The contact centre and Gem
In the news last week
Last week there was online attention for the Gem Kwartaalupdate held the previous Thursday. Digitale Overheid and the VNG, among others, posted about it.
There was critical attention for chatbots as well. Among other things, that article covered the collaboration between chatbot and human (all in Dutch).
A good moment to zoom in on the question: “How do Gem and municipal staff work together?”
Working together smartly: chatbot and employee
It happens that Gem cannot yet fully answer a question. Human interaction is then needed. On top of that, some residents simply prefer to speak to a person. In these situations Gem refers the resident on to a live chat, if the municipality offers one, or otherwise to the telephone number of the contact centre (KCC). That does not happen at random. It happens on the basis of a clear assessment, including:
- The resident's preference: when a resident asks to be put in touch with a member of staff.
- Complexity: when the question is complex, Gem refers the resident to a member of staff. Think of questions about building permits.
- Specific themes: municipalities decide that for certain themes Gem asks the resident whether the question has been answered well enough, or whether help from a member of staff would be welcome. Gem can then refer the resident on to contact centre staff or to the telephone number of a specific department.
A warm handover between Gem and staff
During a handover, Gem makes sure the employee can see the earlier conversation with Gem. That way the resident does not have to ask their question all over again, and the employee can help them faster. This ‘warm handover’ makes for a smooth continuation of the contact with the resident.
The conversation does not have to stop after contact with an employee: residents can carry on chatting through Gem about any follow-up questions. This keeps the municipality's services running without interruption.