use your own word Thank you.

Our customers are our number one priority for they are the basis of our business. Therefore, our attitude toward providing good customer service is of paramount importance. Management and staff need to be fully aware of our customer’s needs, and must respond sympathetically and professionally to their reasonable demands. Knowing our customers, and their requirements, will enable us to provide the appropriate facilities and services, and create repeat business and good word of mouth publicity.

Staff will:

• demonstrate to the customer always respect, courtesy, patience, attentiveness, consideration and sensitivity that is appropriate to the age, culture and linguistic background of the individual or group

• listen to what customers have to say and determine the exact nature of the request

• respond to customer enquiries promptly and efficiently in a timely manner

• act with integrity and honesty when dealing with customers

• if unavailable or away from the office, return email messages promptly upon returning

• If away from the office for two or more days an “out of office” message is to be left on outlook and the telephone.

• provide the customer with advice and other information that is accurate, clear, concise, reliable and in plain language

• be sensitive to any language or other communication difficulties experienced by customers when providing advice and other information

• present a positive image of the organisation to the public.

The following procedure should be followed for telephone enquiries.

• Answer the phone in a timely manner: all telephone calls should be answered on or before the fifth ring.

• Greet the client with ‘Good morning/afternoon, this is (your name)’

• Be warm and friendly

• Speak slowly and clearly

• Be careful with language: slang or jargon is not to be used

• Be positive and helpful: if you don’t know the answer say that you will find out the answer and get back to the customer via telephone or email with the answer.

• Give clear advice to the caller about when the caller can expect a response when calls cannot be fully responded to immediately. This should be within 1 business day.

• Deal with customers calmly, courteously and patiently, even when the callers are angry, aggressive or distressed. Remain polite and seek help if necessary

• Answer unattended telephones in the absence of colleagues whenever practical

• Respond to telephone messages within one business day whenever practical

• Change voicemail message(s) when absent from the office for any period. For example, an external all-day meeting, state/territory based public holiday or leave.

All written communication will be clear and concise and adopt a formal tone.

We endeavour to acknowledge receipt of written correspondence:

• email within one working day

• mail within three working days

Where our staff is writing to a customer in response to an enquiry or other matter, all written correspondence must be finalised in the timelines shown above.

The email checklist must be reviewed and used to develop all email correspondence.

We welcome complaints from customers. If a customer wishes to make a complaint, they may contact us via email or via phone and discuss their complaint. Where the complaint cannot be resolved at this first point of contact, the complaint will be referred to the management team. The customer will be contacted with three working days to advise of the outcome of their complaints.

We also welcome feedback from all its customers and sends a link to an on-line survey for all customers to complete.

All staff are expected to treat customers with courtesy and respect always and to make every reasonable effort to address the customer’s needs even when the customer is rude or difficult.

Staff must try and put themselves in the customer’s shoes and be empathetic.

Actively listen to what the customer is saying and repeat their concerns to make sure you are addressing the right issue.

Use calm, objective wording e.g. As I understand you are quite rightly upset because your delivery did not arrive in the time we specified.

Apologise to the customer and present a solution. For example, you could offer a discount on a future service.

All feedback should be recorded.

Where the customer indicates they wish to lodge a formal complaint, outline the complaint procedure as in the company’s complaints handling policy.

• Subject field of email is clear and concise – no capitals

• Relevant recipients identified

• Email includes greeting and name and position

• Email body concise and to the point

• Email checked for spelling and tone before sending. Tone should be warm.

Dress code

All employees are expected to represent the business, and dress accordingly. All customer service staff members are required to wear business attire.