Customer Service Standards

When you CALL us:

• We will answer the telephone within 30 seconds
• We will ring you back within 1 working day if you leave a voicemail message or if we promise to ring you back

When you WRITE to us:

• Email: We will acknowledge your email or web form within 24 hours of receipt and reply within 5 working days. If the matter is complex, and your email cannot be answered within 5 working days, we will inform you of how long it will take for us to answer.
• Letter or fax: We will to reply to your letter or fax within 10 working days of receipt. If the matter is complex, and your letter or fax cannot be answered within 10 working days, we will inform you of how long it will take for us to answer. We will avoid jargon, and do our best to explain things clearly.

When you VISIT us:

• We will see you within 15 minutes of your arrival at any of the council's reception points. If this is not possible, we will explain why and let you know how long it will be until someone can see you.
• If you have made an appointment, we will see you within 5 minutes of the appointment time. If this is not possible, we will explain why and let you know how long it will be until someone can see you.
• We will endeavour to let you know within 24 hours if we need to change the time of the appointment or will be late.

If WE need to VISIT YOU:

• We will carry clear documentation that identifies us as council employees or contractors
• We will arrive within 15 minutes of any pre-arranged appointment
• We will endeavour to let you know within 24 hours if we need to change the time of the visit or will be late

When you REQUEST a service from us:

We will deal with your request in accordance with the published service standards for that particular service.

If you COMPLIMENT or COMPLAIN to us:

We will deal with your complaint or compliment in accordance with the council's corporate complaints and compliments policy.