This report analyses and comments upon customer feedback trends over the past three years, and makes recommendations concerning feedback response.

The Head of Customer Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning customer feedback received by the organisation. Peter Sloman presented the report to the Board and explained its background.

Councillor Jean Fooks addressed the Board.

Resolved to agree to the following enhancements to how the Council deals with its customer feedback:-

(i)   Ensure all service areas review their web content and literature by 30th September 2013, and where possible involve customers in sense checking how well we are explaining our services.

(ii)  Develop our policy to always explore the immediate actions required for the customer concerned and those actions needed to improve the process and stop a reoccurrence for other customers.

(iii)Clarify what constitutes a complaint within our policy in order to provide more capacity and focus for genuine complaints and service improvement potential.  This should be underpinned in our procedure, and staff supported to deliver this through training and on line guidance.  Particular areas to be covered include:

      a) Service requests should not constitute a complaint;

      b) Complaints about policies should be recorded and used to inform future policy direction;

     c) Letters from Members of Parliament requesting advice and information should not be logged as complaints.

(iv)Amend our policy and procedure to ensure all service areas always make contact with the customer before closing any complaint on the system, use email whenever possible to allow this to be done electronically, and advise where appropriate of the corrective and preventive action taken as a result of any investigations.

(v)  Include the ability to report customer feedback within the marketing strategy for the City Council’s web site.

(vi)Capture the best practice that exists within the organisation for handling feedback reports in an efficient manner, and ensure this is rolled out to all service areas.

(vii)Develop our processes and analysis tools to enable further insight into key themes; this could be within a service area or corporately.