Customer service charter

Putting the customer at the heart of everything we do.

At Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council we put the customer at the heart of everything we do. These are the minimum standards that you can expect from us:

• We will aim to answer 80% of telephone calls within 60 seconds
• We will respond to letters and emails within 10 working days
• If we are unable to deal with your enquiry online or by telephone, we will offer you an appointment to see a customer service advisor
• If you complain about a service, we will respond to your complaint within 10 working days

These are our values:

• Customer first - we will put the customer first, whether the customer is external or internal
• Team work - we will value staff and work as one team
• Continuous improvement - we will listen, learn, improve and tell people when we improve

We are committed to delivering excellent customer service, and we developed a customer service charter to underline the standards that must be met and delivered by all officers, for all services. This charter is called 'Putting the customer at the heart of everything we do'.

Good customer service

We believe that providing good customer service is about:

• Providing an excellent service from the first point of contact, through to satisfactory conclusion
• Dealing with customers' requests efficiently and effectively, providing a consistently high level of service

Equality

All of our staff adhere to our Equality Policy. The policy promises that the council will promote fair treatment and equal access to services and employment opportunities for everyone, regardless of your race, religion or belief, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity, which are the Protected Characteristics designed by the Equality Act 2010.

Identifying ourselves

We will tell you our first name and the name of the team that we work for when we answer the telephone. Heads of service and senior officers will provide their full name.

Suggestions, improvements, compliments and complaints

We welcome suggestions for improvement. We will let you know if we can make the change you suggest if you ask for a response from us.

We are delighted to get a compliment when you feel you have received outstanding service and we make sure the people concerned are made aware of your compliment.

Our standard is to investigate complaints and send a response within 10 working days. In some cases it may take longer to respond, for example, when a site visit is required. In these cases we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when a full response will be sent.

Opening hours from 4 January 2024

Our offices are open to visitors, and we also offer pre bookable appointments. Opening times:

• Monday to Wednesday: 8.30am to 5pm
• Thursday: 9:30am to 5pm (We will open one hour later to allow for staff training.)
• Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm

To arrange an appointment, call 01455 238141, or complete our general enquiries contact form

Payments by debit or credit card can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on our telephone payment line, call: 01455 619617

Contact details

For further information, contact customer services:

• Telephone 01455 238141
• Fax 01455 251172
• Complete our general enquiries contact form

For out of hours council emergencies, call: 01455 251137

Last updated: 04/11/2024 10:09