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Our customer service standards

Our customer service standards will let you know what you can expect from us when receiving our services, and what we expect from you.

Our corporate values

Providing good customer service is part of our corporate plan. This is what we say:

We are here to serve the public and we should always put the needs of our customers, residents and the community first. We need to know what our customers think and involve them in service design and, where appropriate, delivery.

What you should expect from us

We will promote a ‘digital first’ approach to customer service, meaning that we would prefer that you use digital if you can. We will signpost you to self-service options where available. Where possible, you will receive an automated acknowledgement to reassure you that we have received your message or report. If you are not able to use a digital channel, we will support you through our contact centres and face to face service.

At all times we will:

  • be polite, helpful, open, empathetic and honest in our dealings with you
  • try to fully understand your needs including how you need to access our services
  • treat everyone fairly
  • keep you informed and look for a resolution
  • use plain language
  • use comments and complaints to help us improve
  • ensure that a method of contact and links to further information is included on any correspondence
  • take ownership in supporting you but we will refer you to a third party if they are better placed to help
  • promote our digital channels and signpost training opportunities to ensure these channels are accessible to all

When you contact us with a query (for example using our online general enquiry service, email or in writing) we will:

  • respond within our publicised target timescale of 10 working days - if a different timescale applies, we will let you know
  • apologise and let you know when you can expect a response if the reply will take longer than we said
  • seek to resolve your issue or enquiry as quickly as possible so that you don’t need to make contact twice, unless it is an ongoing conversation
  • write our response in a way that is easy to understand

When you telephone us we will:

  • answer your call as soon as possible, but others may be in the queue ahead of you
  • listen so that we can understand and respond to your needs
  • pass messages on to colleagues promptly
  • seek to resolve your issue or enquiry as quickly as possible so that you don’t need to make contact again
  • try to ensure that you can leave a message if no one is available
  • listen to voicemail messages and respond by the end of the next working day if no-one is available to take the call

When you contact us or mention us via social media we will:

  • check social media every working day
  • aim to respond by the end of the following working day
  • signpost you to the right service
  • talk to you in a friendly tone, signing off with our first name or initials

When you visit us we will:

  • welcome you on arrival
  • aim to not keep you waiting more than 10 minutes if you have an agreed appointment
  • try to resolve your issue or enquiry as quickly as possible so that you don’t need to make contact again

When we visit you we will:

  • make an appointment in advance where appropriate
  • prove our identity when we arrive
  • aim to not keep you waiting more than 10 minutes if you have an agreed appointment
  • trust that you will be available within 10 minutes of the appointment time

When you complain we will:

  • respond within our stated timescales for dealing with your complaint
  • understand the complaint and respond with empathy, answering as fully as we can
  • log the complaint on our complaints database so that we have a record of it together with any correspondence - information is kept in line with our privacy policies

When you contact us please:

  • treat our staff with courtesy and respect - we do not accept rude or abusive behaviour, whether that be in person, on the phone or online
  • understand that we are an organisation that values diversity and will not tolerate any form of racism, sexism, homophobia or any kind of prejudicial behaviour towards our staff
  • give us all relevant paperwork and as much information as possible so that we can deal with your enquiry as quickly as possible
  • arrive on time and let us know beforehand if you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment
  • give us advance notice if you need a signer, interpreter or translator
  • be reasonable with your requests
  • let us know if you are unhappy with the service you have received
  • use our website and your online account to get the services and information you need wherever possible
  • be respectful when contacting us via social media as we have some house rules which we expect all users to follow - we may delete comments or mentions that go against our house rules

We will monitor our progress through:

  • publication of customer services statistics on our website
  • the annual LGO report
  • consultation and engagement
  • an annual 'voice of the customer' report
  • measuring internal and external response times
  • using customer feedback to improve our services
  • developing case studies and sharing publicly
  • feedback from frontline officers

Key performance indicators

  • respond to queries within 10 working days - if a different timescale applies, we will let you know
  • listen to voicemail messages and respond by the end of the next working day
  • check social media every working day and aim to respond by the end of the following working day
  • when you visit us, aim to not keep you waiting more than 10 minutes if you have an agreed appointment
  • when we visit you, aim to not keep you waiting more than 10 minutes if you have an agreed appointment
  • when you complain, respond within our stated timescales for dealing with your complaint - 10 working days for stage one and 17 working days for stage two