Customer Service Policy

It is our intention to provide our customers and clients with the best service, support, advice, and professionalism in all of our transactions.

This policy is intended to ensure the needs of our customers are met by well trained, knowledgeable staff working in a professional, polite and timely manner.

Contents:

1. Customer service principles
2. Scope
3. Communication service standards
4. Customer requests
5. Dealing with complaints
6. Agreeing service standards
7. Training

Customer service principles

Our customer service policy is based on 8 key principles:

1. An understanding of our customers’ values, needs and priorities.
2. Promising only what we can deliver and always providing reliable information.
3. Valuing every contact with our customers.
4. The importance of clear communication and the value of active listening.
5. Seeking and learning from customer feedback.
6. Making transactions easy for customers.
7. Providing a clear, accessible process for any customer to comment or complain about any aspect of our services.
8. Treating our employees well and supporting them to enable them to maximise the customer experience.

Scope

This policy applies to all Directors, staff and contractors working in the company.

Communication service standards

1. Verbal communication
   1. Staff will listen to the customer without interruption.
   2. Staff will respond in a respectful way.
2. Telephone
   1. We will aim to answer calls within 4 rings.
   2. Staff will identify Rehab Direct and their name when answering the phone.

• If the relevant person is unavailable, staff will take a message recording all relevant details. They will then pass this to the relevant person, or an alternative, within a reasonable timeframe.

3. Email
   1. Out of office notifications are set when staff are unable to respond.
   2. Rehab Direct will apply a plain English approach to written communication.
4. Websites
   1. Information will be kept current and accurate.
   2. Rehab Direct privacy policy will be easily accessible on the website.
5. Social media
   1. All staff will be aware of and follow the Rehab Direct social medial policy.

Customer Requests

Customer requests, communications, instructions, referrals and orders will be handled in the following way:

1. The request will be acknowledged.
2. The request will be responded.
3. The customer will be informed of the progress of the request.
4. The customer will be informed on the completion of the request.

Dealing with complaints

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction – however made – about the standard of service, actions, or lack of action by the company or its employees, affecting a customer.

We want to make sure that our customers feel that they can complain whenever they are dissatisfied with our services – and that we will do all we can to deal with their complaint satisfactorily, openly, and fairly.

In the first instance, Rehab Direct will attempt to resolve complaints informally and quickly to the satisfaction of both parties.

Rehab Direct will approach all complaints in the following way:

1. Listen to the customer without interruption.
2. Understand the nature of the complaint and check with the customer that we have a full appreciation of their situation.
3. Elevate the complaint if unable to make a resolution.
4. Maintain a good relationship with the customer while dealing with the complaint, keeping the customer informed.
5. Agree a resolution as early as possible.
6. Confirm the resolution in writing.
7. Evaluate and share the lessons from the complaint. All complaints – formal and informal – will trigger an internal incident report, enabling us to monitor and learn from customer experience and ensuring senior managers are informed of breaches of our customer service standards.

Agreeing service standards

Rehab Direct will agree the relevant standards of service with its customers in the form of a contract, service level agreement, or memorandum of understanding prior to the commencement of services.

The relevant contract, service level agreement, or memorandum of understanding will form the basis of an annual audit of customer service standards that will be shared with each customer.

The relevant contract, service level agreement, or memorandum of understanding will detail the management information to be submitted to each customer.

The relevant contract, service level agreement, or memorandum of understanding will detail the agreed processes for managing customer accounts

Training

Rehab Direct will undertake general and customer specific training to ensure that our staff are fully equipped to deliver services in the manner outlined in this policy.

In addition, staff will receive training in the following areas:

1. Data protection
2. Safeguarding vulnerable people
3. Fraud awareness
4. Conflict resolution
5. Equality and diversity

Rehab Direct has policies in place for each of these issues.

Regular performance monitoring and appraisals will be undertaken for all staff.