Oxford City Council is celebrating a major success after achieving an outstanding result in its recent Customer Service Excellence (CSE) assessment.
The Council retained the nationally recognised standard following a comprehensive three-day review.
The full assessment took place on 24, 26 and 27 November, during which the Council was assessed against 57 separate criteria. The independent assessor spoke to partners and residents, and visited several key locations across the city including Westgate, Oxford Museum and Blackbird Leys Community Hub. The assessor also reviewed extensive evidence submitted by staff and met with a wide range of colleagues, including officers, managers, directors and the Chief Executive.
The Council not only retained the Customer Service Excellence standard but also achieved 13 Compliance Plus ratings, recognising areas where services have gone above and beyond the required standard. These strengths were particularly evident in Customer Insight, Organisational Culture, and Information and Access.
Comment
“This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of our staff. Retaining the Customer Service Excellence standard – and achieving 13 Compliance Plus ratings – shows that we are not only meeting expectations but exceeding them in key areas that matter most to our residents. Customer-focused services sit at the heart of everything we do, and this independent assessment confirms that our approach is making a real difference across the city.”
“We should rightly be proud of this achievement, but we will not be complacent. In an increasingly demanding environment, delivering efficient and ffective customer service is essential. This recognition gives us confidence that we are on the right path, while reinforcing our commitment to continual improvement.”
Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies
While the outcome highlights significant strengths, the assessment also identified several areas for continuous improvement, including opportunities to further enhance performance and increase customer satisfaction feedback across the Council. These recommendations will be incorporated into service plans over the coming year, ensuring momentum continues.
The Council’s next partial assessment will take place in November, focusing on progress against the identified improvement areas and the continued achievement of Compliance Plus standards. Work to prepare for this will begin in the new year, with Service Champions playing a key role.
The Customer Service Excellence standard provides organisations with a practical framework for driving customer-focused change. It rigorously assesses those aspects of service delivery that research shows are most important to customers, including timeliness, information, professionalism, staff attitude, and the effective use of customer insight and satisfaction measurement.
The Council would like to thank everyone involved in the assessment process – from those who uploaded evidence to the portal to colleagues who met with the assessor – for their hard work and commitment in helping to deliver excellent services for residents across the city.
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