Customer Care - The Code

Much of the feedback was about behaviour of course and so a Customer Care Code was drawn up to address the issues that had been uncovered. In the coming months posters promoting the Code were displayed on noticeboards, all employees attended team briefings, and a pocket sized version was provided for each employee in payslips in July 2001.

The Code promotes showing RESPECT to customers and uses an acronym as a reminder. We ask employees to be:

R - responsive
E - effective
S - supportive
P - professional
E - efficient
C - caring
T - tolerant

Responsive

Welcone feedback and make use of it to improve services
Offer customers choice think of their needs, not ours
Take an enquiry, whether it’s yours or not
Don’t pass the buck

Effective

Get it right first time
Don’t raise expectations

Supportive

Make it easy for the customer
Take the initiative, make an effort, prompt

Professional

Know your stuff don’t make promises you can’t keep
Be helpful, don’t patronise
Identify yourself

Efficient

Help immediately or as quick as possible
Keep customers and colleagues up-to-date
We’re all a link in the chain; ease the problem, don’t add to it

Caring

Remember it can take nerve to contact us
Be sensitive - a customer might be upset or frustrated

Tolerant

Treat others as you’d like them to treat you
Recognise we’re all different but treat everyone the same
And remember, sometimes you just have to bite your lip!