Issue - meetings

The Customer Services Manager presented the report to the Committee.

The draft policy and procedure was aimed at providing the following framework:

·       To identify what might be classed as an unreasonable complaint or contact from a customer;

·       To manage the Council’s limited resources to help ensure that customers had access to limited resources in a proportionate way to the issues being raised;

·       To set out openly how the Council handled unreasonable complaints or customers (what steps would be taken if action was required and who could authorise such actions);

·       Which the Council could provide to customers where this policy and procedure was applied so that customers could understand the process (this may help manage individual expectations and behaviours).

The Council aimed to deal with complaints and customers in a way which was fair and impartial.  On occasion, customers could behave unreasonably or make

unreasonable complaints.

Unreasonable customers or complaints could hinder the proper consideration of their cases and could delay consideration of other cases.  They could also have significant resource implications for the Council.

The Council did not expect staff to suffer behaviour or complaints by customers which was / were unreasonable in content, tone or persistence.  In appropriate circumstances, the Council would take proportionate action to protect the wellbeing of staff, Members and contractors, and the integrity of its processes and limited resources.

When considering the draft policy and procedure, the Council had regard to other relevant policies and procedures including:

·       The Customer Service Code of Practice and Standards;

·       The Complaints, Comments and Compliments Policy;

·       The Equality and Diversity Policy;

·       The Physical aggressive customer behaviour – Violent Incident Report Form, for inclusion on the Employee Protection Register (EPR).

However, it was noted customers might act out of character due to factors outside of their and / or  the Council’s control (e.g., feeling anxious, facing relationship breakdown, experiencing financial difficulties, etc.).  While it was important to protect staff, it was equally important to consider what customers might be facing.

It was reiterated the draft policy and procedure was a framework and not intended to be prescriptive (in rare situations customers could behave unreasonably or make unreasonable complaints – each case would need to be considered on its own facts).

It was anticipated the policy would be invoked in only ‘extreme’ cases.  The draft policy and procedure framework was attached at Appendix 1.

The Deputy Leader of the Council was pleased to see the Committee had been ahead of the curve regarding staff and Member safety, sharing the policy fit in well with the Committee’s current review work on security at The Arc.

A Member noted the framework would have been very difficult to write to ensure staff were protected and customers (who might be in a situation out of their control) were equally given the benefit of the doubt.

The  Customer Services Manager informed the Information, Engagement and Performance Manager had been involved in the development of the framework to ensure customer data remained protected (e.g., customers informed that all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44