Agenda item

The Customer Service, Standards and Complaints Manager presented the report to the Committee to provide information on the Council’s performance in relation to its customer service standards and the number of Compliments, Comments and Complaints received for Quarter 2 2025/26 (1^st July 2025 to 30^th September 2025).

A breakdown of the key customer service standards by quarterly period, together with the target and the cumulative performance for each standard, was attached at Appendixes 1 and 2 of the report.

Revenues had achieved 88% of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds for Quarter 2 2025/26 (target 70%).

Benefits had achieved 90% of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds for Quarter 2 2025/26 (target 80%).

In Quarter 2 2025/26, Revenues and Benefits had received 4,090 emails – all acknowledged within 1 working day.

For Quarter 2 2025/26, Contact Centres had achieved: 77% of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds (target 75%); abandoned 2% of incoming calls (target less than 3%); and the average waiting time was 31 seconds (target not exceeding 30 seconds).

In the same period, Contact Centres had acknowledged all 8,270 email enquiries received within 1 working day (meeting the target of 100%), with 99.9% of emails replied to within 8 working days (target was 100%).

Contact Centres had answered 99% of incoming Live Chats within 20 seconds for Quarter 2 2025/26 (target 90%), with 557 chats answered out of 562 in total.  In Quarter 2 2025/26, all 4 Contact Centres and The Arc’s Meet & Greet Reception Desk had received 7,300 visitors.

Face-to-face monitoring would take place week commencing 17^th November 2025 to measure waiting times.

68 Compliments had been received during Quarter 2 2025/26, with Go! Active receiving 10 Customer Feedback Form Compliments within this time.

10 Comments had been received with all acknowledged and passed to the respective department within the target time of 5 working days during Quarter 2 2025/26.  Go! Active had received 22 Customer Feedback Form Comments within this time.

76 Stage 1 Complaints had been recorded in Quarter 2 2025/26, with 12 M.P. Enquiries received during the same period.  100% of Stage 1 Complaints and 100% M.P. Enquiries had been responded to within the Council’s Customer Service Standard of 10 working days – the average response time for Stage 1 Complaints was 5 working days.

11 Stage 2 Complaints had been recorded in Quarter 2 2025/25.  100% of Stage 2 Complaints had been responded to within the Council’s Customer Service Standard of 20 working days – the average response time for Stage 2 Complaints was 15 working days.

1 Local Government Ombudsman Complaint had been received for investigation during Quarter 2 2025/26 – no fault was found.

The report further detailed the service improvements made (“The pedestrian gates will be locked at the same time as the main car park gate going forward” was 1 of the examples provided to the Committee) following receipt of applicable Comments and Complaints.

To a question on reference nos. 7863, 7823 and 7833 within service improvements which all had the same improvement detailed, the Customer Service, Standards and Complaints Manager informed 7863 and 7823 were appropriate but would investigate 7833 and report back to the Committee.

A Member informed of a constituent who had submitted a Complaint – it had been handled swiftly but no attempt was made to inform the constituent the situation had been resolved (only an acknowledgment email had been received).  It was asked if further contact could have been made to reassure the constituent that their issue had been swiftly and successfully resolved.

The Customer Service, Standards and Complaints Manager accepted the above and would review if a follow up call could have been possible / could be provided in future.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing informed some Members had attended a recent Housing Ombudsman Seminar held in Leeds with 200-300 other attendees – this seminar had highlighted how appropriate the Council worked on providing good service and how it sought to improve where possible.

It was recommended Members attend Clowne or and of the Contact Centres if given the time to see the excellent ongoing work being undertaken / achieved.

The Chair approved of the continuous improvements being made at the Council.

Moved by Councillor Jeanne Raspin and seconded by Councillor Louise Fox

RESOLVED that the Customer Services Scrutiny Committee note the overall performance on Customer Service Standards and Compliments, Comments and Complaints.