As part of The Barnet Group’s Customer Experience Strategy 2022-24, we committed to improve how we assist customers by introducing customer care principles in place that everyone works to, along with a customer behaviour charter for how we expect customers to behave when engaging with staff. To ensure that the principles and standards are focussed on the right things we engaged with both colleagues and residents to help us shape them and get sign off and we will soon be launching them. Thank you to everyone who helped shape the principles and charter.
We will be developing training, tools and guidance to support colleagues with the principles and charter. This will include clear guidelines on what to do if a customer you are assisting is not adhering to the behaviour charter.
Through our Customer Care Principles and Customer Behaviour Charter we will aim to work together with customers to help them get what they need from us or others:
- When assisting customers, we expect our staff to help in a way that is respectful, realistic and responsive – in line with the Customer Care Principles.
- When customers are being assisted by our staff, we expect customers to engage with staff in a way that is also respectful, realistic and responsive – in line with the Customer Behaviour Charter.
We have outlined our expectations for staff and customers below. The Customer Care Principles and Customer Behaviour Charter apply to all interactions between staff and customers: emails, phone calls, letters, voicemails, face to face and virtual meetings.
Customer Care Principles |
Customer Behaviour Charter |
|
|---|---|---|
We will… |
We expect that customers will… |
|
Respectful |
1. Be approachable, respectful and considerate.
Treat customers as we would like to be treated and be considerate of what customers may be going through. Set the right tone for every new conversation or interaction. In your greeting say, “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” and use their name if you know it. Treat each customer as an individual and tailor how we assist them where needed. If you handle a difficult interaction with a customer, take time out. |
1. Treat staff with respect.
Abusive, racist or threatening language and behaviour will not be tolerated. |
Respectful |
2. Listen to you carefully to ensure we have fully understood what you need.
Summarise key points to check that we have understood what is needed, and that the customer knows we understand. Update systems to prevent customers having to repeat themselves and so that others can help. If a customer requests or mentions a specific staff member don’t always assume it is the correct person who can assist them. |
2. Allow staff to speak so that they can explain things fully when needed. |
Realistic and Responsive |
3. Be clear about how we can help and how we are not able to.
Be professional – know the ways that we can help customers and what is not possible. Be honest and clear – if we are unable to help in the way that customers expect, it is more helpful that customers know this early on. If you are unsure how we can help, don’t promise that we can. Signpost the customer to other teams, organisations or resources if you know this will help. |
3. Be realistic with how we can assist you.
We will try our best to help but this may not always be able to meet your expectations as decisions we make can be linked to policies and/ or legislation. |
Realistic and Responsive |
4. Complete follow up actions and provide updates as promised.
Be accountable. Let customers know next steps and stick to these or update them if something changes. If updates will be needed, let customers know how this will happen and provide them as promised. |
4. Do things that we ask for to help our teams to help you.
The quicker you are able to do this, the quicker we can assist. If you are unclear about what we have asked for or need support please let us know. |
Realistic and Responsive |
5. Be helpful when customers experience issues or changes.
Let customers know about changes that will affect them as early as possible. Take ownership if there is an issue. If you or your team won’t be able to help, find a team or person that can Avoid saying to the customer it is another team’s problem or responsibility as customers view us all as The Barnet Group and expect us to work together for them. |
5. Not take things out on our staff if something goes wrong.
We are sorry that things sometimes go wrong and the impact that this can have on you. Once we know you have an issue, we will help you to get it addressed. |