Customer Service Charter

Our Commitment
We will serve the community to the best of our ability. We seek to do this subject to the considerations and constraints of fairness, equity, Council policy, the law and available resources.

Our service to you:
When contacting Council we will:

• greet you courteously
• identify ourselves by name
• listen carefully
• conduct ourselves professionally
• respect and protect your personal information.

Our communication
We will:

• provide all letters, brochures, messages and other notices in plain language
• provide information which is concise and accurate
• give reasons for our decisions
• speak in a clear, logical and respectful manner
• provide access to interpreting and TTY services.

Help us to help you
When contacting Council it is helpful if you:

• tell us who you are and who you represent
• have relevant information available (i.e. invoice number, name/address)
• treat us with the same courtesy you would expect from us.

Our service standards
We will endeavour to:

Telephone

• answer the telephone promptly
• return telephone calls within one working day or at an agreed time.

Letter, Email, Fax

• acknowledge receipt of your request within 5 working days
• provide a response to your enquiry within 15 working days with either a progress report or resolution.

Our complaint-handling procedure
If at any time you feel that we have not met the terms of this Charter you may make a formal complaint by contacting the Customer Focus Manager. Council has a complaint-handling procedure to assist with resolution of issues. 

The procedure encompasses the following;

1. Registering Complaints -  the Customer Focus Manager will record the issue in Council's tracking system,  inform the customer of the action to be taken and an expected  timeframe.

2. Unsatisfied with the outcome - if the customer is unsatisfied with the outcome the Department Manager will ensure that the reasons for the outcome or decision are fully explained, or the issue can be reviewed by a higher level of management.

3. Concerns cannot be resolved - the customer can elect to pursue the matter through the Victorian State Ombudsman.

Monitoring and review
We will:

• review the Customer Service Charter in alignment with Council's Planning Cycle following each election
• welcome all comments and consider them as part of the review
• conduct service audits annually.