The customer service you can expect

What we will do for you

Greet you in a friendly and professional manner
Treat you as an individual and make sure our services are accessible to everyone
Listen to you carefully and use plain English when we speak or write to you
Keep you informed and explain our decisions and the reasons for them
Respect your privacy

When you phone us

We will greet you courteously and let you know who and which service you are through to
We will always try to answer your query straight away if we can
If we can't answer you fully, we will give you the name and telephone number of the person who is dealing with your enquiry and the date by which we hope to give you a full answer
If we have to pass on your call, we will try to make sure it goes to the right person and we will explain your enquiry or request to them before we pass it on
When we telephone you, we will give you our name, tell you we are calling from Gloucestershire County Council and explain clearly why we are phoning

When you visit us

Our staff will be clearly identifiable by official name badges
We will always try to answer your query straight away if we can
If we have to pass on your call, we will try to make sure it goes to the right person and we will explain your enquiry or request to them before we pass it on
Without an appointment, our staff will take the full details of your enquiry and endeavor to get the right person to see you within 15 minutes or let you know how long we will be. Alternatively, we will arrange a mutually convenient appointment or phone conversation

When we visit you

We will have agreed a time and place with you in advance
We will say who we are, where we are from and why we are calling. We will show you our identity card before you invite us in

When you write to us

By email

We will aim to respond within 3 working days. If we are unable to give you a full answer, we will aim to get you one within a further 10 working days or keep you informed of what we are doing, including the date by which we hope to give you a full answer
There will be an automated acknowledgement on department email addresses so you know your email has been delivered

By letter or fax

We will reply to your letter within 5 working days. If we are unable to give you a full answer, we will aim to get you one within a further 10 working days or we will keep you informed of what we are doing, including the date by which we hope to give you a full answer

Your responsibility

We expect you to treat our staff with respect at all times
We expect you to contact us if you are delayed or have to re-arrange a planned appointment
We will not tolerate vexatious comments when they have been considered and found to be unjustified and where the person making the comment is either not prepared to accept that conclusion or persists in making the same or a substantially similar comment

If you have a complaint

Senior Officers