When we receive a written comment (letter, email, fax, text message) from you:

• we will give you a full response, or let you know how we are dealing with the matter, within 10 working days
• we will tell you who is dealing with the matter and tell you their name, direct line telephone number and in which part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich they work
• we will write to you in a way that is easy to understand and use languages other than English when appropriate. We will arrange for a reply in Braille, large print or audio when requested
• if it is not possible to deal with the matter within 10 working days we will tell you when you can expect to hear from us and keep you informed of any changes
• we will inform you when the request has been fulfilled.

When we answer the telephone:

• we will answer within five rings
• we will greet you in a friendly manner, giving our name and section
• if the person you wish to contact is not available temporarily and you leave a message, someone will contact you as soon as possible for an urgent matter, and within two working days on all other matters
• we will only transfer your call if we are sure who to transfer the call to. Otherwise we will arrange to call you back
• we only transfer your call to a phone answered by voice mail with your prior agreement.

When you visit any of our buildings:

• we aim to speak to you within 20 minutes of your arrival or appointment, but if we don't, we will let you know when you can be seen and explain the reason.

Our reception areas will:

• be clearly signposted
• have helpful and welcoming staff wearing name badges
• be clean and tidy
• have information about key council services in a range of different languages
• offer interpreters and ensure they are available if booked in advance
• have a free internal phone and access to a minicom or other appropriate means of communication in main reception areas
• provide facilities that will allow confidentiality when talking to staff
• cater for the needs of visiting children and babies as far as possible.
  

When we visit your home or business:

• we will make appointments wherever possible
• we will normally identify ourselves as council employees or contractors with a name badge
• when we arrive, we will explain who we are and the purpose of our visit
• we will be polite, courteous and conduct our business efficiently
• we will let you know what will happen next as a result of our visit
• we will provide you with an opportunity to give us feedback on our service.