Issue - meetings

INFORMATION NOTE OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

To provide an update on the full year (21/22) performance regarding Comments, Compliments and Complaints (3Cs) for the Council and the contractors that provide services on the Council's behalf.

The Customer Service Manager presented the Information Note entitled ‘Full Year Update on Compliments, Comments and Complaints (3Cs) 2021-22’.

Audio recording – 58 minutes 05 seconds

The Customer Service Manager presented the Information Note entitled ‘Full Year Update on Compliments, Comments and Complaints (3Cs) 2021-22’ and provided Members with the following updates:

·       The Information Note provided a full year report on the 3Cs, including the Council itself and Council contractors.

·       This report is usually presented in July, but this year has been aligned with the 3Cs Policy Update to be heard in the next item.

·       The number of 3Cs received had  decreased on volume from last year, complaints dealt with within 10 days had dropped below the 80% target to 77%.

·       It remains less than 1% of Council customers, residents and visitors who make complaints.

·       The Waste service continues to account for the most complaints, but the volume of these has decreased from last year.

·       Following previous comments, Urbaser were asked to ensure they were recording “comments” accurately and this change is demonstrated by the data.

·       There were 185 compliments made directly to the Council.

·       The LGO received 10 complaints and 2 of these were upheld, with the details included within the Information Note.

The following Members asked questions:

·       Councillor David Levett

·       Councillor Claire Strong

In response to questions, the Customer Service Manager advised that usually all complaints are resolved, whether within the 10 days or not, and usually this is provided to the customer in writing. This covered all stages of the procedure.

In response to questions, the Service Director – Regulatory, advised that a response to a complaint will be made within 10 days, but it may be that further investigation is required to come to a conclusion on that issue. This depends on the complexity of the complaint and the outcome sought by the complainant. Where it is not possible to resolve a complaint in 10 days, the complainant will be kept informed.

Councillor Claire Strong noted that where complaints are not dealt with efficiently through the Council processes, it is causing persistent issues for Members when speaking to residents.

Councillor Terry Hone highlighted that Careline had received nearly four times as many compliments  as complaints, and that this was good to see. There were always likely to be complaints about services, but this Note provided lots of positive comments and compliments.