Our customer charter

We are committed to providing high level customer service to our growing and changing community.

Tasks

This customer charter outlines the standards that you can expect when you contact us to request a service or to conduct business. These standards are our commitment to you as a member of this vibrant and growing community.

We will:

take responsibility
respond in a timely and professional manner to your request
listen to you and respond to your concerns
respect your privacy
embrace our diverse community
exercise honesty, integrity and be open and fair in all that we do

When you contact us via email

We will reply within 2 business days when you contact us via email at info@whittlesea.vic.gov.au.

If the matter cannot be finalised in that time, we will let you know the time needed for a final or more detailed response to be provided.

It may be that your enquiry is complex and requires research for an appropriate response to be provided.

If this is the case we will provide you with the name and contact details of the staff member handling your email request.

When you contact us via telephone

We will answer your call promptly and professionally and if your enquiry cannot be resolved by the officer who answers your call we will connect you with the right person.

If you contact us outside our normal business hours of 8.30am to 5pm (Monday to Friday) we provide an After Hours service for emergency issues.

If you leave a phone message we will return your call within 1 business day.

If the matter cannot be finalised in that time, we will let you know the time needed for a final or more detailed response to be provided.

It may be that your enquiry is complex and requires research for an appropriate response to be provided.

When you write to us

We will reply within 5 business days from the date we receive your letter.

If the matter cannot be finalised in that time, we will let you know the time needed for a final or more detailed response to be provided.

It may be that your enquiry is complex and requires research for an appropriate response to be provided.

When you contact us via social media

We will respond to all customer service requests posted to our corporate social media channels within 1 business day.

We may not be able to complete your request in this time but will respond explaining how we are handling it.

For more information, see social media.

When you visit a Council office

Our main service centre is at the Civic Centre, 25 Ferres Blvd, South Morang however we have other sites throughout the municipality.

In order to support you to conduct business with us from our major sites we provide a courtesy telephone and our team will be available to help you get in contact with the right people.

When you require assistance

We are committed to achieving equality for people of all abilities in our inclusive, diverse and fast growing municipality.

To ensure our services and our staff are accessible to our entire community we offer a range of options to assist you when you communicate with us.

If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment:

We offer telephone communication via the National Relay Service. The phone number is 133 677 (ask for 9217 2170). If you call this number during normal business hours (8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday), we will be available to assist you with your enquiry. If you call this number outside normal business hours we offer an After Hours service for emergency issues.
If you attend a meeting at the Civic Centre we will provide access to a hearing loop to assist you.
If you visit the Civic Centre or our Edge youth facility we have the sound shuffle counter loop available to improve sound volumes at Reception and service counters.

If you require an interpreter:

For immediate in person enquiries we have members of our team who are available to interpret for you in a variety of languages
For telephone enquiries we will connect you with an interpreter
For detailed or complex enquiries we will arrange for an interpreter to attend a scheduled meeting to assist you

We respect your privacy

We are committed to the responsible collection and handling of your personal information. We collect and use information to provide you with the services you require.

You can access our Information Privacy Policy online or we can send a copy to you.

If at any time you wish to discuss an issue related to your privacy please contact us.

Our complaints handling process

If you are dissatisfied with any of our services and would like to let us know please contact the department who provided the service and discuss the problem.

Our team will take responsibility for assisting you to resolve your complaint.

See Complaints handling and resolution.

Complaints made in bad faith

If a complaint is considered to be made in bad faith, we may choose not to respond to the complaint.

You will receive a letter acknowledging your complaint however the issue may not be addressed if it is deemed to be frivolous or vexatious in nature.

If you would like to provide some positive feedback

If you would like to pass on a compliment to a member of our team you can complete a feedback form, email or write in or just give us a call.

Your positive feedback is both appreciated and celebrated.

How you can help us

Communicating with our team with shared courtesy and respect.
Doing your best to provide us with accurate and complete details so we can action your requests on time.
Letting us know if you have a detailed or complex enquiry so we can make an appointment for you with one of our team. This way we can prepare for your visit and gather all the information we need to assist you.
Allowing the allocated time needed to resolve and respond to a complaint.
Respecting our community and its facilities so we can all enjoy them.