95%
Success rate handling queries
75,000+
Queries handled by AI Assistant Ellis
25%
Queries handled out of hours
30,000
Calls via Phone AI service
With constant pressure to service their residents in the most cost-effective way, councils are increasingly seeking innovative solutions to meet the ever-evolving customer service demands. With over 60% of resident interactions still occurring via the phone, it's time for councils to embrace advanced technologies that amplify user experience, bolster efficiency and ultimately help cut costs.
With cost-saving a key driver behind their pursuit of AI integration, Lewes and Eastbourne Councils have successfully integrated Conversational AI across channels – website, live chat, and most recently, phone. The outcome is an impressive 95% success rate in handling over 75,000 queries by their AI Assistant, Ellis. Furthermore, 25% of queries are being handled out of hours, providing residents with 24/7 access to council services.
Deflection During Contact Spikes
Enables better resource management during contact spikes i.e., Council Tax, cost-of-living, homes for Ukraine. Ability to quickly adapt and provide better outcomes for residents.
Freeing up Staff Time
With tens of thousands of inbound calls per year, staff capacity is released from managing high-volume low-impact queries to manage more complex cases. AI has already managed 30,000 calls via the phone AI service.
Omnichannel Availability, 24/7
AI deployed across website, live chat and phone channels to provide 24/7 digital self-service capability (25% of queries served out of hours), reducing overall waiting times for residents.
Resource Reallocation
90% reduction in Live Chat requests to agents enables resource reallocation of 5 full-time contact agents into other areas i.e. to support revenue collection for unpaid council tax.
Proactive and Flexible Team
Improved customer assistance with AI servicing common queries, enabling agents to hold longer and more meaningful calls and provide proactive outreach.
Maximising Resources
Using AI Assistant as an internal tool to direct residents to quicker resolutions, freeing up resources for other activities including cost-of living support.
AI Across Multiple Contact Channels
"We've been working with ICS.AI for the past 18 months to integrate Conversational AI across multiple channels, including website chatbot, live chat and most recently, phone. This strategic partnership has already resulted in significant positive impacts, with cost-saving being a key driver behind our pursuit of AI integration".
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Lee Banner
Programme Manager, Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Councils
"The phone channel has emerged as a significant opportunity for freeing up valuable staff time to address critical resident concerns. Our Phone AI deployment has delivered exceptional results so far, prompting us to expand its implementation to cover even more council services. This progressive move will undoubtedly drive a transformative change, enhancing the overall experience for both our residents and staff, while optimising our resources and achieving substantial cost savings".
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Lee Banner
Programme Manager, Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Councils
Watch our Webinar
Download our webinar recording to hear directly from Lewes and Eastbourne Councils as they discuss their latest venture with AI – launching Ellis on their phone channel.