When it comes to customer service, Fenland District Council really does nail its colours to the mast. It s new Charter for Fenland @your service shops and the contact centre spells out clearly what customers can expect. The Council pledges to put the comm

When it comes to customer service, Fenland District Council really does nail its colours to the mast. It's new Charter for Fenland @your service shops and the contact centre spells out clearly what customers can expect.

The Council pledges to put the community first in whatever it does and has laid out clearly what this customer-focussed approach will mean for local people.

In addition to the charter, the Council has drawn up clear service standards for 51 key service areas, including: abandoned vehicles, animal welfare, benefits and benefit fraud, building control, car parks, cemeteries, CCTV in town centres, correspondence and handling complaints, contaminated land, Council Tax, dog wardens, economic and community development, enforcement, food safety, housing management and repairs, controlling infectious diseases, leisure services, markets, marine services, Nene Waterfront Regeneration Project, parks and open spaces, travellers and waste recycling.

The Charter and the 51 service standards have been clearly laid out in the Council's Customer Care Policy document, which is available on the website: www.fenland.gov.uk.

Cllr Jill Tuck, Portfolio Holder for Customer First, said: "This Council has pulled out all the stops to ensure that we are responsive to the needs of local people. Through our Fenland @ your service shops in each town and the integrated contact centre, we are responding rapidly to our customers.

"Since the contact centre opened in January 2005, more than 219,000 people called the contact centre and more than 290,000 customers have visited the four Fenland @ your service shops. This is an encouraging indication that we are responding more directly to local people."

- Fenland @ your service shops and telephone contact centre will be open at the following times: Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 5.30pm. Saturday: 9am to noon. The Chatteris shop is closed on Wednesdays until 1pm. The Whittlesey shop will close on Wednesdays at 1pm.

- The business reception at Fenland Hall will be open: 8.45am to 5.15pm, Monday to -- Thursday and 8.45am to 4.45pm on Fridays.

- Our leisure centres will be open: 7.30am to 9pm, Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

- Our website will be available 24 hours a day for you to get information, make applications and make payments.

- All our visitor points will be safe, clean, presentable and pleasant for people to use at all times.

- We will wear a name badge, or give you our name, so you know who you are speaking to when you either meet, visit or phone us.

- We will make sure everyone is treated equally.

- We will be friendly and helpful, and treat you with respect.

- We will provide a private room if you want to discuss sensitive or confidential business.

- We will arrange an interview with someone of the same sex as you (within two working days), if you ask.

- Please ask us if you would like any documents in a different community language, in large print, in Braille or on audio tape.

- There are induction loops for the hard of hearing at all of our visitor points, and a textphone is available on 01354 622213.

- If you visit us, we will aim to make sure you wait no more than 10 minutes. If we cannot meet this standard, someone will let you know.

- If you phone 01354 654321, we will answer 80% of calls within 20 seconds.

- If you contact us by e-mail, on-line or by text, we will acknowledge your communication within one working day. We aim to respond fully within 10 working days. If we cannot respond fully within 10 working days. If we cannot respond fully to all correspondence within 10 working days, we will contact you to explain why and tell you when you will get a response.

- If you want to make a formal complaint, we will give you a central point of contact through our 3Cs team (Correspondence, Compliments and Complaints).

- We will use your feedback to help develop and improve our services.

- We will do what we promise to do and will apologise if we get something wrong.

- We will use plain language in all our communications.