• North Tipperary County Council
• Nenagh Town Council
• Thurles Town Council
• Templemore Town Council
• Tipperary Libraries
• Enterprise and Tourism
• North Tipperary Childcare

You are here: Home > Services > Your Council >Customer Action Plan 2005-2009 > Key Services Standards

Key Services Standards

When you telephone us

1. We will take your call between the hours of 9.30 and 4.30, Monday to Friday. Some of our offices are not staffed during lunchtime.  Should you call these offices, you may leave your message on our voicemail facility and we will return your call as soon as is possible.
2. We will identify ourselves to you and deal with your call as quickly as possible in a friendly, helpful and courteous manner.
3. We would ask for your co-operation by providing your name, address, reference number (if applicable) and any other basic details which will assist us in responding quickly to you.
4. We will try to provide you with the information that you require to answer your enquiry.  If we cannot deal with your enquiry immediately we will take your telephone number and call you back or write to you within a specified time.
5. Where it is necessary to transfer your call to another person, we will give you the name of that person.
6. We have provided ‘voicemail’ facilities on all our telephone extensions, which will enable you to leave a message for the person you wish to speak to, should they be unavailable.
7. We will provide you on request with details of all complaint/appeal procedures available to you.

When you call to our offices

1. We will aim to keep our offices clean and safe.
2. We will respect your privacy.
3. We will be friendly, helpful and courteous and try to provide you with the service you require as quickly as possible.
4. If we cannot deal with your query within a reasonable time, we will explain this to you and undertake to contact you by phone or in writing.
5. If the office you call to cannot provide you with the service you require, we will put you in telephone contact with the relevant section in any of our other offices.
6. We will strive to improve accessibility for all our customers including people with a disability.

When we visit you at your home

1. In the event of a member of staff having to call to your home, he/she will be happy to provide proof of identification.
2. Should you have any query with regard to the identity of the caller, we would recommend that you ask him/her to wait outside your door, close your door and phone our offices to clarify the matter. Our staff appreciate the need for you to be satisfied with their identity and will not take offence at your checking same.
3. Should there be need for follow-up to the visit – whether by way of a letter, telephone call or another house visit, we will advise you of this and when it is intended to contact you again.

When you write to us

1. The addresses and telephone numbers of all our sections are included at the back of this publication.  We will ensure that post sent to any of our offices will be forwarded by us to the relevant section for attention.
2. We will reply to all correspondence in clear, non-technical language and will include the name, section and telephone number of the person dealing with the matter.
3. Each of our sections have drafted customer service standards for the services they provide.  The variation in the type and complexity of issues dealt with by us necessitates the setting of different response times – please refer to the particular service you require which is contained in the following pages. However, we aim to reply to all correspondence within 21 days of receipt and if we cannot issue a full reply within that time, we will issue an acknowledgement, indicating who is dealing with the matter and when it is intended to issue a full reply.
4. We will ensure that all correspondence is dealt with, even when the individual member of staff to whom it is addressed in absent.
5. Some issues are very complex in nature (e.g. those of a particular technical or legal nature). In these instances, we would advise you to put your enquiry/details in writing thus ensuring clarity and avoiding misunderstandings.

Access to information

1. We will ensure that our application forms and explanatory documentation are kept up to date at all times and are amended as required by all relevant legislation.
2. We will comply fully with the spirit and the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act, 1997, as amended and will assist you in accessing information held by us, subject to certain exemptions regarding specific information.  We wish to bring to your attention Freedom of Information Reference Book which is available in our offices and which explains in detail how you may access information held by us.

Application Forms

1. We will ensure that all application forms and accompanying explanatory documentation are presented in a clear, user-friendly fashion.
2. If you are having difficulty, we will assist you in completing the forms, on request.
3. We will aim to provide all application forms and explanatory documentation in Irish.
4. We would ask you to appreciate that the information requested on our application forms is the minimum necessary to provide the particular service to you.  Many of the forms are drafted based on legal requirements.  Accordingly, it is very important that you complete the forms in full and that any accompanying documentation is clearly labelled to avoid confusion.  If you have difficulty in filling any form, please ask us for our assistance.

Appeal and complaints

1. We aim to provide the best possible service to you.  However, should it happen that you are not happy with the service provided, we will deal with your complaints in a timely, courteous and helpful manner.
2. In the first instance, we would advise you to write to or phone or ask to see the Section Head in question.
3. If you do not receive a satisfactory response to your complaint you may send a written complaint to the appropriate Director of Services/Head of Function  as follows:
   • Housing and Corporate Issues _ Mr. Paddy Heffernan
   • Roads and Water Services Issues – Mr. Matt Shortt
   • Environmental and Emergency Services issues – Mr. Karl Cashen
   • Planning & Development and Community & Enterprise issues – Mr. Tom Barry.
   • Financial management – Mr. Liam McCarthy
   • Information/Communication Technology – Mr. Gerard Lynch.
   • Please address your letter to the appropriate Director/Head of Function, Civic Offices, Limerick Road, Nenagh and provide as much information as possible to enable your complaint to be dealt with in a speedy and appropriate manner. The matter will be investigated and a response will be issued to you within 21 days. If we cannot forward a full reply in that time, we will write to you and inform you of the delay and the reason for same.
   • We will aim to deal with all complaints concerning delays in services, mistakes and poor customer service within 21 days of receipt of complaint.  If we cannot forward a full reply in that time, we will write to you and inform you of the delay and the reason for same.
   • Should your complaint consist of complex, technical or legal aspects, we would advise you to put your complaint in writing in order to avoid any mistakes or mis-understandings.
   • When we make a mistake, we will apologise for same, explain why it happened and rectify the matter immediately.
   • We will include information on internal and external appeals and complaints procedures in all our documentation, publications and forms.

Service in Irish

1. Wherever possible, we will make appropriate arrangements for any of our customers who wish to carry out their business in Irish.
2. We will endeavour to provide application forms and explanatory leaflets in Irish.
3. Correspondence received in Irish will be replied to in Irish.

How you can help us to provide an excellent service to you

The development of a customer-focussed service takes time and commitment. We want to provide the best possible service to you and so would request as follows:

1. When contacting our offices, please ensure that you have all relevant details available – your name, address, reference number (if applicable).  If you have previously been in contact with us concerning the matter, it would be helpful if you provide the name of the staff member with whom you spoke to or from whom you received correspondence.
2. When completing application,  ensure that they are fully completed, that they are signed and are accompanied by all relevant documentation and fees.
3. We would very much appreciate your suggestions or ideas for an improved service.

Top of Page