Our Harrow Ambition Plan for customer services is to deliver excellent customer service and make the right ‘first impression.’
Customer service standards
When you call us we will aim to:
- answer your telephone call within 30 seconds
- for services that are in high demand such as council tax, we aim to inform you how long you'll be waiting, and offer alternative ways to resolve your enquiry.
When you write to us:
- by email - we will aim to acknowledge your email or web form within 24 hours of receipt and aim to reply within 3 working days. If the matter is complex, and your email cannot be answered within 3 working days, we will inform you of how long it will take for us to answer.
- by letter or fax - we will aim to reply to your letter or fax within 5 working days of receipt. If the matter is complex, and your letter or fax cannot be answered within 5 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.
- for Freedom of Information requests - we will aim to acknowledge your request within 24 hours (Email) or 5 working days (Letter). If we are able to provide the information that you have requested, you will receive this within 20 working days.
When you visit us:
We will aim to 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 aim to 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
- aim to arrive within 15 minutes of any pre-arranged appointment
- endeavour to let you know within 24 hours if we need to change the time of the visit or will be late
Our commitment to you
- We will deal with your enquiry quickly
- We will give you an excellent service
- We will work with you to sort out your problem
If you need to contact us then please be reassured that we are committed to the following principles:
- Being open and responsive to the needs of Harrow's diverse communities
- Consult with our customers, learn from their views and obtain feedback after implementation
- Investing in our staff so they are equipped to serve you better
Why do we have customer service standards?
We have standards in place to tell you what level of service you can expect from us. It also tells you what we expect from you and what to do if things go wrong.
We want to give you the best service possible and these standards will help us to deliver a high level of service across the council as a whole.