Customer Care Charter

We will:

• Treat you politely and respectfully
• Listen to you carefully and take your views seriously
• Make sure our employees are trained to give you the help you need
• Use plain language in all communications
• Provide information in other languages and accessible formats on request
• Arrange for a British Sign Language Interpreter on request
• Treat you fairly and in confidence

When answering the telephone we will:

• Aim to answer your call within five rings
• Tell you who you are speaking to and the name of the service
• Put calls through to the right place, first time
• Take a message or give you the correct number to telephone if we cannot transfer your call
• Return your calls within one working day
• When dealing with your letters and faxes we will:
• Provide an acknowledgement when requested
• Provide you with details of the person dealing with your enquiry
• Respond within five working days

When dealing with your e-mails we will:

• Acknowledge the receipt of all e-mails within one working day
• Respond within five working days

When you visit the Council’s buildings we will:

• Create an accessible environment that is welcoming, safe and friendly
• Provide clear signage
• Provide self service facilities for appropriate services
• Greet you promptly

When we meet you face-to-face we will:

• Be on time
• Wear name badges and show official identification on appropriate visits
• Arrange a time and place for you to discuss issues in private
• Where appropriate, make other arrangements to visit you if you cannot visit us

When dealing with complaints, comments and compliments we will:

• Provide you with information about how to report a complaint, comment or compliment
• Record all complaints, comments and compliments and use them to help review and improve our services
• Acknowledge all complaints within two working days
• Respond to all complaints within ten working days
• Treat complaints confidentially and fairly
• Tell you how you can take your complaint further if you are not satisfied with our response
• Apologise when we are at fault and do our very best to put things right

We will keep customers informed and involved by:

• Producing accurate, useful and up to date information about the Council and our services
• Publishing annually our performance against these Customer Services Standards

Our employees have the right to:

• Work in a safe environment free from aggressive or threatening behaviour
• Be treated politely and respectfully
• Take appropriate action in confrontational situations