Customer Charter

Gosport Borough Council is a listening organisation, we value customer and public opinion, and strive to deliver value for money services putting our customers at the heart of all we do. In providing our services, we value:

•  Meeting the needs of our diverse community
•  The professionalism of our staff
•  Feedback on our services
•  Our approachability

Our customer service charter sets out the standards of service that you can expect from us.

Our commitment to you... We will:

• provide easy-to-understand information;
• treat you politely and respectfully;
• provide services that are easy to use and to get to, staff who know what they are talking about regarding your situation;
• try to get things right the first time;
• listen to your queries and concerns and let you know how quickly we can deal with them;
• respect your confidentiality and tell you in advance if any information you share with us will be used for other purposes;
• deal with your comments, suggestions and complaints in a positive and responsible way;
• provide an effective, formal complaints system to help you if you believe you have not been treated fairly;
• answer your letters, emails and phone calls promptly and effectively.

When you visit us... Our offices and receptions will be:

• welcoming;
• comfortable;
• accessible;
• safe, clean and tidy;
• useful centres of information.

We are pleased to offer you:

• a private interview room for appointments if you would like one;
• staff who are trained in signing;
• information in Braille or large print on request;
• disabled access arrangements including disabled parking bays and lifts to all floors;
• a translation service on request if your first language is not English.

When we visit you... We will:

• respect you and your home;
• always show you our official identification before asking to enter your property;
• always try to be on time for our appointments;
• call you in advance if we have to cancel an appointment;
• let you know of any additional information or documents we may need to see before we visit.

When you write to us by e-mail, letter or fax... We will:

• reply to your communication within ten working days of receiving it;
• reply clearly and concisely using plain English;
• include in the response the name and telephone extension of the person dealing with your enquiry;
• let you know if we cannot answer your enquiry fully within ten working days and when you can expect a complete reply;
• respond to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act within 20 working days;
• use a clear readable format.

When you contact us by telephone... We will:

• answer your call within 20 seconds;
• ring you back if you ask us to;
• give you any relevant direct telephone numbers and/or email addresses that you may need;
• call you back within one working day if you leave a message on an answerphone.

We ask you to....

• tell us if you are unhappy with our service, or how we can improve our service. Copies of our Complaints Procedure and Comments Form are available in Reception and on the website;
• tell us if you are happy with our service. Positive comments help us work for you even more effectively. We will make sure the people who have helped you are aware of your compliments. You will find our "Comments" card in Reception and on our website;
• respect our staff. We will not tolerate verbal or physical abuse from our residents or visitors towards them. Please have patience with GBC staff as they try to resolve your enquiries and concerns.

Customer Charter (PDF) [557KB]