Customer Care Policy for Staff
Introduction
This document has been designed to provide policy guidance to
support the delivery of customer care throughout the Council.
The content identifies the challenges faced in consistently
providing good quality services and outlines corporate practices
and procedures that will deliver a consistent and high quality
service to the public.
Providing good customer care alone is no longer a sufficient
mechanism for measuring and delivering quality services.
Demonstrable evidence is required on how the Council has served,
listened to and consulted with the local community and what
measures have been taken to address issues raised during the
consultation process.
This document has been produced in consultation with local
equality groups from six strands of diversity. For Ashford, the six
strands of diversity have been defined as age, disability, faith,
gender, race and sexual orientation. The document will be reviewed
on an annual basis and revised as appropriate to take into account
any changes in circumstances. An Equality Impact Assessment has
been conducted on this policy document and is attached at Appendix
1.
Aims and Objectives
Aims
The Council aims to deliver an excellent service to all its
customers, provide easy access and a choice of access channels to
services. Providing a choice of access channels ensures the
customer can access services when they need and in the way they
want. This can be; face to face, telephone, fax, letter, e-mail,
web-site or text message (SMS).
To achieve this aim, services will strive to provide quality
services and improve year-on-year. (This performance will be
measured by relevant local and national indicators such as the
Central Government Performance Management Framework and National
Indicator 14.
These policy guidelines will assist staff with delivering high
quality services by adopting practices, procedures and principles
to deliver consistency, resolution at first point of contact and
continuous service improvements.
Objectives
The objective of this document is to highlight the quality
standards adopted by the Council and identify principles and
practices to deliver high quality services.
Since the introduction of the Modernising Local Government White
Paper in 1999, there have been numerous Government directives
focusing on improving customer services and widening the choice of
access channels. The Gershon and Varney Reports emphasised the
importance of quality front-line services and Councils have a prime
objective to drive forward customer choice and service
transformation. The transformation agenda is challenging Councils
to move customers to cheaper access channels such as self help and
introduce access to services through different service points. By
using new technologies, the Information Communication Technology
(ICT) Service can improve effectiveness and efficiency by providing
self help options and create a joined-up and integrated workforce,
where all employees have access to the same information reflecting
a ‘one council’ approach.
For the purpose of this document, it may be useful to identify
the key targets this Council has adopted:
The Council’s Corporate Plan 2007-2010
priorities:
- Good quality services giving best value for money.
- Local leadership and strong partnership working.
- Customer/Citizen focus.
National Indicator 14 - Avoidable Contact:
- Transform service efficiency, effectiveness and customer
experience.
- Aim for a resolution to be reached at first point of
contact.
- Use technology to transform customers’ experience and
operational efficiency.
- Minimise avoidable/unnecessary contact.
- Target areas of service failure.
- Get things right first time.
Equality Standards:
- Achieve Level 3 of the Equality Standard for Local
Government.
- Provide key evidence for the Comprehensive Area Assessment
programme.
- Promote equality between diverse groups representing age,
disability, faith, gender, race and sexual orientation.
- Develop dialogue and consultation practices with equality
groups.
Facilitating Customer Self-Help:
- Improve customer service by providing multiple access
channels.
- Creation of a joined-up and integrated workforce.
- Develop on-line self help.
- Provide a seamless and relevant experience at every
touch-point.
- Enhance internal communications providing ‘one-view’ of the
customer and ‘one-view’ of the Council.
The above key targets, together with the desire to make
services more accessible through a choice of access channels,
brings a number of demands on the Council in defining its service
to the public.
What is Customer Care?
A customer is anyone who approaches a member of staff, members,
partners, contractors for support, information or advice; this also
includes suppliers or colleagues. Customers can contact the Council
by telephone, letter, e-mail, SMS, fax, web-site or face to face
and the quality of the service can often be dependant upon whoever
responds to their enquiry.
We are all here to provide a public service. Customer care is
about treating other people the same way you would like to be
treated. People want accessible, efficient and cost effective
services and we must strive to meet these demands.
Customer care means providing good quality services in a
friendly, efficient and helpful way, continually striving to
improve services, by ensuring good communication and a positive
attitude to customers.
Generally customers will request a service from the Council. In
some instances we may need to be involved with people when they do
not particularly want our involvement. However, in all our dealings
with people, customers have the right to be treated with dignity,
respect and courtesy.
Always:
- Provide transparency; be open and honest with customers,
suppliers and residents.
- Offer choices.
- Provide consistent information, regardless of how the customer
chooses to contact (letter, fax, email, SMS, etc. the same
information should be available).
- Give clear concise details and be prepared to explain.
Where you are unable to assist, take the customers details and
forward them to the appropriate colleague for response, advising
the customer of your plan of action.
Customer Care Principles
The foundation for delivering quality services and projecting a
corporate image is to adopt standards that will form a baseline for
a corporate approach to delivering professional customer care.
- Be attentive and courteous.
- Be honest and fair in dealing with customers.
- Respond quickly to requests for assistance.
- Provide services that are fair and accessible to all.
- Set and publish standards for all services.
- Record, monitor and publish complaints and compliments.
- Explain our services and keep the public informed of what is
happening.
- Ensure complaints are dealt with openly and fairly.
- Actively seek the views of customers and staff.
- Consult and survey customers on a regular basis.
- Review our customer and staff care commitments.
- Share good practice.
- It is each member of staff’s responsibility to aim for a
resolution to be achieved at first point of contact.
Highlighting areas of good practice
Customers are not all external, we are all customers of each
other and internal customers should be treated in the same
professional and courteous way as outlined above.
There are many areas of good practice both across the Council
and in our partnership arrangements. It is important that these are
highlighted and shared amongst services and indeed external
customers and partners. Do not be shy about promoting your
service.
- Acknowledge the hard work and innovation displayed by
staff.
- If something is working well in one service it may be possible
for other services to follow this example.
- Introduce systems so that good practice can be communicated to
all staff.
Service Standards
The last few years have seen a substantial increase in the
number of targets that we have to measure our performance against.
These are set both locally and by Central Government. At times,
this may feel overwhelming. However, it is important to remember
that local people are entitled to value-for-money public
services.
Many of the indicators relating to customer care will be
monitored by the Audit Commission’s external inspectors through
their normal inspection regime. Managers are also responsible for
monitoring targets, which will be reported on a quarterly basis to
the Executive and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The customer care standards and targets need to be reviewed
regularly and new standards set so that we can continue to improve
services to customers. In order to do this effectively, all staff
are encouraged to contribute to this process.
Service Standards will continue to be developed and publicised.
You should check with your manager to find out what the existing
standards and performance indicators are for your service.
The standards should include the service’s commitment to
customers, which have been established via a customer consultation
process.
Standards must include:
- Waiting and response times to telephone calls, correspondence
and callers – in agreement or consultation with customer
services.
- Commitments and service standards appropriate to the service
provided to your customers.
- Reliability and punctuality standards.
- A publication date showing when leaflets are produced.
- The use of plain and simple language.
- The correct use of Ashford Borough Council and Ashford Best
Placed brands.
- The correct use of fonts, capitals and council specific terms.
.
Service Delivery
Consultation on service standards and service delivery will form
the basis on which a customer can reasonably judge their experience
with the Council.
It is appropriate for consultation to take place on an on-going
basis to improve service delivery and monitor the quality of
services.
Those with access to the Council’s customer relationship
management (CRM) system have access to a shared pool of
information, advice and assistance, delivered consistently in a way
that is designed to suit the customer’s requirements rather than
the Council’s. The CRM allows a history of customer contact to be
recorded and enables enquiries to be dealt with at first point of
contact. It is possible for all services to obtain licenses to
access the CRM system. Further information can be obtained from ICT
services.
Staff should be trained and equipped to help the customer with
their enquiry without having to refer them elsewhere and should
focus on pursuing the customer’s problem to the point of
resolution, regardless of which access channel/s the customer
uses.
The Council’s response must be the same regardless of the access
channel customers choose to use. This can be face to face, letter,
telephone, fax, e-mail, SMS or via the web site. Services must
provide adequate staff resources to respond to enquiries by each
means of access and to ensure all information provided is
consistent and up-to-date regardless of the channel used.
Monitoring
Monitoring has become a fundamental part of the provision of
good quality customer services. It demonstrates how well we deliver
services and how we can improve.
Monitoring enables us to develop core competences in managing
our relationship with customers. It highlights areas that need
attention and provides feedback that is essential for future
development.
Services need to set targets and demonstrate how those targets
have been achieved. It has been agreed that random sampling will be
conducted on a quarterly basis (every three months) by most
services, to obtain customer feedback.
To meet National Indicator 14, services commenced monitoring and
reporting customer feedback from October 2008. Monitoring can be
conducted in many ways but surveying is a popular method.
Useful pointers:
- Understand the needs and behaviours of your customers.
- Involve them in decision making.
- Monitor achievements against corporate objectives.
- Use feedback to shape services.
- Focus resources to be effective in delivering quality
services.
- Measure satisfaction.
- Identify service failings.
- Capture and record customer information.
- Ensure systems are integrated to support the flow of
information and reduce unnecessary contact with the Council.
- All front of house services will be monitored.
- Consult with diversity groups to establish and review customer
needs.
The Council is an active member of the Kent Customer Service
Network Group that has in place a reciprocal arrangement for
mystery shopping. This takes place, county wide, across the 14
councils in Kent on an annual basis. Mystery shopping is a quality
monitoring and efficiency saving exercise that tests e-mail,
telephone, web and face to face services. Feedback from the annual
mystery shopping exercise is released in November each year and
results are available from the customer services team.
Should surveying your customers be a preferred choice National
Indicator 14 suggests that a district with a population of 100,000
should be looking at just over a one per cent response rate from
its surveying process. There is a large element of no returns with
any survey distribution and services should consider at least a 5
per cent distribution to secure a meaningful response.
For ease of reference it may be useful to have a broad
understanding of the population and equality and diversity groups
within the Ashford area.
Below are figures taken from the Ashford Census 2001 and 2004
(estimate).
Ashford Census Information:
1991 Population
92,331
Ethnic
minorities
1.5% (1,384 persons)
2001
Population
102,661
Ethnic
minorities
2.44% (2,504 persons)
2004 mid-year Population
estimate
107,700
Ethnic
minorities
6.96% (7,495 persons)
Breakdown 2001 Census:
Population of Ashford
102,661 %
Gender
Males
49,956
48.5%
Females
52,705
51.5%
Children
(0-17)
24,327
23.75%
Young People
(18-24)
6,984 6.5%
Adults
(25-64)
54,733 53%
Pensionable age
(65+)
16,617
16%
| Faith (Religion) |
2001
|
|
| Christian |
78,487 |
76.5% |
| Buddhist |
174 |
0.17% |
| Hindu |
266 |
0.26% |
| Jewish |
123 |
0.12% |
| Muslim |
578 |
0.56% |
| Sikh |
72 |
0.07% |
| Any other religion |
307 |
0.3% |
| No religion |
15,016 |
14.74% |
| Religion not stated |
7,638 |
7.5% |
| Faith (Religion) |
2001
|
%
|
| Christian |
78,487 |
76.5% |
| Buddhist |
174 |
0.17% |
| Hindu |
266 |
0.26% |
| Jewish |
123 |
0.12% |
| Muslim |
578 |
0.56% |
| Sikh |
72 |
0.07% |
| Any other
religion |
307 |
0.3% |
| No religion |
15,016 |
14.74% |
| Religion not stated |
7,638 |
7.5% |
| Race |
2001
|
2004
(estimate)
|
Growth
%
|
| White: |
100,154 |
104,600 |
4.5% |
|
White
British |
97,522 |
|
|
|
Irish |
750 |
|
|
|
Other |
1,882 |
|
|
| Mixed: |
877 |
|
|
|
White
and Black Caribbean |
319 |
|
|
|
White
and Black African |
83 |
|
|
|
White
and Asian |
270 |
|
|
|
Other
mixed |
205 |
|
|
| Asian or Asian British: |
744 |
|
|
|
Indian |
348 |
600 |
73% |
|
Pakistani |
80 |
200 |
150% |
|
Bangladeshi |
94 |
200 |
112% |
|
Other
Asian |
222 |
300 |
35% |
| Black or Black British |
445 |
|
|
|
Caribbean |
191 |
400 |
109% |
|
African |
213 |
600 |
82% |
| Other
Black |
41 |
100 |
143% |
| Chinese or Other Ethnic Group |
441 |
|
|
|
Chinese |
212 |
300 |
42% |
|
Other Ethnic
Group |
229 |
400 |
75% |
Be mindful. Do not hold sensitive data about a
customer on the customer’s personal file, if the data is not
relevant to the customer’s business/enquiry with the Council. This
will be in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.
Personal data such as questions relating to the six strands of
diversity should be anonymised, held separately and should not be
kept for longer than is necessary. Such surveys/information should
have a clear date for disposal.
The Council has put in place training arrangements to ensure
that staff have the appropriate knowledge, competencies and
capacity for their roles in relation to data quality. Contact
Personnel and Development for information on training.
Consultation
The customer’s quality expectations will be established through
a process of customer consultation.
The different communities we serve may request services to be
delivered in different ways and via different access channels.
Consultation with the six strands of equality/diversity groups has
provided valuable information and helped to deliver easy access to
services and not discriminate against any individual or group.
There are many ways of consulting with people: focus groups,
citizen panels, citizens’ juries and surveying that will provide
quantitative and qualitative information.
Quantitative
Surveys provide statistical information, by using samples of
people; for example, how many people are happy with a service or
what proportion want to see improvements. The results can be useful
to establish the views of the population as a whole.
Qualitative
Interviews and focus groups can be used to get a more detailed
understanding of the issues and the reasons people feel the way
they do. Although these methods do not provide statistically
reliable results, they are able to inform and complement
quantitative methods of consultation.
Qualitative and quantitative methods, whilst different can be
complementary. Often the best and most useful consultation is
developed using a combination of the two.
The Equality Impact Assessment process involves detailed
analysis and consultation with equality/diverse groups. For
example:
Age: Make sure services and information
are accessible to people of all ages, including children, young
people and the elderly.
Gender: Ensure the Council’s recruitment
and employment policies encourage people to apply for any job
vacancy. Ensure male and female customers receive equal treatment
when accessing services.
Race: The Race Relations Act 1976 makes
it unlawful to discriminate against a person, directly or
indirectly on racial grounds in; employment, education, housing and
in the provision of goods, facilities and services.
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 imposes a three-stranded
general duty on all institutions to eliminate unlawful
discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and promote good
race relations between persons of different racial groups.
Disability: Customers have differing
physical, sensory or learning abilities. Promote equality of
opportunity and positive attitudes towards people with
disabilities. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 makes it
clear that we can meet the needs of people with disabilities by
treating them more favorably than non-disabled people whenever it
is reasonable and justifiable to do so. It adds to and extends the
access rights that people with disabilities already had in
employment and the provision of goods and services.
Faith: Be mindful of different cultures
and religion. The Council is working to promote good relations and
community cohesion in everything it
does. www.bbc.co.uk/religion
Sexual Orientation: Lesbian, gay,
bi-sexual and transsexual people and the Gender Equality Duty:
Public Authorities have the duty to eliminate unlawful sex
discrimination including transsexual people in employment, provide
vocational training and has a general obligation to promote
equality of opportunity between sexes and transsexual people.
There have been several advances in race equality through the
European Community. Article 13 of the Treaty of Amsterdam conferred
the ability to take action on member states ‘to combat
discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or
belief, disability, age or sexual orientation’.
Equality
The Council recognises the diversity of its local community and
the value which this diversity brings to community life. The
Council will aim to provide each member of the community with fair
and equal treatment in all its activities.
The Council will make every effort to ensure that no-one who is
entitled to a service receives less favorable treatment on grounds
of any irrelevant consideration, including age, disability, gender,
race, faith or sexual orientation.
The Council aims to treat all the people it serves fairly,
consistently, impartially and with respect. Facilities on
hand include a deaf loop system, text link service and
language/translation service for face to face and telephone
enquiries.
In accordance with Level 3 of the Equality Standard for Local
Government, this policy document has consulted representatives from
these groups and their views have been incorporated
accordingly.
Guidelines on improving access to services.
Physical Design
- The Council will consider the needs of disabled people, the
elderly and children when looking at new premises, refurbishing
existing buildings, or when arranging external meetings. The
Disability Discrimination Act 2005 will be adhered to. For
information on the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 consult with
the Head of Corporate Property or link to www.dwp.gov.uk/employer/disability-discrimination-act/.
Common Courtesies for Disabled Customers
- Treat disabled people as you would treat any other person, for
example, as any individual in his or her own right and recognize
any special needs.
- Do not assume that an offer of assistance will automatically be
welcome. Wait until your offer is accepted. Even then do not assume
you know the best way of helping. Instead, request how we may help
and listen to any instructions you are given by the expert (the one
who receives the assistance).
- Do not ignore a disabled person by talking to them through a
companion – the ‘does she or he take sugar’ syndrome.
- Relax, speak normally and stand in front of the person to allow
contact to be made, in the same way you would when talking to
anyone else.
- Be prepared to sit down or crouch to speak with a person in a
wheel chair rather than tower over the person, as this can be
intimidating.
- Even when it is the companion you wish to speak to, take up a
position so that the wheelchair user, who may be unable to turn,
can also join in the conversation and does not feel left out.
- A wheelchair is part of the body space of the person using it.
Do not lean on it.
- However, do not be afraid to make physical contact with a
disabled person in the same way as you would with anyone else, for
example offering a handshake.
- A portable deaf loop system is available from Meet and Greet at
the Civic Centre, and at the reception areas at Gateway
Centres.
- Interview rooms at the Civic Centre and Gateways are adapted
for customers and staff using wheelchairs.
Services for Customers with Sensory
Disabilities
- Provide appropriate information for visually impaired
residents, e.g., large print, Braille or audiotape
- Always consider signing interpreters for customers who are deaf
but sign.
- Advertise the Text Line and deaf loop services, for people who
are hearing impaired (these are software systems which receive
messages typed by PC or minicom).
- Make sure leaflets/documents are or can be translated.
Translation and interpreting services
There are a number of staff throughout the authority who speak a
variety of foreign languages. These staff are identified in the
staff directory on the intranet. Languages available in-house
are:
- French
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Portuguese
- Punjabi
- Spanish
- Urdu
If a member of staff is unavailable to assist with translation
or there is no member of staff who speaks the language you require,
you should contact the Meet and Greet desk at the Civic Centre and
an interpreting service will be organised on your behalf.
Alternatively, there is a language facility available, including
Braille and sign language, Tel: 0800 084 2003. For
instructions see Translation
Service.Leaflet or Contact Customer Service Supervisors, for
further information.
An interpreter can be available by appointment and in an
emergency an interpreter can usually be available by
telephone. Try to provide sufficient notice if you know in
advance that an interpreting service will be required.
Customer Complaints and Comments
Complaints
The Council is keen to hear the views of customers. We are a
diverse organisation and sometimes things do go wrong.
It is our responsibility to listen to customers, apologise if we
do get things wrong and take action to ensure such issues are not
repeated.
Please refer to the Council’s Complaints Policy and Procedures for
Staff and the Remedies
and Compensations Guidelines
Comments
We need to listen when people say things are going well or make
suggestions about the way we deliver services and how we prioritise
services.
Comments and suggestions are a valuable source of feedback on
service delivery. These should be recorded via the Complaints and
Comments Tracker and included in the monitoring analysis of
complaints and comments compiled by the Customer Service
Manager.
Partnerships
Joined up services and partnerships offer an opportunity to
deliver improved services to the public and provide the opportunity
to deliver a comprehensive response and resolution at the first
point of contact.
Partnership working is to be encouraged. The Council works in
partnership with other public sector organisations, private sector
and the voluntary sector to deliver services. Successful
partnerships are characterised by a shared vision or purpose where
partners agree to modify their own activities and resources to
implement the overall partnership goal within new arrangements.
The Audit Commission suggests that the reasons for forming a
partnership tend to fall into the following areas:
To deliver co-ordinated packages of services to individuals.
To tackle the so called ‘wicked’ issues such as crime
prevention.
To reduce the impact of organisational fragmentation.
To bid for, or gain access to, new resources.
To meet a statutory requirement.
The Council has produced a
Partnership Framework document to guide officers considering
partnership opportunities.
Ashford and Tenterden Gateways
Gateway is a partnership between Kent County Council and other
key service providers. Gateway services provide access to a
range of public services from Ashford Town Centre and Tenterden.
Housing advisers and Customer Service Advisers provide a
comprehensive Council service at the Centres.
During 2007/8 the following ABC customers were served in Ashford
Gateway.
|
Pay-ments |
ABC
Bus passes
|
ABC
Visitor Parking |
ABC
Doggie Bags |
ABC
Radar Keys |
ABC
Planning |
ABC
Benefit Enquiries
|
Housing
Advice Appoint-ments
|
Housing Advice
served by CSAs
|
| 3363 |
1347 |
248 |
561 |
13 |
210 |
659 |
1956 |
837 |
The Town Centre Gateway opened in October 2006 and has provided
quality services to over 9000 Ashford Borough Council customers per
year. A town centre location has given choice, easy access and
6-day a week operation to customers not wishing to, or unable to,
visit the Civic Centre.
The Tenterden office opened in December 2008.
Working in partnership with other service providers offers the
customer an opportunity to do business with a number of public
services under one roof, providing a ‘tell us once’ approach. In
addition, it offers a resolution at first point of contact should
an enquiry cross over into another service provider’s remit and
officers can liaise to deliver an immediate response.
Tell Us Once
The advantage of working in partnership with other agencies has
the benefit of telling authorities once about an issue.
The Gateway partnership is trialing a new service, funded by the
Department of Works and Pensions (DWP), titled Tell Us Once (TUO).
The service being trialed is reporting a death. This is a stressful
process which involves a statutory face to face interview and
results in a number of agencies needing to be informed. The new
practice being trialed is:
A customer makes initial contact via a choice of access
channels:
- Telephone Kent County Council contact centre.
- Face to face at Registry office/surgery.
- Telephone district/borough council contact centre.
- Face to face at district/borough/Gateway centre.
- An appointment is made to meet the Registrar.
At the statutory meeting with the Registrar the customer, at the
end of normal formalities for registering a death is offered the
TUO service. The TUO service will save the person money in terms of
the number of death certificates needed to inform numerous agencies
and a saving of time required to contact relevant agencies.
The Registrar will offer the TUO service to each customer and
will assist the bereaved person to complete an on-line form.
Alternatively, if the person is not happy to use a computer a
telephone call can be arranged to collect the information.
The e-form will secure information which will be input to the
County and District CRM systems and records/information will be
updated accordingly.
This facility will be trialled within Ashford, Tenterden, Thanet
and Dover districts commencing November 2008. Depending on
additional funding from DWP, the service will be extended to
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells districts from April 2009. Again,
funding dependant, a link will be introduced to the Pension
Service and district joint visiting teams.
A sample of cases will be followed up by telephone about six
weeks after reporting a death to gain customer feedback about the
process.
Partnership working is to be explored at every opportunity with
a view to improving customer satisfaction and avoidable
contact.
Benefits are:
- Drives continuous service improvements.
- Customer satisfaction across services.
- Implements cross agency working.
- Cost effectiveness to the Council.
- Provides for a resolution at first point of contact.
- Designs smarter services and improved satisfaction.
Practices and Procedures
Contact with customers can be in person, by telephone, letter,
fax, web-site, e-mail, text message (SMS) or through the media. All
communication with the media/press should be made via the Council’s
press office in the Communications and Policy section.
Image and Branding
When communicating with customers by letter or in printed
materials, always ensure the correct logo is used. If you are
unsure about design, print and logo standards you should check with
the Communications and Policy section for guidance about the use of
the Ashford Borough
Council logo.
For information about the use of capitals, punctuation, fonts
and layout please refer to the Ashford Borough Council
Terms
Guide for Words and Phrases.
Improve Responses to Communication:
It is unnecessary to write paragraphs when a sentence can be
used to deliver the same message.
- Stop and think before you write. Make a note of the points you
want to make in a logical order.
- Imagine you are talking to your reader. Write in a tone and
style that suits the reader. Be sincere and personal, but do not
patronise.
- Get to the point quickly – the beginning must be of interest to
your readers and give them the incentive to continue.
- Be understood: obscure Latin, foreign and legal words will not
impress readers or help your writing style. Everyday language is
more likely to help people understand your ideas or message.
- Do not use jargon unless your readers will understand it. Avoid
technical words. Explain any technical terms you have to use.
- Keep your sentence length down. Try to stick to one main idea
in a sentence. Be punchy.
- Be direct – for example, say ‘I will do it’ and not ‘it will be
done by us/me’.
- Be clear – do not waffle or stray from the main point or
message. Make sure the words or phrases you use are not vague.
- Promote the right image – design helpful leaflets and
forms.
- Read and check everything you write. Is the grammar correct?
Does it read clearly? Will the reader understand?
- Use your spellchecker, ensuring it is set to UK English.
Dealing with Correspondence
Do not put off until tomorrow what can be achieved today.
- All correspondence must be responded to within five working
days. If a full response is not available you must send an
acknowledgement to the customer outlining any progress made, why
there is a delay and give the name and contact details of who is
dealing with the query. Provide a new timescale for a full reply,
ideally within two working days of receipt.
- The corporate style template must be used for all letters. This
can be found on the Intranet – under
Knowledge Management/forms and templates/ then select
the template you wish to use.
- Use customers’ names when known, for example Miss/Ms/Mrs or Mr
rather than Sir/Madam. Where you personalise the letter by using a
name you should sign off with ‘Yours sincerely’. Where you address
the letter with Sir/Madam the sign off should be ‘Yours
faithfully’.
- Avoid jargon, technical language and abbreviations.
- If you are going on annual leave or will be away from the
office for an extended period of time ensure someone checks your
in-tray for new mail and deals with urgent messages.
- Ensure you use the out of office facility on your e-mail.
- Avoid the use of impersonal standard letters wherever
possible.
- If a colleague goes on sick leave ensure that you check their
in-tray and deal with urgent messages and correspondence.
- Make sure responses are printed to a good quality and portray
the high quality image of the council.
Dealing with E-mails
- When sending or replying to an e-mail ensure you adhere
to the corporate e-mail
policy. Link to Corporate e-mail policy
- Before going on leave, use the out-of-office assistant
facility, explaining where help can be obtained whilst you are
away. Ensure that you display the dates you will be absent.
Be mindful that the Council’s e-mail system is primarily for
business use. All e-mail is stored and the Council may inspect
e-mail (including personal) at any time without notice. Ask
yourself, before sending e-mail, how you would feel if your message
was read out in court. Be professional.
Answering the Telephone
All internal calls must be answered with your first name and the
name of your service, for example:
- Good Morning / Good Afternoon.
- Customer Services.
- Sam Speaking.
- The only exception to this is if your role is in
enforcement.
All external calls must be answered with ‘Good
morning / afternoon, Ashford Borough Council,
Customer Services, Sam speaking.
- Telephones should be answered within ten seconds of ringing – 4
rings.
- If you receive a call that is not for your service area’s remit
use Speak@Ease (extension 838) the council’s automated switchboard
facility or the council’s internal directory to redirect the call.
Do not transfer to the call centre.
- Where you are unable to help the caller straight away, you
should take the customer’s name, address and telephone number. Tell
the caller when you expect to come back to them, for example within
30 minutes, with a response or, alternatively, ensure that the
appropriate officer contacts them.
- If you are going to be out or unavailable, make suitable
arrangements to deal with telephone queries. Use voicemail or
divert your calls to an appropriate officer within your
section.
- Keep a notepad by your telephone and offer to take a message if
you are answering a call for someone who is not available or help
them yourself.
- Try to resist the temptation to interrupt, and ask the caller
to repeat a message if you do not understand it.
- The Council believes that employees should not be subject to
verbal abuse and or threats of violence. Be aware of the
Council’s
Behaviour Policy. There will be times when you
need to be firm with a caller in order to help them. Be polite
rather than aggressive.
- Don’t be afraid to say no.
Home Visits
When making home visits, you should always remember that you are
representing the Council and are expected to remain professional at
all times. Act in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and
check the Risk Register before visiting your customer.
- Follow the Council’s lone working policy.
- Show your identity badge before going into a customer’s home,
whether they request to see it or not.
- If visiting someone with a visual impairment or door entry
system ask if they would prefer the use of a password before
visiting.
- Check with the customer that you are in the right place with
the right customer before proceeding with the purpose of your
visit.
- If taking notes, explain why you are taking notes and check
with the customer for accuracy.
- Offer help if there are forms to explain or complete.
- Reflect and sum up at the end of the visit, ensuring that the
customer is aware of any proposed action.
- If you are unsure about some things, say so, but find out the
answer as soon as possible and let the customer know.
- If you are running late, telephone the customer to explain this
and give a revised time. Try not to postpone or cancel visits.
- If you are on sick leave and are able, ask a colleague to
contact any customers with appointments to let them know you are
unable to visit.
- If a colleague goes on sick leave ensure that you check their
diary and in‑tray and cancel or postpone any appointments as
appropriate and deal with immediate appointments, as
appropriate.
- Sometimes it is more appropriate and customers prefer a visit
from someone of the same gender.
- Make sure you read any background information or correspondence
prior to visiting. Find out beforehand if you are likely to need
support services, such as a language interpreter. This can be
organised via Meet and Greet (email: MeetandGreet@ashford.gov.uk).
Use Of The Council Web-Site
The council website http://www.ashford.gov.uk/ is
a key source of information for customers. Each service has
the responsibility to update their section of the council website
and to ensure the information posted is accurate and up to date. If
you need to update information on the website, refer the
information to your Section Head who will instruct the appointed
representative to update the web.
Training
In recognition of the importance to customer care, training
courses are available on specific customer care issues and can be
booked via Personnel and Development. Staff are expected to attend
the following courses:
- Customer care induction
- Conflict Management
- Disability awareness
- Understanding blindness/deafness
- Assertiveness
- Lone working (where appropriate)
- Dealing with face to face aggression
- Complaints procedure (covered at Corporate Induction)
- Diversity/equality training.
National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) training in customer
care is available. Officers are encouraged to gain recognition for
their level of expertise to a National Standard.
Information and Communication
In order to provide good customer care, officers must be aware
of information available regarding the Council. The more
knowledgeable you are the better service you can provide to
customers.
You should know about information leaflets relating to other
services and where to re-direct customers if their need is for an
alternative service. If you have access to the Internet,
there is an A-Z of council services which can be used as a
reference. http://www.ashford.gov.uk/
It is essential that managers pass information to staff and it
is important that a slot is set aside at regular staff meetings for
information sharing. It is also the responsibility of all staff to
read Council policies and procedures and to read material such as
newsletters and information sheets. All units or teams should have
a central point for storing such material.
The Intranet has a news section, take time to read it on a
regular basis.
Whistleblowing
The Council has demonstrated its commitment to the highest
standards of openness and accountability with its confidential
reporting policy, commonly known as the whistle blowing policy.
It is designed to give employees and members the opportunity to
raise any concerns they may have about issues such as unacceptable
behaviour, corruption, malpractice or fraud. Such individuals will
be given protection from possible reprisals or victimisation if
disclosures are made in good faith.
There may be concerns where the interests of others or of the
organisation itself are at risk. Specifically, we would expect you
to report the following:
- Criminal offences
- Failure to comply with legal obligations
- Miscarriages of justice
- Actions which endanger the health or safety of staff or the
public
- Actions which cause damage to the environment
- Actions which are intended to conceal any of the above.
All staff are given a leaflet and credit-card-style contact card
with details of the service provider. Further copies of these are
available from Personnel and Development.
You may also raise matters with the following:
Further information can be found on the Intranet.
Disciplinary Procedure
All staff are expected to uphold a high level of integrity
whilst conducting work and providing services on behalf of the
Council. Should misconduct be identified and/or reported, staff
will be subject to the Council’s disciplinary procedure.
All incidents will be investigated and depending on the outcome
an informal stage, formal stage or suspension will be
determined. A disciplinary
process flowchart can be viewed.
Criminal Record Bureau Checks
The Council will conduct Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks on
all new staff working with vulnerable adults and / or young
children to ensure the safety of its employees and offer a secure
environment in which to work. It will also be reassuring for
customers to know staff have been CRB checked whilst they are
conducting business with the Council.
Managers recruiting staff should be mindful to conduct CRB
checks. Anyone can apply for a CRB check, although the individual
being checked must sign the application. A CRB check provides
employers with a means to check the background of candidates to
ensure that they do not have a history that would make them
unsuitable for working at the Council. Disclosures will
provide details of any candidates criminal record including
convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings. All potential
recruits should be made aware that employment with the Council is
subject to satisfactory CRB checks.
| General Information |
| 1. |
Name/s of
policy, procedure, or practice: |
Customer Care Policy |
| 2. |
Service: |
ICT & Customer Services |
| 3. |
Policy Owner: |
Julie Rogers |
| 4. |
Lead officer: |
Rob Neil |
| 5. |
Date of screening: |
1st November, 2008
Revised January 2009
Revised April 2009 |
| 6. |
Is this a proposed or existing policy,
procedure or practice? |
Updated existing policy |
Appendix 1
Example of
Equality Impact Assessments
Stage 1 - Screening Tool
This webpage was updated on
8/16/2010