Our Commitment to Excellent Customer Service

You are important to us and we want to provide you with the best service we can.

That's why we are promising that we will:

• Aim to get things right first time

• Make it easy to access our services

• Listen to you so we can better understand your needs

• Be polite, professional and helpful

• Treat you fairly and with respect 

• Keep you informed

• Protect your confidential information and privacy

• Welcome your feedback and tell you how it has made a difference

Providing equal access

We will ensure that all customers have an equal opportunity to access our information and, if appropriate, our services irrespective of their age, disability, gender or gender identity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

When you contact us:

• When you contact us we aim to deal with your enquiry fully, and if this is not possible we will attempt to agree on a course of action to satisfy the enquiry.
• If we cannot help you for any reason, we will always tell you why.
• When you are waiting for a service, we will tell you when you can expect to receive the service requested, and will keep you informed of any changes to this.

When you call us:

• We will answer your call within 20 seconds (6 rings). 

• We will greet you politely, giving the name of the organisation/section and the person’s name.
• We will always confirm the identity of the caller, if we are discussing a customer's personal information.
• We will only transfer your call if we are sure who to transfer the call to. Otherwise we will arrange to call you back.
• If we need to call back or write to you, we will ensure this contact is made in an accessible way to meet your needs e.g. email, fax, letter or interpreter
• When our lines are closed we will ensure that you are greeted with a helpful recorded message explaining service opening hours and alternative access methods e.g. the council’s website.
• All voicemail answering messages will be kept up to date.

When you visit our reception areas:

• We will have helpful and welcoming staff, wearing name badges.

• We will greet you on arrival, to ensure you know where to go, and what to expect.

• You will be seen within 15 minutes from arrival, and kept informed of any delays.

• If you attend a prearranged meeting you will wait no longer than 10 minutes.

• If you are unable to keep an appointment, we will contact you as soon as possible, to apologise and to arrange another appointment.

• We will make sure you can discuss matters in private with us, if you need to.

• Our reception areas will be clearly signposted, accessible, clean, and welcoming, with up to date and relevant information.

• We will have a free phone in our main reception areas to allow you to contact other Council services.

• We will provide you with information about Council services in different languages in the most cost effective way.

• We will offer you a face to face interpreter, when we know in advance that you are coming to see us.  Otherwise we will offer you a telephone interpretation service when you visit our offices.  

When we visit you:

• Where a face to face meeting with one of our staff is necessary, and it is not possible for you to visit us, then we will offer you a home or business visit.

• If appropriate, we will always try to visit by appointment and will clearly explain the purpose of our visit.  If we anticipate a delay, we will aim to let you know at least one hour before the time of the appointment.
• We will let you know as soon as possible if an appointment has to be rearranged.
• We will identify ourselves to you as council employees with a name badge, warrant card or agreed password if appropriate.
• We will provide a direct point of contact, so that you can check the identity of the visitor, before allowing entry into the their property.
• We will let you know at the end of the visit what will happen next, and keep you informed of progress.

When you visit our website:

• The information on our website will be up to date and easy for you to understand.
• We will aim to design our web services so that you are only three clicks away from the information you need.
• We will promptly publish information on the website when access to our services and facilities changes, or is disrupted.
• Where you can make a payment online, we will make it easy for you to do it.
• Our website will be secure so you can be confident that your personal information is safe when undertaking transactions.
• Our website will tell you all the ways in which you can access our services including mobile phone and digital television.

When you write or email us:

• When you send us a letter, we will contact you within 10 working days at the very latest, with a full response OR let you know what is happening with the enquiry, how long it is likely to take to complete, and the name and contact details of the person dealing with it.
• If you email a publicised email address, then you will receive an automatic message informing you of our standard for responding to email enquiries.
• When you email us, we will contact you within 5 working days at the very latest, with a full response OR let you know what is happening with the enquiry, how long it is likely to take to complete, and the name and contact details of the person dealing with it.
• If we know that your preferred language is not English or you need a response in a different format, i.e. large print or audio, then we will try to respond to you within 10 working days, but it may take us longer to do so.
• We will write to you in plain English and always give you the name and full contact details of the person sending the letter or email.

If you want to make a comment, compliment or complaint

• Every member of staff will be able to inform you about where you can make a comment, compliment or complaint.
• We would like to know when we get it right.  We welcome suggestions you may have on how we can improve our services.
• If you are dissatisfied with our service, you have the right for it to be investigated.
• Once a complaint has been made an acknowledgment will then be sent to you within 24 hours telling you the name and telephone number of the person to be contacted in the event of any further queries on your complaint.
• We will notify you in writing of the outcome of an investigation within 10 working days at the very latest of the complaint being received. If we cannot complete an investigation within 10 working days we will tell you why.
• On conclusion of an investigation we will inform you what you can do next, if you remain dissatisfied. 
• If we have got things wrong, then we will apologise, and try to put things right.

If you have any comments or questions on these standards, please contact us at customer.services@leicester.gov.uk or call us on 0116 252 7000.

See also:
Customer Service Centres
Contact Us By Phone