Customer Service Strategy
Excellence in customer service is a theme that is at the heart of what we do. Service cannot be seen or touched, only experienced; it is up to all employees of the Council to provide the personal touch that makes the customer comfortable.
North Herts District Council offers a range of services, some of which are paid for through Council tax and some that are paid for on demand. These services are provided in a number of ways – via the telephone, our website www.north-herts.gov.uk, via e-mail to service@north-herts.gov.uk, face-to-face in our offices in Letchworth Garden City and via visits we make to our residents homes. We also provide services that our customers do not always wish to receive, such as enforcement actions. It is essential that we never regard our customers as ‘people we have to deal with’, as in many cases they have no option but to deal with us and they should reasonably expect to receive an efficient service.
At North Herts District Council we define our approach to customer service as ‘Putting People First’. To achieve this we must feel concern for, and interest in, our customers both internal and external. This strategy is designed to ensure that we provide excellence in customer service, that we are able to put people first and able to show interest and concern for our customers, regardless of the Council service that they are using. This is linked closely with the Council's Equality and Diversity Policy.
Day to day communication such as the image projected face-to-face, over the telephone or in letters, and how we speak to our customers, is critical to the customer’s perception and the value placed on our services.
This strategy will provide us with the infrastructure to maintain a high level of customer service that is responsive to the needs of our customers. By committing ourselves to this strategy, we are demonstrating our commitment to provide our customers with the best and most cost-effective customer service. We need both our employees and contractors to achieve this, as a negative experience in one part of the Council will affect the reputation of all services.
It is also important to remember that some of our services are provided internally to other employees of the Council. It is essential that we remember that our Customer Service Standards and Strategy are focused on the external customer (our citizens) as well as internal customers (our colleagues and contractors).
