Customer Service Charter

We believe that maintaining a strong customer focus is essential to delivering excellent Council services. This charter sets out what you can expect from us.

Our People

• will be polite, friendly and helpful
• will listen and treat you with dignity and respect at all times
• will apologise when things go wrong and where possible make it right

Our Facilities

• will be easy to access and fnd
• will be clean and comfortable
• will be open at the published times

Our Services

• will be easy to use and access
• will continue to improve
• will be fairly priced
• will be well promoted and information will be easy to understand

Our Customers

• will treat our staff with dignity and respect
• will provide us with the information we need to help
• will let us know where we can improve

If you feel we are not meeting our commitments as set out in our charter, or if you have any ideas as to how we can improve, we want to hear from you.

How to pay us a compliment, send us a comment or make a complaint

You can make a complaint, comment or compliment in person to any member of staff.

You can also contact us by telephone, at 0300 124 5000 or in writing to:

Complaints, Comments, Compliments
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
The Braid
1-29 Bridge Street
Ballymena
BT43 5EJ

or e: complaints@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

We have a three stage process for managing complaints:

Informal complaint

• We believe a complaint is best dealt with by the people who provide the service.
• In the first instance, we will ask you to contact the service directly, who will aim to resolve any complaints quickly and informally.
• We will respond within 5 working days.

Stage 1 - Formal

• If you are unhappy with the outcome of the informal process, you can refer your complaint to our Complaints Team.
• Your complaint will be investigated by the relevant Head of Service, who will provide you with a response within 15 working days.

Stage 2 - Formal

• If you remain unhappy after stage 1 of the formal complaints process, you can refer your complaints to the Complaints Team, who will undertake a full review of your complaint.
• Our Chief Executive will review all papers before a decision is made and communicated to you.
• You should be provided with a response within 10 working days, but if longer is needed we will let you know.

If at the end of our complaints process you remain unhappy, you or Council, may refer your complaint to the Northern Ireland Public Service Ombudsman.