CUSTOMER RESPONSE PROCEDURE · 2017-06-09 · A verbal response from EGSC staff is acceptable,...

Customer Response Procedure Page 1 of 13

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CUSTOMER RESPONSE PROCEDURE

Date approved: 06/06/17

Date procedure will take effect:

06/06/17 Date of Next Review:

May 2018

Approved by:

Leadership Group

Policy / Procedure Owner title:

Manager Place Services

Author:

Manager Place Services

Responsible Business Unit:

Place Services

Supporting documents (policy associated with this procedure, forms etc.):

- Customer Response Policy - Unacceptable Behaviour by Member of Public Procedure - Various Application Forms - Customer Request Form

References and Legislation:

Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 Freedom of Information Act 1982 Information Privacy Act 2000 Local Government Act 1989 Protected Disclosure Act 2012 East Gippsland Shire Council Plan Ombudsman Victoria – ‘Managing Unreasonable Complainant

Conduct Practice Manual’ 2nd Edition August 2012. Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014

Audience:

Public, EGSC staff, volunteers and contractors

Expiry date of procedure (if applicable):

Not applicable



Contents

1 Introduction / Background .................................................................................................................. 3

2 Scope / Purpose ................................................................................................................................. 3

3 Definitions and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. 3

4 Instructions ......................................................................................................................................... 4

4.1 Verbal Contact ....................................................................................................................... 4

4.2 Written Correspondence ........................................................................................................ 5

4.3 When is a Response Finalised? ............................................................................................ 6

4.4 Response Timeframes ........................................................................................................... 6

4.5 Complaints ............................................................................................................................. 7

4.5.1 When a Complaint is received regarding an EGSC staff member .................................... 7

4.5.2 Request to review a Response Complaint ............................................................................ 8

4.5.3 Outcomes from Complaints Lodged ...................................................................................... 9

4.5.4 Matters that will not be dealt with as a ‘complaint’ include, without limitation: - .................... 9

5 Roles and Responsibilities ............................................................................................................... 10

6 Version Control Table....................................................................................................................... 11

Management of Vexatious Complaints or Unreasonable Complainant Conduct ............................................ 12



1 Introduction / Background East Gippsland Shire Council believes that the successful delivery of services and the operation of community facilities requires a customer service approach where customers and Council sees this as a partnership. Customers play an important role in reporting issues, damages and in notifying EGSC of services that need attention and help us meet our customer service expectations. EGSC Staff play an equally important role in ensuring that the way that we manage customer interactions meets a high standard and that allow customers to understand the role that Council has in the community. EGSC is committed to working in partnership with the Community to deliver excellent service through dedication, innovation and continuous improvement. All staff are equipped and trained to meet important performance standards. All requests and enquiries will receive an informative and adequate response within an appropriate timeframe. The Customer Response Policy provides the framework that supports how EGSC will respond to customers. The Procedure breaks down the Policy into a working format, providing guidance to staff on the process and timeframes. It is important to note that established procedures exist for handling correspondence addressed to the Mayor, Councillor/s or Chief Executive Officer, and for correspondence received from Members of Parliament or the Ombudsman. These are available through the search functions in the current Electronic Document and Records Management System. Council must at all times comply with relevant legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act 1982, Protected Disclosure Act 2012 and Information Privacy Act 2000.

2 Scope / Purpose This Customer Response Procedure applies to all EGSC staff, volunteers and contractors who provide a service for the East Gippsland Shire Council.

3 Definitions and Abbreviations

Term Meaning

Action Officer Anyone allocated with the responsibility to complete a task or respond

Verbal Contact In person, real-time interaction such as over the counter or by phone.

Written Correspondence

Not in person, delayed or relayed interaction such as email, Australia Post mail, electronic or web-based engagement and social media.

Complaint A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with the EGSC’s level and/or quality of service and implementation of policies. A complaint should explain or describe where Council has failed to respond appropriately to a Request for Service or not followed relevant policies. A complaint does not include a Request for Service.



Compliment A compliment is an expression of appreciation, praise, commendation or admiration.

Date of Receipt Is the time and day when contact and/or correspondence is received by EGSC.

EGSC East Gippsland Shire Council.

Feedback A complaint, compliment, opinion or suggestion.

Council Response Communication by EGSC staff to the customer.

Internal Ombudsman

Director Corporate, a member of EGSC’s Executive Group, holds the office of Internal Ombudsman.

Task Action required in responding and/or resolving a customer contact or correspondence within a defined period of time.

CRM Customer Request Module

EDRMS Electronic Document and Records Management System

4 Instructions

4.1 Verbal Contact

When a customer contacts EGSC staff for reasons other than a straightforward request of factual information, the contact will be logged into EGSC Customer Request Module (CRM) by the Customer Service Officer, the contact details are captured and are directed to the relevant Action Officer. A unique reference number will be allocated to each individual customer contact and can be used as an internal reference number. When a customer contacts EGSC staff member directly on council phone numbers other than 03 5153 9500 (this includes but not limited to other direct facility numbers, direct landline and mobile numbers for staff) or if a customer makes contact in person for reasons other than a straightforward request of factual information, the contact details will be logged or recorded by the EGSC staff member in to a relevant system such as CRM or into the EDRMS. EGSC Staff members are responsible for making and recording a self-explanatory note to explain their contact and actions arising out this verbal contact. Unless resolved at first point of contact by the Customer Service Officer, the customer will be contacted with a response and/or the appropriate action taken within 2 business days by the Action Officer.

A verbal response from EGSC staff is acceptable, provided the matter is resolved or actioned within 2 business days. The response must be recorded on file with a self-explanatory note detailing what action has been taken in response to the request with the name of the person contacted.



Example: Returned Mr X’s call, advised that work has been schedule with Council’s contractor to be complete in the 31 May 2017, weather permitting. Officers Name and date

No action required, sales cold call. Officers Name and date

For every attempt by EGSC staff to verbally contact a customer (in person or over the phone), staff are to place a note on the CRM file to indicate when (date and time) of each attempt was made. A total of three attempts are to be made over a two-day period, unless the issue appears to be urgent/important, or the request specifically states that some other timeframe is appropriate. A note detailing each attempt must be appended to the electronic file.

Example: Telephone Mr X at 10.30am 01/04/17 – no answer or ability to leave a message.

Telephone Mr X at 3.30pm 01/04/17 – no answer or ability to leave a

message. Telephone Mr X at 10.30am 02/04/17 – no answer or ability to leave a

message.

Where staff do not have the ability to resolve or complete a specific task regarding a customer request, staff are required to provide an:

Interim response – advising the customer of the current status and timelines for progress or delay and must provide;

A substantive response – advising the customer of any delay, final decision, resolution, completion or fulfilment within 30 business days from initial request.

For the purpose of this procedure, if a customer contact and/or response has not been logged or recorded and no self-explanatory notes on file, it will be deemed as no response provided.

A written response from EGSC staff is required if specifically requested by the customer, or is mandated by legislation. Written responses must be registered in EDRMS along the original request from the customer.

Where a written response to a verbal request is made in relation to a complex or sensitive matter, the Action Officer may request written confirmation of the request to be responded to.

4.2 Written Correspondence

When a customer contacts EGSC in writing by fax, post or email [email protected] the Information Management Unit will register the request in to the EDRMS. The request is assigned a unique Reference and tasked to an Action Officer.

EGSC staff are responsible for registering any written correspondence from customers that has been received directly by them into the EDRMS. (for e.g. emails received from a customer on individual staff members email address). Registration must take place within 10 working days from receipt of the correspondence.

mailto:[email protected]



EGSC staff will provide a response to the customer within 10 business days from the date of receipt.

Where staff do not have the ability to resolve or complete a specific task regarding a customer request in the 10-day timeframe, staff are required to complete:

An interim response – advising the customer of the current status, and timelines for likely delay and must provide;

A substantive response – advising the customer of the delay, final decision, resolution, completion or fulfilment within 30 business days from initial request.

A verbal response in person or over the phone is acceptable in all instances as long as the response is recorded on file with a self-explanatory note detailing what action has been taken in response to the request and name of the person contacted. For every attempt by EGSC staff to verbally contact a customer (in person or over the phone), staff are to place a note on the CRM file to indicate when (date and time) of each attempt was made. If no verbal contact can be made in the response timeframe, then a written response must be provided. A written response from EGSC staff is required if specifically requested by the customer, or is mandated by legislation and must be registered in EGSC’s EDRMS. For the purpose of this procedure, if a customer contact and/or response has not been logged or recorded and no self-explanatory notes on file, it will be deemed as no response provided.

4.3 When is a Response Finalised?

A Response is considered to be finalised when the Action Officer has:

Responded to the customer and has taken the requested action; and

The relevant documentation is noted and/or registered in CRM and/or in EDRMS with a self-explanatory note detailing what action has been taken in response to the request; and

The relevant information and/or decisions have been communicated to the customer irrespective of any delay, outcome or change within the response timeframes; or

Customer Service Unit has resolved the request from customer at first Contact, Action Officer has been tasked and the customer has been advised of all relevant information.

4.4 Response Timeframes Verbal: EGSC staff will contact the customer with a response and/or the appropriate action taken within 2 business days unless resolved at first contact. Written: An appropriate response as per point 4.2 (above) to correspondence will be forwarded within 10 business days of receipt. This can be either an interim response advising customer of current status and timelines for progress or delay and must provide a following substantive response



advising final decision, resolution, completion or fulfilment within 30 business days from the initial request. Other: Some applications / permits / items of correspondence require processing in various ways and alternative timeframes apply. Refer to the Customer Response Policy for these timeframes. Request to review a response or complaint: Where a written request for review is made in relation to a complex or sensitive matter or a complaint, the Action Officer may take up to 30 business days to resolve the matter but the customer must be responded to initially within 10 business days.

4.5 Complaints A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with the EGSC’s level and/or quality of service and policies. A complaint should explain or describe where EGSC staff have failed to respond appropriately to a Request for Service or not followed relevant policies. A complaint does not include a Request for Service.

A complaint can be received verbally, in person, over the phone, in writing, email or lodged via the website.

A complaint can be received anonymously, but in doing so EGSC staff may not be able to resolve the issues adequately or will be unable to contact the customer for further information to assist in the matter or inform the customer of the progress or resolution.

If a customer wishes to be contacted, they will need to provide their personal contact information, i.e. name, phone number, email address or postal address.

A complaint will be recorded in the appropriate systems for verbal contacts or written correspondence and allocated a unique reference and tasked to an Action Officer.

EGSC staff will provide a response to the customer within the required timeframes based on the type of contact as per the response timeframes.

4.5.1 When a Complaint is received regarding an EGSC staff member Complaints are recorded in the appropriate systems for verbal contacts for written correspondence. The complaint is assigned a unique reference number and tasked to:

the Manager of the Officer where a complaint is lodged that relates to:

whose decision or action has given rise to the complaint;

any staff member whose conduct and/or attitude has given rise to the complaint;

non-compliance with legislation; and

non-compliance with Council policies and processes; or

the Director of a Manager whose decision or action has given rise to the complaint; or

the Director Corporate, who holds the Office of Internal Ombudsman, where a complaint is lodged that relates to:



a Director (other than Director Corporate) whose decision or action has given rise to the complaint;

the Chief Executive Officer, where a complaint is lodged with respect to the Internal Ombudsman/Director Corporate.

The relevant Officer will be responsible for undertaking an investigation into the issue as quickly and comprehensively as possible. As a minimum, that investigation will include: -

a thorough review of information stored in the EDRMS and CRM relevant to the complaint;

discussion with the complainant as appropriate, the Officer about whom the complaint has been lodged and the Officer’s immediate supervisor;

acquisition and consideration of expert or technical advice where appropriate; and

physical inspection where appropriate.

A response(s) will be forwarded to the customer within the response timeframes as indicated in 4.4.

Complaint resolutions will be constantly monitored and used to identify areas for improvement in Council’s service delivery and activity by the relevant manager.

4.5.2 Request to review a Response Complaint If a customer is not satisfied with the response to their complaint, they are entitled to lodge a written request for a review. The review will be undertaken by:

By the Departments’ Director

EGSC’s Internal Ombudsman, where the original complaint was handled by a Director other than Director Corporate; or,

Chief Executive Officer, where the original complaint was handled by the Internal Ombudsman/Director Corporate.

Requests for review will be managed within the response timeframes detailed in 4.4.

If a complaint still remains unresolved or the customer is not satisfied with the internal review, then the customer may wish to escalate or refer their matter further to an appropriate body, including:

Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au

Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) www.vcat.vic.gov.au

Victorian Ombudsman www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au Level 1 North Tower, 459 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, DX210174 Melbourne

Phone Numbers: Local: 03 9613 6222,

Regional: 1800 806 314,

International +61 3 9613 6222

Hours: 9.00am - 5.00pm (Mon - Fri)

http://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/



Telephone Interpreter: 131 450

Onsite interpreter: 1300 655 082

Deaf or hearing impaired TTY users: 133 677 then 03 9613 6222

TTY via the National Relay Service: www.relayservice.com.au Fax: 03 9614 0246

4.5.3 Outcomes from Complaints Lodged

Council is committed to the principle that any complaint made by a customer will be taken seriously and that every effort will be made to learn and improve from the issues that gave rise to the complaint.

Some examples of remedies that may be put in place as a result of this process are: -

changes to the organisation’s documented procedures / processes;

provision of different, amended or additional information to customers;

changes to the requirements of Council’s Policies; and/or

changes to service delivery

4.5.4 Matters that will not be dealt with as a ‘complaint’ include, without limitation: -

Matters that are not defined as a complaint for the purposes of the Customer Response Policy and Procedure including routine requests for service/maintenance/information, third party complaints, reporting of incidents, requests for information about service delivery, anonymous information/complaints, dissatisfaction with a Council decision, and matters where there is already a right of appeal or legal remedy.

Matters that do not fall under the jurisdiction of EGSC, for example a request for road maintenance on a VicRoads controlled road/highway. In such instances the following statement will be incorporated into the response to the complainant:

"Unfortunately the East Gippsland Shire Council cannot assist on this occasion as the issue of xxx is the responsibility of xxx. Under the provisions of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, we are unable to forward your personal details to any third party without your permission. Accordingly, it is recommended that you contact xxx directly for assistance. The details are as follows xxx. I would be pleased to assist further if required and you are welcome to contact me on 5153 9500".

Vexatious complaints or Unreasonable Complainant Conduct (see Appendix 1), where a complaint is deemed vexatious, the customer will be advised in writing by the responsible Director. The response will provide an overview of appropriate external review mechanisms where applicable; and a copy will be provided to the Chief Executive Officer and all Councillors.

Disclosures made in accordance with the Protected Disclosure Act 2012, e.g. complaints about criminal or corrupt activity, or conduct involving a substantial mismanagement of public resources, or a substantial risk to public health and safety or the environment. These matters are addressed under the Protected Disclosure Policy and associated internal Operating procedures.

http://www.relayservice.com.au/



Allegations concerning breaches of privacy fall within the jurisdiction of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 and are handled by EGSC’s Governance and Compliance Officer.

Any matters relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Malicious complaints aimed at discrediting a staff member or contractor for personal gain.

Complaints regarding a Councillor – these should be made in writing and addressed to the Mayor.

Complaints regarding the Mayor – should be made in writing and addressed to the Chief Executive Officer.

Complaints regarding the Chief Executive Officer – should be made in writing and addressed to the Mayor.

5 Roles and Responsibilities

Role Responsibility

Customer

Customers have a responsibility to display an appropriate level of courtesy and respect to EGSC staff.

Executive Group

Ensure appropriate governance, resources and compliance to the Customer Response Policy and Customer Response Procedure.

Managers

Ensure appropriate staffing levels, training and systems are allocated to manage customer contact within the timeframes documented in the Customer Response Policy and Customer Response Procedure. Ensure compliance with the Policy and Procedure by all staff-members under their supervision.

Immediate Supervisor

Manage staff customer contacts and complaints with regards to no or delayed response from staff.

Council Staff

All Staff are responsible for information management and customer service, ensuring they understand and comply with the Customer Response Policy and Customer Response Procedure.

Information Communication Technology Unit

Ensure support is provided timely to mitigate, eliminate any system related issues causing delay.

Information Management Unit Ensure timely registration of written correspondence received by them, and task to the appropriate Action Officer. Ensure Council Staff receive necessary training in Information Management and systems.



Action Officer Ensure that the task is completed, relevant correspondence or response has been made to the customer and all internal stakeholders notified of the information required. The Action officer must delegate the response / task to the correct action officer promptly and ensure that the customer is aware of the change of ownership of the response or task. For e.g. when incorrectly tasked or when action officer delegates for someone else to respond or complete a task. The Action Officer must register all written correspondence from customer in Council’s EDRMS when received directly from customer in person or via email.

Customer Service Staff Ensure timely input of contact (in person and/or over the phone) in CRM attempting to resolve at first contact and tasked to the appropriate Action Officer when necessary and resulting in further action and/ or response required.

6 Version Control Table

Version Control

Date Effective Approved by Amendment

1 07/05/2013 Council. Consolidation of Customer Response and Citizen Complaints Resolution Policies, and modification of Policy into separate policy and procedure documents.

2 March 2015 CEO Administrative updates to legislation references and addition of appendix 1

3 May 2017



APPENDIX 1 Management of Vexatious Complaints or Unreasonable Complainant Conduct

East Gippsland Shire Council is committed to balancing the rights of customers to make complaints, with the rights of staff and councillors to safety and respect, and the equitable allocation of time and resources to all customers. Customers have a responsibility to conduct themselves with an appropriate level of courtesy and respect toward EGSC staff who are dealing with their request for service, as do EGSC staff when responding to complaints. Whilst most complaints are resolved promptly and to the satisfaction of the customer, there are occasions when unrealistic expectations or repetitive demands can result in “Unreasonable Complainant” conduct. The Commonwealth Ombudsman identified some categories of complainant behaviour which may explain why customers engage in certain behaviours to an unreasonable degree during complaint handling processes as follows:

Emotional or psychological – anger and frustration (e.g. as a result of unmet expectations), unreasonably refusing to accept an unfavourable outcome, seeking vindication, retribution or revenge, holding an exaggerated sense of entitlement, needing to blame others.

Attitudinal – dissatisfaction with a person, an agency, the government or ‘life’ in general.

Aspirational – seeking ‘justice’ or a ‘moral outcome’ in general terms, focusing rigidly on a ‘matter of principle’.

Recreational – an all-consuming hobby, deriving pleasure form the activities associated with the complaint process, social contact.

Complainants may also have ulterior motives, e.g. to intimidate, harass, embarrass, annoy etc. or the complainant might be using the complaint system as an information gathering process for some other purpose. The following situations provide examples of ‘Unreasonable Complainant’ conduct.

Continually raising the same issue (repetitive complaints) and never being satisfied with the information or response provided.

Requesting large amounts of information or additional services or assistance not normally provided or multiple requests for detailed information, assistance or services.

Refusing to accept EGSC’s position when conveyed, for example, where customers;

o Do not accept that EGSC cannot provide any further information or assistance on a matter,

o Do not agree with the decision of Council or an officer, and cannot provide substance/evidence to warrant re-examination of the issue,



o Persist with the same complaint, even when it has been comprehensively examined and responded to, and all avenues of review have been exhausted.

Submitting correspondence which is deemed by staff or a councillor to contain threats, defamatory statements, intimidating or inflammatory material.

Any requests for the determination of a customer’s behaviour as ‘unreasonable’ will be referred to the Director of the relevant business unit, along with a documented history of the behaviour. Where the Director supports the request to classify the customer’s behaviour as ‘unreasonable’, the Director will notify the customer of the decision (with electronic copies provided to the Chief Executive Officer, all councillors and relevant officers), along with the limitations* to be placed on the level of service and communication to be provided to the customer in their future dealings with council. Customers who have been assessed and have limitations regarding their communications with EGSC may apply for a review of this decision within one month of notification by applying in writing to the Chief Executive Officer. Depending on the length of time the limitations are put in place, a review date is to be set at the half way mark timeframe and then a further review at the final date of the time period to ascertain requirements going forward. Section 4.5.2, of this policy lists further options for redress if the complainant remains unsatisfied that EGSC has fulfilled its obligations. Any limitations placed upon services provided will not contravene any statutory rights of the individual.

Limitations could include:

Refusing to grant face to face contact with Councillors or officers.

Limiting correspondence to one specified officer.

Requiring all future correspondence to be in writing.

Not responding to correspondence unless a new issue with unseen information is provided.

Limiting physical access to council offices.

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CUSTOMER RESPONSE PROCEDURE · 2017-06-09 · A verbal response from EGSC staff is acceptable,...

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