News: Customer Service/Care
Customer service training: Aberdeenshire Council criticised by ombudsman
23 June 2009
An organisation's poor levels of consumer care have resulted in a local authority being required to apologise to a tenant, highlighting the value of customer service training.
Aberdeenshire Council has been criticised by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman over the treatment of a woman who complained to the body, the Press and Journal reports.
In his judgement, the figure criticised the tone and language used during discussions about the tenant's case, saying that the situation appears to be a breakdown in communication between the council officers and the woman.
The ombudsman described the treatment as inappropriate and not acceptable, the news provider reported.
A spokeswoman for the local authority states: "We accept the findings of the ombudsman and that there were failings in our customer service which have now been addressed."
Communities minister Shahid Malik recently claimed that customer service training could be required to allow public sector organisations to provide the level of consumer care that users expect in their dealings with councils.
Customer Service training with GA is designed to help individuals and organisations provide consistent levels of service at each and every point of contact. We work with you to identify your customers’ needs and their expectations and then we help you to build rapport and provide an unrivalled customer experience.
