By Nangamso Mabindla

Buffalo City Municipality is stepping up its service to residents by drawing up a Service Delivery Charter and a Customer Care Strategy.

By implementing a comprehensive customer care programme, the municipality hopes to improve and streamline communication with the area's communities.

Darby Gauden, the municipality's communications manager, said the programme would establish a social pact between the municipality and its customers to ensure more efficient delivery.

The municipality has plans to open a customer care centre at the Trust Bank Building in Oxford Street, East London, which will streamline communication between the public and the municipality.

"The centre will create a platform for customer complaints and queries to be directed to a central point, where the customers care consultants will channel the relevant matter to the department in question," Gauden said.

With the municipality's core business being service delivery, Gauden said, it had become essential that it take a more coherent approach in dealing with customer queries and complaints.

Staff at the center will undergo intensive internal and international training, said Gauden.

"The development of a Service Delivery Charter and a Customer Care Strategy will assist in ensuring that customers are treated to a quality experience when visiting the centres," she said.

The municipality also plans to open a Customer Care Centre in King William's Town and, at a later stage, in Mdantsane.

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