thus eliminating the need for citizens waiting.
FrontDesk’s data from North America and Europe show that close to all public offices who use FrontDesk have a negative waiting time. This means, that citizens literally do not wait in the waiting area, as they are served before their actual reserved time.
Of course, a few chairs are important for citizens who show up well ahead of their scheduled time and for those who need a place to rest. Be sure to leave a minimum of 2m/6ft between the chairs to comply with physical distancing all while making sure you comply with accessibility needs.
Do you know who, when and what is coming when you reopen?
When restrictions are loosened and you are ready to open up for citizens, contractors etc. let them have the option of booking an appointment for your services. Using FrontDesk’s online reservation tool, you can let the tool screen the citizens for their needs and thus be better prepared when they arrive at their scheduled time.
This way, you know who is coming, when they are coming and why they are coming.
This leads us to the next point below. Planning your day!
Can you plan your day efficiently?
When cities reopen, you might want to work in reduced hours with staff alternating their hours and days. This approach is widely used during the COVID19 crisis in various sectors and could easily be implemented in FrontDesk’s system as a way to ease things back to normal.
With the time management functionality in FrontDesk’s system, you create your own schedule of e.g. when you are open, who is working, which services are available, how long time a service take. But, most importantly, you decide the time/buffer between appointments, providing enough time between appointments for citizens, contractors etc. to show up and leave without bumping into the next person.
Do you want to provide better customer service?
Reports and surveys show that a citizen’s satisfaction depends on the wait-time.
In other words, citizens experience a less satisfactory service if the wait-time was too long.
But, it should not be this way.
It is not your staff’s fault a citizen had to wait before being served. Luckily, you can improve your customer satisfaction from day one after using FrontDesk’s queue management software to plan your – and your citizen’s – day.
Get started today
Let us help you get ready for re-opening. You will be up and running within 1 day.
FrontDesk can be used without any commitment and is fully refundable within 30 days of use – from when you reopen.