Customer Care Plan

Revised January 2023

Introduction

The provision of Quality Customer Service and care is a priority for Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre.  To support more effective customer service we have written and adopted this detailed Customer Care Plan.

We recognize that customers and their sometimes-conflicting needs are central to our existence as an organisation and that an ethos of customer care will drive all our actions.

The Customer Care Plan incorporates a Charter of Rights and Entitlements for customers and staff as well as detailing the levels of service we are committed to providing.  It lists the improvements in Customer Service we have already made and concludes with the steps we will take this year to continue to improve our approach to our clients and customers.

This Customer Care Plan has been prepared in conjunction with representative staff of the Centre.

Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre and our Customers

Our mission is:

“to work with the community individuals and groups, to provide high quality sport and leisure activities, which are accessible and available to all.

We continue to build an integrated and supported community along with our FAS C.E. project, TUS Participants & Volunteers.

Services and functions of Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre

Donabate & Portrane Community & Leisure Centre Ltd (DPCC) opened in 2002 to provide leisure opportunities to the growing community of Donabate and Portrane areas.  The capital costs were secured by community fundraising and supported by lottery funding and securing bank loans.  In 2004 Fingal County Centre stepped in to take on a more proactive role in the management of the centre.

The centre is managed by a Board of Directors elected by the members at AGM.  This is an independent body whose principle activity is the management of the centre (memorandum and articles available for inspection).  The day to day operation of the centre is managed by the General Manager who reports directly to the Board and who is supported by a team of duty managers.  The staff team comprises of those employed directly by DPCC Ltd. and a team of employees under the umbrella of a community employment programme.  Donabate & Portrane Community Employment Scheme Ltd is a subsidiary company of DPCC Ltd.

Services:
Gym & Sports Hall
Offices
Meeting Rooms-Portacabin
Fitness Suite – Sauna & Steam Room
Library
Coffee Shop
Montessori Childcare Facility

Access to Services

Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre’s principal public offices are generally open between 7:00 a.m.- 10:00p.m. Monday, Wednesday & Friday
8:00a.m-10:00p.m. Tuesday & Thursday
9:00 a.m-6:00p.m. Saturday
9.00a.m-4:00pm Sunday

We define our customers as any person or organisation who receive a service or information from the Centre, whether internal or external.

Signed: __________________________
Date:  __________________________

Principals of Quality Customer Service

In our dealings with the public we will undertake the following

Quality Service Standards
Publish a statement that outlines the nature and quality of service which customers can expect, and display it prominently at the point of service.

Equality/Diversity
The purpose of this policy is to demonstrate this organisations commitment to equality of opportunity in line with the requirement of the Equality Acts, 1998 & 2004. The policy also supports the Rights of Persons availing of goods or services under the Equality Status Acts, 2000 & 2004.

Our aim is to promote equality of opportunity and fair treatment for all employees, job applicants, customers and people with whom our employees come into contact with/in the course of their day to day work.

Physical Access
Provide clean, accessible public offices that ensure privacy, comply with occupational and safety standards and, as part of this, facilitate access for disabled people and others with specific needs.

Information
Take an active approach in providing information that is clear, timely and accurate, is available at all points of contact and meets the requirements of people with specific needs.  Ensure that the potential offered by Information Technology is fully availed of.
Continue the drive for easily understood forms, information leaflets and procedures.
Translate signs and forms into other languages if needed

Timeliness and Courtesy
Deliver quality services with courtesy, sensitivity and minimum delay. Even in difficult situations where the customer does not show similar courtesy in return. Staff will be courteous in their spoken words, body language and demeanour.

Customer Care
We recognise that there may be occasions when the system will not function as well as we would hope.  We will therefore establish and maintain a well publicised, accessible, transparent and simple to use system for customers who are dissatisfied with quality of services.

Consultation and Evaluation
Provide a structured approach to meaningful consultation with, and participation by, the customer in relation to the development, delivery and review of services.  Ensure meaningful evaluation of service delivery.

Choice
Provide choice, where feasible, in service delivery including payment methods, location of contact points, opening hours and delivery times.  Use available and emerging technologies to ensure maximum access to choice of service delivery.

Official Languages Equality
Provide quality services through Irish and/or bilingually and information for customers of their rights to choose to be dealt with through one or other of the official languages.

Better Co-ordination
Foster a more co-ordinated and integrated approach to delivery of public services.

Our Staff
Ensure staff is recognised as internal customers and that the staff will give each other the same level of service as that provided to our external customers, as it is important that internal standards support the external service delivery.

Help us to help you
In order to facilitate the staff of DPCC to deliver on the commitments given in this Customer Action Plan, the following actions on your part will be helpful

• Complete all application forms carefully
• Quote ref. No’s where appropriate
• Provide accurate and comprehensive information to enable a request to be dealt with quickly
• Respond promptly to requests for further or supporting information
• Keep appointments or if unable to do so advise relevant Centre Staff in advance.

CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIFIC UNDERTAKINGS

Access to Services
Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre’s principal public offices are generally open between 7.00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday & Friday
8.00am -10.00pm Tuesday & Thursday
10am -6pm Saturday and 10am -4pm Sunday.

Our building is designed to be accessible to disabled people

Standards of Service

Telephone
We will endeavour to:

• Answer quickly and courteously
• Provide the information required in a helpful manner
• Try to deal with the enquiry without passing the call to another extension
• Take the enquiry and telephone number and call or write back if the enquiry cannot be answered quickly
• Indicate when our customer can expect to hear from us and arrange to call at a time, which is convenient to them
• Give contact names in all telephone communications to ensure ease of ongoing transactions

Callers to the Centre
We will endeavour to:

• Ensure all frontline staff wear name badges
• Deal with the enquiries as quickly as possible
• Respect clients privacy and provide private interview room at the centre where possible
• Ensure that queues are kept to a minimum
• Keep our offices safe, clean, and accessible, particularly for disabled people
• Prominently display the hours of service in all public offices / counters

Written Correspondence / E-Mail
We will endeavour to:

• Acknowledge within 5 working days and issue a full reply within 15 working days. If not possible to achieve this we will write stating when we hope to be in a position to reply.
• Write as clearly as possible
• Only use technical terms where it is absolutely necessary
• Ensure that all letters carry a contact name, telephone number and a reference
• Respond in Irish to letter received in Irish

Forms and leaflets
We will endeavour to:

• Use simple and clear language in forms and leaflets
• Explain precisely what is required
• Not ask unnecessary questions
• Make forms and leaflets freely available
• Provide bilingual text
• To standardise all Centre forms
• Review regularly
• Make them available in electronic format on an ongoing basis

Applications/Claims
We will endeavour to:

• Make application forms available in electronic format as well as paper copy on an ongoing basis
• Make a decision as quickly as possible on receipt of a valid application
• Deal with all applications consistently and impartially in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations
• Give reasons for our decisions
• Advise the customer of their right to, and procedures for, an appeal of our decision

Information and Openness
We will endeavour to:

• Supply our customers with all the information needed to deal with the enquiry
• Provide information that is clear, timely and accurate and meets the needs of all our customers
• Provide information about services and schemes in clear simple language
• Try to help as best we can if another state agency is involved

Courtesy and Consideration

Whether your business is conducted in person, by telephone or by correspondence we acknowledge that you are at all times entitled to be served:

• Promptly and in a courteous manner
• With due regard to privacy and confidentiality
• By friendly and helpful staff

Services in Irish
All customers have the right to do their business with Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre through the medium of Irish or English.  Our objective is to offer and provide services through the medium of both languages

Is i. Ngaeilge a thabharfar freagra ar comhfreagras i. ngaeilge.

Deanfar gach iarreacht ar daoine a cuireann glaoach orainn no a bhuaileann isteach chugainn agus a  mian leo a gno a deaneamh trí gaeilge.

Eagrófar Cursaí traenála do dhaoine ag cur seirbíshi trí ghaeilge ar fáil.

Publications
Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre publishes a number of booklets, periodicals and leaflets covering all aspects of our services.

Annual Report
The Centre endeavours to publish an annual report that outlines the main activities for the year.  Progress on the implementation of this plan will be included in future reports.  The annual report can be obtained from the centre  and on our website.

Reception Areas
Reception area is designed and furnished to enable it to best meet the needs of customers including provision of new technology to enable a better and more responsive service to be given.

Telephone Service
Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre operates a reception based service which  a transfer  dial-in service

E-mail / Internet
A large investment in time and resources has been made across the organisation to provide staff with the most modern communications facilities available and it will continue to be rolled out for all on an ongoing basis.  Training in the use of the system has and continues to be provided.

Staff Training
New staff receive induction Training which includes customer service training

Signage
Signage in the Centre has been designed to make it easy to locate and access the service required.

Internet Site
Donabate Portrane Community & Leisure Centre has developed a comprehensive website, which can be access through (www.donabatecommunitycentre.com).  The website gives a wide range of information on the services we provide.

We also provide a FACEBOOK page- which can be accessed through the internet and FACEBOOK by clicking here or typing Donabate community centre into the search engine of FACEBOOK.

Customer Feedback
Customer feedback forms will be made available for the centre.  The feedback received in them will be used to improve the service delivered in those areas.

Leaflets and Publications
All new publications produced will be designed with a view to incorporation on our Website

Complaints Procedure
If a member of the public encounters any difficulties with the services provided  by the centre the following procedures will apply to ensure that you have an efficient and prompt response:

1. The matter should be brought to the attention of the staff or Duty Manager concerned, either verbally or in writing and they will endeavour to resolve any legitimate complaints without delay.
2. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction, please contact the General Manager, DPCC Ltd, Portrane Road, Co Dublin, who will be able to investigate and resolve your complaint speedily and sympathetically.
3. Should the matter not be capable of being resolved to your satisfaction by the General Manager, you should then write: marked “Private and Confidential”, to:-The Chairperson, DPCC Ltd, Portrane Road, Co Dublin.