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14. Digital takeup
14. Encourage all users to use the digital service (with assisted digital support if required), alongside an appropriate plan to phase out non-digital channels/services.
Link to corresponding item in JIRA: https://jira.informed.com:8443/browse/FCOLOI-167
Questions
- What is your plan for increasing digital take up during beta?
- Tell us about your evidence base to support these plans?
- How are you able to assess if users are shifting away from your non-digital channels to your digital one?
- How have you tested the effectiveness of your messaging with real users?
- What is your plan for engaging with other delivery channels (for your service) to promote digital take-up?
Evidence
Service Manager able to:
- explain how they plan to increase digital take up during beta.
- explain the evidence base behind their plans for increasing digital take up.
- demonstrate (at least) weekly analytics/metrics for usage volumes across channels.
- demonstrate how your messaging has improved based on user insight and how it has performed based on analytics.
- explain engagement across all delivery channels and planning for promoting digital take-up.
What is your plan for increasing digital take up during beta? Tell us about your evidence base to support these plans?
Our aspiration is for 100% of users to use the digital channel, including those needing ‘assisted digital’ support.
We plan to deliver the following communications:
- Articles written for the Law Society, Notaries Society and Law Society, Scotland magazines and forums, advising of the changes and the added benefits they will bring.
- (3 months) Leaflets returned with all applications advising them of the upcoming changes. This mirrors the recent practice when moving to online payments only, and also our recent leaflet campaign to try to identify AD users.
- Notices will be placed in both the Premium Service and MK drop-off service counters. Specific training will have been given to MK drop-off customers.
- Provide more training to allow Serco (external front-line call handlers) to talk customers through making applications online, setting up accounts etc. Also embedding and refining processes for Serco to escalate AD users to the Communications team in the LO, who then contact the customer and apply on their behalf over the phone if the customer chooses that option.
Once the private beta is over and we transition to public beta, the old ‘paper-based’ application form will be archived. Whilst we will still be able to accept the form (manually entering the details onto our back-end systems), it will no longer be visible to customers.
All applications that come via the old application form will be processed during a 3 month ‘grace’ period; a leaflet will be returned with each application advising the customer that the normal channel is now online.
How are you able to assess if users are shifting away from your non-digital channels to your digital one?
Through analytics. With the existing private beta service we can track the number of applications submitted by each service. Once our new backend caseworking system is in place (April) we will be able to report these figures alongside non-digital applications which will all be recorded in the same place. This data will also be reported to the performance platform to track channel shift.
How have you tested the effectiveness of your messaging with real users?
These channels have been used effectively in the past, such as in the move to online payment.
What is your plan for engaging with other delivery channels (for your service) to promote digital take-up?
See above - our comms plan is designed to touch all delivery channels including users of offline channels, intermediaries (notaries etc) and businesses
What other channels is the service currently delivered through?
We have 3 application channels, all of whom currently use a version of our paper-based form.
Postal Service - A service applied for via a postal application. Details of this service are provided on our website: https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised. This website provides information on our fees (including postage costs); there is a document checker tool which states the requirements we need documents to fulfil in order to legalise them; there is a link to a payment platform which calculates both legalisation and postage fees depending on the number of documents to be legalised and to where they need to be sent. There is also a link to two versions of the application form – one which can be amended electronically, and one to be printed for completion by hand.
Premium Service - This service is offered to pre-registered businesses. It is advertised on our website and there is a link to a registration form. The costs are higher at £75 per document, and payment is made directly using the payment platform link. Applications, which include the payment confirmation and a hardcopy coversheet, are brought into our office in London. The Premium Service charge entitles the customer to have their documents legalised the same day (often while they wait).
MK Drop-Off Service - We do not advertise this service on our website. It is a legacy service, offered to pre-registered business customers who, at least weekly, submit a batch of more than 20 documents for legalisation. These customers pay for the service directly via the payment platform link, and bring confirmation of this payment, along with a hardcopy coversheet, in person during our counter opening hours in Milton Keynes. They can return in person, 24 hours later, to collect the legalised documents. There are currently 25 customers who have been invited to use this service.
Alongside these application channels, customers can also call our Contact Centre (operated by Serco) and request an application form be sent to them. Payment (unless in exceptional circumstances) is made online.
Do you collect data for these channels?
We collect statistics for all 3 services – snapshot below for FY14/15:
Postal Service
- 121,157 applications received.
- 207,762 documents were legalised.
Business Service
- An average of 20 application batches were received daily, equating to around 5,060 for the FY.
- 139,342 documents were legalised.
- 28 customers were registered to use the service (now down to 25).
Premium Service
- 21,576 application batches were received.
- 112,144 documents were legalised.
What proportion of your users currently use and complete the transaction per channel?
100% of customers currently complete the application process via one of the methods outlined above. The Breakdown per ‘service’ is:
- 82% via the postal service;
- 3.5% via MK drop-off; and
- 14.5% via Premium Service
Which organisations/groups help your users with the existing digital or non-digital services?
The Legalisation Office has a Telephone Enquiry Service for the public which has been outsourced to Serco. Serco’s telephone number is published on the first page of our gov.uk website. The FCO’s main switchboard also has details of this number to pass on should callers contact them.
The call script used by Serco agents quickly identifies caller category, and determines which point the caller has reached in the application process. This is followed by questioning on why the caller has contacted the enquiry line. As well as dealing with customers who have already submitted applications, the agents are trained to talk callers through the application process step-by-step, and can advise on such issues as:
- Document categories – talking the caller through the document checker tool;
- Application form completion;
- How to use the payment platform link; and
- Signposting enquiries about the Business and Premium Services to the website/LO team.
Between the start of the Serco contract in March 2014 until the end of August 2015, Serco have answered almost 77,000 calls. For FY14/15 they dealt with 50,806 calls.
We also advertise an e-mail address for enquiries. This is managed by the Comms Team in Milton Keynes, and they answer e-mails individually, advising on policy, clarifying processes and checking the progress of an application. If callers are experiencing any IT problems with the online form this team can e-mail a form back to the customer.
Since July we have been monitoring a proportion of the calls received by Serco, measuring those who do not have access to the internet. To date, four calls have been received from customers without internet access (0.4% of the total screened). We have also been monitoring other correspondence methods; we have not received any letters, e-mails or direct calls from customers advising that they require assistance with their application.
How has the digital service been designed to give it clear advantages over the other channels?
The digital service will have two big advantages:
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For the one off customer (unfamiliar with the legalisation process) – The integrated application checklist will ensure customers stand a much better chance of getting their application right first-time. Approximately 10% of applications received by the postal team are considered non-straightforward. A failure to submit the correct documents can delay an application by up to 10 days (as it has to be returned to the customer to be rectified).
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For the regular customer – The registration process will allow customers to store their most commonly used details (including addresses, card details, contact details etc), allowing them to complete their application as quickly (if not quicker) as now. The new digital solution will also integrate the front-end information with the back-end solution, ensuring the overall process is completed in line with ministerial targets.