customer service policy

 The policy of the Fiona Henderson School of Dance (FHSD) is to provide and maintain the best possible service to our pupils, teachers and the public. We take pride in providing a professional service whilst inspiring to the highest level of trust.

Staff will be professional at all times and show:

• Courtesy in all circumstances
• Accuracy in what they do
• Accountability for the quality of service they deliver
• Integrity in all their dealings
• Consideration for the needs of customers
• Promptness in all their actions, keeping people informed of progress

APPLICATION

This Customer Service Policy applies to all permanent, temporary, freelance and casual employees or workers of FHSD.

IMPLEMENTATION

• The Principal shall be responsible for ensuring that this policy is implemented
• It is expected that all employees or workers at FHSD shall adopt the behaviours outlined in this policy
• This policy is not meant to be all inclusive and additional behaviours, which support our goal of providing good customer service, are encouraged and supported by the dance school

The teacher / organisation will play its part by:

• giving student care a high priority
• developing corporate values and practices on pupil care which are shared across the organisation and communicated effectively
• updating information to all its employees and workers to add to their knowledge and awareness of people and their care
• regularly monitoring its pupil care strategy to ensure that the needs of all its pupils, parents, carers and the public are met successfully
• provide a clear, accessible process for any person to comment or complain about any aspect of their own or the organisation’s services

VALUES

The principles and core values that we share are:

• The pupils, their parents and carers and the public are the dance school’s most important people. They are the purpose of our work.
• All people coming into contact with our dance school will be treated equally.
• Everyone will have fair and equal access to all of our services in accordance with our FHSD Terms and Conditions and School Rules.
• Every person is entitled to:
  • A standard of service which is known and agreed
  • Be listened to when they comment or complain
  • A sensitive response to their needs
  • A timely response to their complaints
  • A courteous response to their enquiries
• There is a clear and accessible complaints procedure in place

Courtesy

Courtesy will be shown in all circumstances, even in difficult situations where the person may not show similar courtesy in return. Staff will be courteous in their spoken words, body language and demeanour.

Accuracy

Where there is any doubt about the accuracy of any information, the details will be checked and validated prior to release.

Accountability

Staff will look for ways to enhance the quality of service they deliver. Comments about the quality of service will be referred to the Principal.

Integrity

Staff will act with integrity in all their dealings with the public.

COMMUNICATION

FACE TO FACE CONTACT

We and our staff will be committed to:

• making sure that our buildings are accessible
• greeting visitors
• making sure our staff identify themselves
• listening to you and responding to your needs
• being welcoming, courteous and helpful

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

WHAT IS MEANT BY A COMPLAINT?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the dance school or its employees affecting an individual person or group of people who are receiving a service.

A complaint does not include: -

• Requests for service
• Requests for information or explanation of FHSD’s policy or practice
• Complaints about third parties, who are not working at the FHSD

Stage 1 – At the point of service delivery

The FHSD staff member receives the initial approach from the complainant and attempts to resolve their concerns to the best of their ability and to the complainant’s satisfaction.

Employed teachers or individuals will pass any issues raised to the Principal. It is important to respond properly, fairly and consistently when a complaint is made. The Complaints Procedure will assist with this.

When a complaint has been dealt with quickly and fairly, the complainant feels they have been listened to and understood. Just as importantly, knowing how and why things have gone wrong is valuable information in helping us to improve our services, and make best use of our resources.

All complaints made must be reported to the Principal.

Individuals should aim to settle complaints quickly and amicably. However, complainants who are still not satisfied after Stage 1 must be referred to Stage 2 of the Complaints Procedure.

Stage 2 – by the Principal / Manager

In Stage 2, the complaint will be investigated fully and objectively by the Principal. The complainant should be informed as to who is dealing with their complaint, kept informed about progress and action being taken if the review of the complaint is likely to take more than a few days.

A written reply must be sent to the complainant within 10 working days of the request for their complaint to be investigated.

In complex cases, the complaint may take longer than 10 working days to investigate, but the complainant must still be notified in writing of progress to date, the reason for the delay and the revised timescale, within those 10 working days.

Moving on from a complaint

When a complaint has been found to be justified, the dance school’s objective will then be, as far as possible, to put the complainant in the position he or she would have been in had things not gone wrong. Depending on circumstances, this will usually be achieved by: ·

• apologising to them and explaining what went wrong
• providing the service the person wanted
• changing things so that the cause of the complaint is not repeated

In some circumstances, a personal visit or other gesture, to mend damaged relationships with a complainant may be appropriate. There is no specific stage at which this approach should be taken and is at the discretion of the Principal.

What we ask of you

Ourselves or our staff should not be expected to deal with rude, abusive or threatening behaviour. If such unpleasant behaviour is encountered and cannot be calmed down, staff will politely state that they will have to terminate the contact (put the telephone down/leave the room etc.). The dance school will take appropriate action against any individuals who are abusive to staff.