How to contact us and what you can expect from us Section 2

Section 2
How to contact us and
what you can expect
from us
Section 2 – How to contact us and
what you can expect from us
You can contact us, or get information
about us and our services, in a
number of different ways.
Phone: 01438 242666
Minicom: 01438 242150
8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
Address:
Daneshill House
Danestrete
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 1HN
The customer service centre is
open from 8.30am to 5.30pm,
Monday to Friday.
E-mail: enquiries@
stevenagehomes.org.uk
Fax: 01438 242384
For more information about us and the
services we offer, look at our website
at www.stevenagehomes.org.uk.
How the customer
service centre can
help you
The customer service centre has
equipment that will help you to access
information quickly and easily.
■ The scanner machine can read out
any written information.
■ The magnifier can make any print
larger.
■ You can access both our and
Stevenage Borough Council’s
websites.
■ If you have hearing difficulties,
the customer service centre can
provide a portable induction loop.
■ You can also ask for information in
large print, different languages and
Braille.
Customer service
standards
We are committed to:
■ delivering excellent and efficient
services to customers;
■ involving residents and
communities;
■ putting tenants at the heart of how
we deliver services; and
■ getting feedback on the quality of
the services we provide.
When you visit us at Daneshill
House, we will:
■ provide a clean, well maintained
and welcoming environment for all
our visitors and staff;
■ be friendly, polite and helpful at all
times;
■ respond quickly and sensitively to
your requests (as long as they are
reasonable);
■ see you within 10 minutes of your
appointment time, or within 20
minutes if you do not have an
appointment (if you need to speak
to someone but you do not have an
appointment, we will arrange one
for you within 30 minutes where
possible);
■ respect your privacy; and
■ identify ourselves by name and
wear a name badge.
The Customer Service Centre, open from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday
When you contact us by phone:
■ the customer service centre will
aim to answer your call within 30
seconds;
■ if we need to transfer your call to
another part of our organisation,
we will answer within 15 seconds
(or six rings) or take a message (if
appropriate);
■ we will try to return your call before
the end of the next working day or
at any time you ask;
■ we will tell you who and which
service you are speaking to;
■ if we are not able to help you, we
will identify who can and either
transfer the call, provide the correct
phone number or call you back.
Sometimes we use answerphones
outside normal office hours. We will
make sure you are greeted with a
clear, up-to-date message and return
your call if you ask us to.
When you contact us by letter or
e-mail, we will:
■ acknowledge that we have
received it (within two days for
letters and by the end of the next
working day for e-mails);
■ give you a full response within 10
working days;
■ if your request is complicated,
send you a brief reply within five
working days, giving the reason for
the delay and when you can expect
a full reply (we will also give you
the contact details of the person
handling your request); and
■ always use plain English or provide
a translation for customers who
need it.
When you need to see information,
we will:
■ give you up-to-date information
about us;
■ keep all information you give us
confidential, in line with the Data
Protection Act 1998;
not discriminate unfairly against
anyone;
where possible and when asked,
provide an interpreter for
customers who have difficulty
understanding english;
■ provide a portable induction loop
for customers who have hearing
difficulties; and
■ make published information
available in different languages, in
Braille and large print and on audio
tape if you ask us to.
If we visit you at home, we will:
■ be on time or, if delayed, call to let
you know when we will arrive;
We will tell you about any
improvements we make as a result of
your PIN.
If you are not happy with the
service you have received from us
and want to complain, you can:
■ respect your home; and
■ refer to our complaints procedure
on our website at
www.stevenagehomes.org.uk
and complain on-line;
■ leave a card to say we have called
if you are out.
■ ask to speak to a manager in the
customer service centre;
If you have a compliment about our
service, you can:
■ fill in a complaints form, which you
can get from the customer service
centre or from any member of our
staff;
■ always show official identification;
■ tell us using any of the methods
set out below.
If you have a suggestion about how
we might improve our service, you
can:
■ make a suggestion or comment
(called a performance improvement
notice or ‘PIN’) using any of the
methods set out below.
■ e-mail your complaint to
complaints@
stevenagehomes.org.uk;
■ phone us on 01438 242666; or
■ write to us at:
Stevenage Homes
Daneshill House
Danestrete
Hertfordshire
SG1 1HN.
You can e-mail complaints to [email protected]
We will:
■ respond to you within 10 working
days;
■ apologise when things go wrong
and explain what happened;
■ deal with complaints fairly and
investigate them sensitively;
■ investigate the circumstances
surrounding the complaint or
performance improvement notice
and correct any fault in our service;
■ ask for feedback from the person
making the complaint on how we
dealt with it;
■ tell you how to go through the
different stages of the complaints
procedure; and
■ explain how you can contact the
Local Government Ombudsman if
you feel we have not properly dealt
with your complaint about us.
■ treat all complaints as an
opportunity to improve our policies,
processes and procedures;
Stage
one
Complaint dealt with by the
original service unit
We will acknowledge your
complaint within two working days
and provide a full reply within 10
working days.
Stage
two
Complaint passed to our
Director of Services
We will acknowledge your
complaint within two working days
and produce a full reply within 15
working days.
Stage
three
Complaint referred to
our Chief Executive
We will acknowledge your
complaint within two working days
and provide a full reply within 20
working days.
Comments, compliments and complaints
We welcome any comments – both good and bad – or complaints about the
service, as these help us to improve. We are always happy to come and visit you
in your home if you want us to.
Daneshill House, Danestrete, Stevenage, Herts SG1 1HN
Phone 01438 242666 Textphone 01438 242150
Stevenage Homes is a company owned by Stevenage Borough Council
SH90105 l August 2007
You can find details of our complaints procedure in section 2 of this handbook.
You can get a complaints leaflet by phoning the customer service centre
on 01438 242666.