Written by I recently blogged that I’d signed up to participate in some workshops to develop the customer service team of the local authority in which I live. Read the intro in this post.
I’ve since received a very formal email thanking me for my interest but regretfully informing me that due to a lack of interest, the sessions won’t go ahead as planned.
How ironic, that if they were engaged in more relevant digital channels (and that’s the reason I want to participate!), they probably would have had a far greater reach to potential contributors.
A slightly worrying development is that they are now suggesting the use of a “virtual” feedback group which will involve people sending their ideas by email.
Hang on a minute…..
Isn’t the idea of a group workshop for people to make connections and for creativity to emerge from that? The whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts, and all that.
It’s all starting to sound like they just want to tick a box.
Yes, we’ve consulted with people.
Aren’t we good ?
As it happens, they didn’t have much to say!
So we’ll just carry on, because we know best after all.
I’ve replied to the email suggesting a collaborative forum approach which allows for threaded conversations so people can at least engage with others and bounce ideas around.
It’s about letting people share their thinking, so that together we can develop a plan to make things better.
I’ve even offered to advise on setting up something suitable/acceptable ….and not had a response.
Do they really want to engage with their customers I wonder?
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