Tatau Pounamu have identified a significant problem in the way Te Wānanga o Aotearoa keeps in contact with our tauira over the Christmas break.
 
Traditionally, the call centre has shut down over the three-week Christmas holiday period.
 
This has resulted in a significant number of calls and enquiries going to an automated message.
 
We have changed telephone systems so we no longer have that data but the email referrals were 1,600 alone.
 
Upon returning to work, it could take kaimahi up to six weeks to clear these messages on top of a significant heat period resulting in a three to nine-week call resolution timeframe.
 
Our conclusion is this is an unacceptable level of service to tauira.
 
A successful tauira service requires;
 
1, The call centre to be open
2, Hangarau to provide technical and server support
3, Rohe to process the call centre prospects that are transferred
 
We have decided we can achieve the first two and are working on the third for 2016/2017.
 
Therefore the new hours of operation for Tatau Pounamu over this Christmas period will be;
 
8.30am to 4.30pm from December 21, 2015 to December 24 then close down.
 
Re-open from January 5, 2016 to January 8 from 8.30am to 4.30pm.
 
Normal operational hours 8am to 6pm to re-commence from January 11, 2016.
 
This is a great development! It’s going to mean a huge improvement in the tauira experience as we will be able to respond to tauira right throughout the Christmas period.
 
I’d like to thank our Tatau Pounamu staff for their willingness to help us find a solution to this long-standing problem. Thanks also to Richard Neal and Yusef Komene who have worked out all the logistics!
 
Nā Keri Milne-Ihimaera, Tumuratonga.