Tracey Harrison - PR and Communications Manager
"Canditv is the perfect example to show how Stoke-on-Trent is looking at innovative ways to help visitors and residents use the very latest technology to provide round-the-clock access to council information. The judges at the Good Communication Awards thought so too – commending the project."
Stoke on Trent City Council recognised that there was a requirement to extend information services out of hours to citizens and service users and to make the process as simple as possible to encourage local people to have their say and not feel at all excluded from news and information about services and opportunities that may be of interest. This resulted in the situating of a screen next to the entrance of the new Local Centre and conveniently also next to the nearest bus stop. This screen is already proving itself useful with people dialing to interact from 6.30am until 11pm at night to find out information about jobs, payments and to make enquiries about housing and local transport. The project which went live in February 2009 recently received a commendation as a Finalist at the Public Sector Good Communication Awards.
Canditv® is a proven simple and cost effective way for Local Authorities to extend their service to citizens and reduce information exclusion providing many more people with access to important service news and information in a simplified form and at an increased number of locations including local centres, schools, libraries and even bus stations. As service managers are challenged to find ever more cost effective ways to ensure that decreasing budgets do not mean decreasing services. In the case of Canditv® the opposite is proven to apply with a number of Local Authorities in the West Midlands having already identified that the unique interaction and low cost set up meaning that Communication & Customer Service Managers are actually able to provide even more with less including extended access and service times and tangible cost savings when compared to previous traditional media and process.
Benefits:
- Simple To Use – local people and visitors dial a local rate number to then use their mobile as a TV remote.
- Low Cost – Extends access to existing website and audio content via standard display screens.
- Creates Customer Relationships – Provides public access to information and services, and helps the local authority to service the needs of citizens.
- Available 24 Hours – Extends access to information from flexible locations and reduces costs.
- Extends Value – Delivers added value information to build and enhance local and visitor relationships.
- Improved Communication – helping to satisfy requirements directly or through the call transfer facility, to the appropriate local authority service.