Complaints Procedure

Our Vision: to provide Industry Leading Customer Service

We take pride in the service we offer and want to be responsive in dealing with your requests and issues. We also want to make things as easy as possible for you and are committed to continually improving our processes.

As such we have developed these service standards that you can expect when you contact us.

Our commitment to you

We will:

• Listen to your requests, understand your needs and take ownership of the issue.
• Always be respectful, friendly and professional in all our dealings, ensuring appropriate levels of objectivity and fairness to all parties.
• Deliver a quality service that is prompt and efficient.
• Provide information about our services that is accurate and easy to understand.
• Value and respect your feedback and seek to continually improve our customer service.
• Provide a 24/7 enquiry service staffed by real people.
• Prioritise issues based on their seriousness, with immediate responses to high priority issues or emergencies.
• Respond to telephone and email enquiries within one working day.
• Respond to complaints in five working days.
• Offer resolutions that are proportionate to the issues raised.
• See you punctually at mutually agreeable times (for pre-booked appointments). If there is a delay, you will be informed.

As we work together you can help us by:

• Giving us the same courtesy as you would expect from us.
• Letting us know what you think of our service.
• Letting us know when things change, e.g. your mailing address, circumstances regarding the request that you made or details of an application

Complaints process

We would like to hear what you think of our service - good or bad. Your feedback will help us improve what we do. If you have had good service from us, let us know so we can do more of the same.

1. We receive your feedback:
   Post it to South Taranaki District Council, Private Bag 902, Hāwera 4640
   Call us on (06) 278 0555 or toll-free 0800 111 323
   Email us
   Fill in our online contact form here
   Visit us at the Hāwera Administration Building on Albion Street or one of our LibraryPlus Centres.
   We will respond to you within five working days.
2. If you are satisfied with our response, your complaint is resolved.
3. If you are not satisfied with our response a senior manager will investigate the matter and respond to your complaint.
4. If you are not satisfied with that response the Chief Executive will investigate the matter and respond to your complaint.
5. If you are still not satisfied with our response you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman or an appropriate authority.

Naturally your feedback is treated as confidential.