Introduction
In basic terms, customer care is treating people the way that you expect to be treated yourself. ‘Customer’ is a general term that covers a wide range of client groups that we serve, including Council Tax payers, businesses, residents, tourists, parents, pupils, other public services and internal customers.
Phone services
The phone is the most common way of communicating with customers. The Government has confirmed this when they highlighted that over 70% of contact with councils are by phone.
We need to be able to manage the number of phone calls we receive if we are to provide a quality service to our customers. It is also important that when a customer contacts you, you provide them with the service they need in a polite and professional way.
Guidelines
- Enquiries and taking messages
You must make sure that any member of staff who will be receiving your calls has the following details.
- When you will return, if this will be longer than 24 hours.
- Any calls which you are expecting and any information they will need to be able to deal with these calls.
Face-to-face communication
There are times when customers will want or need to see you face-to-face, for example, routine visits to offices, appointments with officers and asking for advice or help. There are some customers who have ongoing contact with services such as schools, community centres, leisure facilities, libraries, home carers, and so on.
When you meet customers face-to-face, it is important that you give the right first impression by providing a professional and helpful service. You must clearly display your employee identification badge, be polite and helpful.
Written correspondence
Introduction
Written correspondence comes in a variety of formats including letters, memos, websites, Emails and mobile phone text messages. We will need to reply to a lot of the written correspondence we receive. You do not need to reply to ‘junk’ mail, leaflets, brochures or conference details (unless you are interested in the product or service).
Equality of service
All people living in Moray should be able to have the same access to our services. Under the Disabilities Discrimination Act and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act, we must deliver a fair service to everyone in the community.
