Only the best customer service

Customers in Warrington are benefiting from one of the best services in the country.

And improving the overall visitor experience in the borough’s green parks and spaces are all part of the high standards of service you can come to expect.

Celebrations are underway as the council has been awarded a prestigious MJ Achievement Award for Best Workforce Involvement Achievement of the Year, for its customer services, and no less that six coveted Green Flag awards, reflecting the dedication and commitment to these areas.

The past 12 months has seen customers’ experience of dealing with the council being radically transformed into a customer-focused, modern and more effective service.

Contact Warrington, the customer contact centre which opened in August 2007 and came about as a direct result from customer feedback, helped scoop the award at the MJ award ceremony in London.

Previously, customers wanting to speak to someone face to face had to choose from six locations, there were dozens of telephone numbers, there were 100s of leaflets to chose from and internet self service was not user friendly.

Now, thanks to Contact Warrington, customer’s access to advice and services has never been easier with one town centre location, telephone number and email address, improved website, and where they can speak to an officer face to face, all in a friendly welcoming environment.

Cllr Sharon Wilson, Executive Board member for service to customers, said: "A considerable amount of work has gone into finding out what customers want and meeting their needs. Winning this award highlights the high standards of customer service that we now offer to residents who are now benefiting from improved service.

"Twelve months is also a relatively short amount of time to have made all this happen and I must thank all our staff who have contributed to this project and are delivering the service and to our customers for their invaluable feedback."

The Green Flag awards for six locations across the borough have been announced this week.

So if you are looking for a quiet area to reflect in peaceful surroundings or a fun, family day out then look no further.

This is the first time that Lymm Dam has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag – the national standard for parks and green spaces.

It is in great company as it joins Walton Gardens, Fox Covert Cemetery, Risley Moss, Walton Crematorium and Burtonwood Cemetery that have yet again retain their status for 2008/09.

The coveted accolade is made by the Civic Trust - Britain's leading charity encouraging community partnerships to enhance the quality of life in Britain's cities, towns and villages.

As winners, the six locations are judged to be welcoming, safe and well maintained with the strong involvement of the local community.

Cllr Alan Litton, Executive Board member of environment services, said:

"This is a fantastic achievement for Lymm Dam to be awarded its first Green Flag, alongside the five who have retained their status for the coming year. This is a testament to the hard work of so many dedicated people who work all year round to keep these areas in such good condition."

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