Get connected next month

October is Get Connected month in Hertsmere so get ready to 'do it online'!

Did you know you can pay your council tax, apply for housing benefit and report graffiti and fly-tipping through our website, from the comfort of your own home?

Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Communications Cllr Morris Bright said: "We want to make it as easy as possible for residents to get in touch with us and access our services and much of this can be done via our website – it’s available 24 hours a day so you can log on whenever it’s convenient for you."

The first week of the month also coincides with National Customer Service week, 3 to 7 October, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of customer service.  So during this week, and the whole month, our customer service advisors will be happy to show residents who visit our offices how they could save time by accessing our services online.

Get Connected month forms part of a wider Customer Focus Project which aims to make the most of technology to save time and money and provide residents with the right answers, the first time they contact us.  As a result, a number of enhancements have been made to how customers can contact us and access services, including:

• an automated switchboard
• improvements to our website so that online services and transactions are more user-friendly and easy to find
• the introduction of bar codes to council tax bills so payments can also be made at PayPoint terminals.

Cllr Morris Bright added: "The idea behind the overall project is to improve the customer experience.  And because so many people are using the internet as part of their daily routine, we want them to know they can also use it to deal with the council if they wish.  But for anyone without the internet, you can still get in touch in the usual ways - by phone, post or in person at one of our offices."