SIC adopts customer strategy

SHETLAND Islands Council has adopted a new ‘customer first’ strategy which aims to achieve more consistent customer service standards across the local authority.

The strategy, as well as a customer charter, was approved at the council’s policy and resources committee on Monday. They can be viewed online here.

A report presented to councillors said that while there are high customer satisfaction rates in some areas, there was no formal single set of standards for staff to adhere to.

It follows a survey conducted last year, which showed that around 70 per cent of people had a positive experience during their last contact with the council.

Over half of respondents, however, said they felt the council was poor or very poor in learning from customer feedback.

Among the points in the strategy and charter is a promise to respond quickly to customers, to be “polite, helpful and professional” at all times and to communicate clearly while avoiding jargon.

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South mainland councillor George Smith said it was a “good piece of work” and suggested that the council’s response to queries from community councils should be factored into its thinking.

Council leader Steven Coutts said that during a time of financial challenges, “the thing we can deliver is excellent customer service”.