Strategic Plan - Customer Service

We will deliver a welcoming and consistent customer service experience centred around the people we serve.

Objectives

  • Embrace innovative technology and processes to efficiently meet customer needs, fostering greater engagement with the City
  • Ensure the City is inclusive and accessible for customers across all services. Establish policies and practices that enable respectful, fair, and equitable treatment.
  • Build and maintain customer trust through addressing customer requests and responsive communication
  • Foster a culture of collaboration within internal departments for a consistent customer service experience
  • Engage with customers to understand their needs, expectations, and preferences

Actions

Customer service plan and implementation

Image of the entrance of the At Your Service Niagara Falls customer service room at the MacBain Community Centre. Showing the City logo and name at the top and glass doors and windows. The service counter is inside the room in the background.

60% complete | On track

  • Successfully launched At Your Service Niagara Falls, establishing a centralized, multi-channel customer service model
  • Implemented a first-contact resolution approach across multiple service areas
  • Recruited, trained and onboarded a dedicated customer service team
  • Created and received Council approval for the Customer Service Standards policy, establishing clear service expectations and accountability across the organization

  • Deliver corporate-wide training to support consistent Customer Service Standards across the organization
  • Identify opportunities to enhance service delivery and expand service offerings

Establish a knowledge base portal

75% complete | On track

  • Developed and launched an internal and resident-facing knowledge base within the CRM
  • Created standardized knowledge articles to support consistent, accurate responses

  • Ongoing content expansion and refinement
  • Regular review cycles to ensure accuracy and relevance
  • Improve searchability and usability based on staff and resident feedback

Implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system

75% complete | On track

  • Successfully implemented a CRM system to manage customer interactions and service requests
  • Launched a self-serve customer portal, enabling residents to submit over 60 online service requests
  • Enabled reporting and analytics to support service planning and accountability

  • Continued system optimization and enhancements
  • Expand reporting to support operational and strategic decision-making
  • Expand CRM functionality to support additional service areas and improve how customer requests are managed across City Services

Online chat function for residents

10% complete | On track

  • Planning is underway to introduce automated digital customer service tools to support faster access to information and services

  • Implement AI-enabled digital tools to streamline simple service requests, giving residents 24/7 access to information and online services
  • Develop end-to-end digital service experiences that allow residents to complete requests online

Website and intranet updates

90% complete | On track

Intranet

  • The new intranet has been launched and is in production

Website

  • The new Website is now live

  • Complete training
  • Add website content
  • Continued upgrades

Customer service renovations at MacBain Community Centre and City Hall

95% complete | On track

  • At Your Service Niagara Falls renovations have been completed at MacBain Community Centre and City Hall
  • Grand Opening held on November 10, 2025

New electronic building permitting software

Two storey house under construction
100% complete | On track

  • Implementation of Phase 1 of the project is complete
  • Building staff are utilizing the system, and online permitting applications are available to the public

  • Ongoing staff training
  • Website enhancements
  • Exploring additional features and reporting

New electronic bidding software

Keyboard with a bids button
80% complete | On track

  • The bidding software, which will provide the functionality for publicly posting bidding opportunities through an electronic platform and receiving and verifying bidders' submissions electronically through the system, was implemented on February 1, 2023

  • Phase 2: Recalibration of the system to implement additional tools to create efficiencies in the City's procurement processes, specifically the Award and Contract Administration processes

Upgrade "back-of-house" programs and systems to allow for seamless integration of customer interactions and workflow

Staff serving a customer at the counter
10% complete | Pending

  • To be reviewed and implemented as part of future CRM-related enhancements

  • Identify and prioritize system and workflow improvements to support seamless integration of customer interactions

Establish a three-year people plan to become an employer of choice and implement strategies and initiatives to attract, develop, and retain top talent

Group of people at a table chatting
100% complete | On track

  • Formal Application completed by the Human Resource Team and submitted to Canada's Top 100 Employers on May 1st, 2024
  • Formal Notification and designation of becoming one of Hamilton – Niagara’s Top Employers was received January 2025 (100% Complete)
  • This designation as one of Hamilton – Niagara’s Top Employers is the first time the City has achieved this status

  • The committee will review applications from May through July 2024
  • The final notifications on application status will be provided in September 2024
  • Since receiving the 2025 designation of becoming one of Hamilton–Niagara’s Top Employers, the City has re-applied for 2026
  • Application status will be announced in January 2026

Contact Us

City of Niagara Falls
4310 Queen Street
P.O. Box 1023
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6X5
Canada
905-356-7521
service@niagarafalls.ca