- Title
- Call centres as a vehicle to improve customer satisfaction in local government: a case study of front line workers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality
- Creator
- Magoqwana, Babalwa Mirianda
- ThesisAdvisor
- Ruiters, Greg
- ThesisAdvisor
- Miller, Darlene
- Subject
- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (Eastern Cape, South Africa) Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Work environment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Customer satisfaction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies Call center agents -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies
- Date
- 2009
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSocSc
- Identifier
- vital:3340
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004339
- Description
- This dissertation provides an account of 'Batho Pele' (People First) and 'new public management' as applied in two government call-centres in the Eastern Cape. Focusing on the workers at these call-centres, this research examines the workplace organisation of these call-centres based in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. The study involved interviews with managers, call-centre operators and trade unionists. The findings show how the work environment is not conducive to the goals of customer satisfaction as presented in the Batho Pele policies. The research investigates the conditions of workers as one explanatory factor for poor call-centre service. If workers are a key element in the success of the 'new public management', their work environment and conditions have to facilitate their job satisfaction and their improved customer service. The research demonstrated the evident lack of professionalism in the call-centre, customer care designed as a matter of compliance rather the need to change the culture and the persistent lack of discipline and supervision. The call centre operator's experiences include issues of surveillance, stress, emotional labour, lack of training, internal conflicts and bad 'customer service' as perceived by the citizens of the Metro.
- Format
- 158 leaves, pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Humanities, Sociology
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Magoqwana, Babalwa Mirianda
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
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| View Details | SOURCEPDF | 31 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |