Assignment

As with many other municipalities, budget cuts were a central concern for the city of Amsterdam. In 2012, the city had over fifty front-office locations. RMC was asked to develop a new service concept for all public services from a retail perspective. The challenge was to reduce costs without inconveniencing the public. In fact, the new concept aimed to increase customer satisfaction while lowering costs.

Approach

• Conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis of the service offerings using a service scan.
• Developing a service delivery vision in which all channels are aligned.
• Designing a new counter concept in collaboration with design agency Buro Loods.
• Setting up management models and operational control organizations using knowledge from the retail sector.
• Developing a business case for the service concept.
• Implementing the new concept, including staff training and rolling out test locations.

Result

In 2013/2014, seven new city service counters were successfully established. Amsterdam residents can now renew their passports and apply for social benefits at the same counter. The new service counters have significantly reduced waiting times and greatly expanded the range of services offered.