Sefton Council has worked with a cloud-based software provider to help improve its customer service and support people across the borough throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.



Lockdown measures introduced in March this year meant the Council’s customer service Contact Centre had to be moved online to allow staff to continue providing support while working safely from home.

The Council had to act quickly to enable Contact Centre teams to work remotely while maintaining vital services to local people, and it selected a cloud-based platform from communications provider 8×8.

Within ten days, the new ‘cloud contact centre’ was up and running and 40 work-from-home Contact Centre workers began taking and making calls. This enabled vital council services to continue and meant people who were shielding across Sefton could access much-needed support.


Call Centre teams can now work remotely thanks to the new cloud-based software.
James Aldred, Sefton Council Procurement Manager, said: “I remember arriving at 7 am to an email that said we needed to create a virtual contact centre, immediately. Within hours, the project team found the right solution and got a deal together which fully met our needs.”

Mark Quillan, Sefton Council Customer Service Manager, added: “8×8 did all they could to make this a positive experience for us and it took just ten days to set up the cloud contact centre. Moving to this technology meant we could get our team working from home taking calls right away, with chat, email and secure payment capabilities soon to follow.”

Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services, said: “COVID-19 has created huge challenges for the public sector but it has also presented a moment to rethink and transform specific services. The ‘new normal’ calls for extra safety, greater agility and enhanced services for our residents, business and visitors, which we’ve achieved with 8×8.”

Jamie Snaddon, Managing Director, EMEA at 8×8, said: “We are extremely proud to be helping Sefton Council transform