Issue - meetings

To consider a report which provides and update on Customer Services.

(Report attached)

A report was received which set out the key information in respect of customer service for the first quarter of 2012/13.

Officers reported that 81 compliments had been received during the first quarter of the year.  This represented a significant increase in the number of compliments that had been reported when compared to the same time the previous year. 

The Council had also received 56 complaints during the period, including one complaint referred to the Council by the Local Government Ombudsman.  17 complaints had taken longer than 15 working days to resolve.  The majority of complaints that had required an extended period of time to resolve had been complex cases.

In the first quarter of the year 71 per cent of complaints had been upheld or partially upheld.  The remaining complaints had not been upheld, though Officers recognised that the issues had been an area of concern to the individuals who had proposed the complaints. 

The Customer Service team was in the process of delivering training that was designed to improve customer service skills for staff working in different teams.  Bespoke training had been developed for particular teams to enable staff to address any issues that might lead to a complaint within their service area.  Staff briefings had also been held to provide employees across the organisation with an opportunity to learn about appropriate forms of behaviour when working with customers.

The Committee was advised that in the long-term details about customer feedback data would be incorporated into the Council’s new Performance Management Reports.

RESOLVED that

the update for the period 1st April 2012 – 30th June 2012 be noted.