Home Affairs launch better, quicker call centre

A new, integrated, unified messaging client contact centre has been launched by the Department of Home Affairs on Tuesday.

With this move the department hopes to streamline its service to customers.

The new home affairs contact centre is aimed at improving how officials handle enquiries, requests for service-related information and complaints, as well as compliments from citizens and clients.

Past experience showed a need for a single messaging system capable of seamlessly receiving, processing and resolving client queries. Until the end of March the department used a manual, fragmented client service system and a network of internal nodal-points based in the line function units of civics and immigrations. Problems included inadequate tracking of queries and record-keeping, weak coordination among officials and units handling client queries, inconsistent application of standard operating procedures and low compliance with service delivery standards.

The new in-house centre has brought together all customer service structures under one roof. The centre enables members of the public to lodge queries at a central point and to have all logged cases attended to uniformly with consistent responses from consultants.

All channels for lodging complaints are linked to the centre and cases are registered on a central case management system.

It will serve also as an information centre for clients who need information from the department on various services and prescribed procedures and requirements.

Work is also in progress to load other components of the National Population Register to ensure maximum access to information related to all Home Affairs services. In the coming months, the department will integrate all systems, including the Home Affairs National Identification System, the National Immigration Identification System as well as the Movement Control System.

It operates from Monday to Saturday. The centre can be contacted on 0800 60 11 90.