You are our priority

We are committed to providing a consistently excellent standard of service by putting our customers at the centre of everything we do. Our charter sets out our commitment to you.

Customer standards

We are committed to ensuring that you experience the best possible customer service. This means that:

If you call:

  • we will try to deal with your query without passing you on to someone else
  • if we must transfer you, we will tell you who you are being transferred to
  • if the person you need is not available, we will always take a message or advise you how best to make contact

If you email or write

  • we aim to respond within ten working days. If this is not possible, we will write to tell you why and to let you know how long we expect it will take to respond fully
  • our response will always include the name of the person dealing with the enquiry and how you can contact them

If we visit you in your home

  • we will provide you with the name and contact details of the person visiting you in advance, unless it is inappropriate to do so
  • we will agree an appointment time with you and keep you informed if a delay occurs
  • we will present ID cards, displaying names and a photograph upon arrival, giving you the opportunity to check our identity

If we are out of the office and you email

  • We will set up an ‘out of office’ automatic reply, giving the following details:
    • A date when we will be back in the office
    • An alternative contact that may be able to help you while we are away

If you complain

  • We aim to resolve 85% of all initial complaints within 10 working days. Sometimes, a complicated complaint may take longer to respond to, and we will discuss a revised target date with you
  • Find out more about our complaints process 

If you have a particular requirement, or need support in accessing our services, we will do all that we can to ensure you receive it.

What you can do to help us

  • Access our services online as much as possible
  • Recognise that we don't have enough resources to meet every need
  • Provide us with the information we need to help you
  • Ask us to explain anything you are not sure of
  • Keep any appointments that you have with us, and notify us if you are unable to attend
  • Treat us politely and with respect; aggressive behaviour or inappropriate language will not be tolerated