Customer charter

We are committed to providing the highest possible quality of customer care to the residents, businesses, organisations and visitors who we serve, regardless of the type of request, the timing of the request, or the person making it. This is irrespective of whether the request relates to a service provided by us.

The following Charter details what customers can expect from us and, in return, what we expect from our customers.

We will:

• Welcome your comments, suggestions, compliments or complaints
• Act promptly to help you or, if we cannot, we will put you in touch with the person who can help you as quickly as possible.
• We will acknowledge correspondence within three working days, if we are unable to give a full response within ten working days. 
• Where possible we will provide a full response within 10 working days, where this is not possible we will advise of the date by which you can expect a full response.
• Where we received a formal complaint we will also aim to provide a full response within 20 working days; again where this is not possible, due to the complex nature of your complaint, we will advise you of the date by which you can expect a full response.
• We aim to answer your call within six rings
• Listen carefully to what you have to say
• Be courteous and helpful
• Treat you fairly and with respect
• Give you clear and accurate information
• Apologise if we have got something wrong and try to put things right straightaway
• Where appropriate, provide interpreters or translators for people with communications difficulties, or for those who are more comfortable using a language other than English. This includes British Sign Language interpreters as well as face-to-face, written or telephone translation. We also have fixed and portable hearing systems and a minicom (text phone) system
• Provide easy access to our buildings, facilities and events. We will always arrange for assistance to access any of our buildings if necessary
• Treat your personal data with care and respect, in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998.

We ask that:

• Our staff be treated with courtesy and respect at all times. We will support staff who experience any form of discrimination, abuse or threat
• Customers listen carefully to the information or advice staff give them
• Customers explain their queries to us in a clear and concise way to help us provide a clear and accurate answer.