Customer Service - Development of a Local Standard

Development of a Local Standard - Customer Service

Harrogate Borough Council is developing a series of local standards with tenants on several service areas to make sure that the standard of service we provide matches the priorites of Harrogate Borough Council tenants. Customer Service is one of these areas. To make sure that the standard really does reflect Harrogate Borough Council tenants priorites, we would be really grateful if you could help us by completing this short survey.

Q1	What affects if you feel you have recieved good customer service? (From the list below, please prioritise the factors below with 1 being the most important and 6 being the least important).
	Time taken to deal with your query
	Being treated in a fair & equal manner
	Staff being polite & treating you with respect
	Being listened to
	Have an effective complaints procedure in place
	Query being dealt with at the first point of contact

When you contact Harrogate Borough Council, which of the following do you feel should take place? (Contact could be in person, over the phone, in writing, by E-mail or through the Internet. Please tick as many as needed.)

Being supplied with the name, location & contact details for person you are dealing with

Have set timescales within which all letters or e-mails are responded to

Have set timescales within which phones are answered and within which phone messages are responded to

Shown the ID badge if you are being visited in person

Use clear, plain English in all correspondence

The officer behaves in a polite & couterous manner

Provide information / services in a way suitable for your needs (e.g. supply material in large print if requested)

Future response if the request cannot be immediatley resolved

Local standards will explain the level of service you as a tenant can expect to recieve. In the past, we have a similar document called a service standard on customer service. Have you heard of this? (Please tick one answer only).

Yes

Which of the following points do you think should be included in a local standard on customer service, so that it is clear what level of service you can expect to recieve on customer service? (Please tick as many as needed).

Equality & Diversity (meeting peoples need based on diversity factors, such as ethnicity and disability)

Timescales within which enquiries will be responded to

What customer service you can expect from Harrogate Borough Council

How we will keep you up to date on general information

How the local standard on customer service will be monitored

How your views will be sought on your satisfaction with the Housing Serivce and how to improve the service

How do you think an updated customer service local standard should be publicised? (Please tick as many as needed).

Written version posted to all tenants

Available on the website

Available in Housing Offices / Public Buildings

Advertised these are available in the Newsletter and on rent statements

Other Places

If other, please specify

Q6	Which of the above ways to publicise do you think would provided the best value for money?

Q7	What other improvements to customer service would you like to see? (For example, changes to opening hours, the ways in which you can contact Harrogate Borough Council, services available through the Internet).

We will be using the findings from this survey to help us to develop a local standard on customer service. Would you be willing to look at the draft local standard to help us make sure that it does reflect the priorities of Harrogate Borough Council tenants?

Yes

If yes, which way would you prefer to do this?

Written Survey

Informal Discussion Group

One to One over the phone

Q10	Please can you let us know your name, address and a contact phone number or e-mail, so that we can get in touch with you about the draft local standard?

Thank you for completing this survey. If you have any questions about this survey or the local standard, please ring Amy Brown (Tenant Involvement Officer) on 01423 551619 or e-mail amy.brown@harrogate.gov.uk