When Michael McGrath lodged a maintenance request with Surf Coast Shire Council, he assumed the impacts of coronavirus would result in a longer-than-expected response – but he was pleased to be proven wrong.
"I recently needed to have some maintenance performed on my waste bins in Lorne. When I looked up Council's website and saw coronavirus had affected operations, my reaction was that it was going to be a long process," he said.
"I submitted the request and to my surprise, I received a response within 24 hours. To my delight, it conveyed a sense of personal attention and advised what actions had been taken and when I could expect something to occur at my home. In another touch of personalisation, the officer stated she had requested the Waste team to call prior to arriving on-site."
The maintenance request for Mr McGrath's bins was completed within two days.
"I felt that my request was dealt with professionally and that both the officer who made initial contact and the maintenance man cared about the service and response they were providing," he said.
With Council's office in Torquay currently closed in line with the state government directive that 'if you can work from home, you must work from home', people who require assistance from Council are encouraged to Lodge a Request online.
"Whether you're seeking a service, information or maintenance – Lodge a Request is the quickest and easiest way to deal with us," Mayor Rose Hodge said. "The form is accessed via our website home page, and is simple to fill out.
"This is one way we're improving the customer experience, which is a strong focus for Council. Last month we received 1560 customer requests. We always love when people share their positive experiences, like Mr McGrath's."
To Lodge a Request, visit www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au. People without Internet access can call Council's customer service team on 5261 0600.
