Intent

This Customer Service Policy formalises our commitment to providing the best possible service to our customers. 

The aims of our Customer Service Policy are to:

• Make transactions easier for customers and clients

• Provide customers and clients with a consistent level of customer care
• Provide clear written guidelines to staff
• Provide clarity around complaints and dispute resolution processes
• Help achieve the vision, goal and mission of our organisation. 

Scope

This policy and associated procedures apply to all directors, staff and contractors working for the organisation.

Policy

Akbarallys Furniture prioritises the effective service of customers and the respectful handling of customer complaints.

Akbarallys Furniture commits to the following principles and practices in customer service:

Friendly, professional customer interactions

We will:

• Speak respectfully to customers at all times
• Listen carefully and allow customers time to explain the circumstances fully
• Convey a sound knowledge of the business, including its goods, services and guidelines
• Respect customer privacy and confidentiality

We take active measures to ensure that we: 

• Always communicate factually, honestly and accurately to customers, whether in writing, verbally or face-to-face
• Keep publicly available information about goods and services updated 
• Provide a clear explanation of our dispute resolution process.
• Prompt and efficient services

So that we can improve our approach to customer service we:

• Strive to address customer enquiries within a reasonable timeframe, whether in writing, verbally or face to face
• Regularly review customer service performance, and incorporate findings in staff training and development activities.

Service Standards

The following service standards apply when communicating with customers:

Telephone 

• Management and staff to answer the phone within 3 to 4 rings.
• Management and staff to identify Akbarallys Furniture and name when answering the phone 
• If the required person is not available, staff will offer to take a message, recording relevant details accurately.
• Management and staff will pass on the message to the relevant person by email and/or text in a timely manner.

Email 

• When not in the office for an extended period, management and staff will ensure that out-of-office notification is activated.
• Management and staff will respond to customer emails in a timely manner.
• Management and staff will use Plain English when replying to customer emails.

Face to Face 

• Management and staff will communicate in a friendly, open way.
• Staff will listen to what the customer has to say before responding. Do not interrupt the customer.
• Staff will respond to customer enquiries and complaints in a respectful way.

Website

Management and staff will:

• Ensure that the information contained on the website is updated and accurate
• Ensure that contact information is updated
• Answer customer enquiries with a 24-hour period.
• When collection information via our website, ensure that our Privacy policy is easily accessible and available on our website.

Social and Digital Channels

Management and staff will ensure that customer enquiries and complaints received via the organisation’s social media and digital channels are answered in a timely and accurate manner.

Complaints Handling 

• The Akbarallys Furniture  complaints process is visible and accessible to staff. It is written in a way that management and staff can easily understand, using Plain English.
• We acknowledge that the resolution of customer complaints is a key component of effective customer service.

Complaints handling process

We have the following procedures in place for handling complaints.

• Initial complaint
• Listen respectfully to the customer in a fair and impartial way.
• If the complaint is received in writing, acknowledge the complaint within a 24- to 48-hour period.
• Ensure our name and contact details are clearly visible and accessible throughout our website and social media channels.
• Record the customer complaint in writing, obtaining all relevant details. The organisation will not usually action anonymous complaints.
• Attempt to resolve customer complaints during the first stage.
• If complaints cannot be resolved, escalate the complaint to a supervisor or manager.
• Acknowledge that staff members have the right to be protected from unreasonable and abusive customers.

Escalated complaint

• Staff are to fully brief the supervisor or manager about the complaint.
• Management are to keep the customer informed of the steps being taken to resolve the escalated complaint.
• Management are to attempt to resolve the escalated complaint promptly.

Complaint resolution

• Management are to advise the customer of the outcome and explain the decisions clearly.
• Akbarallys Furniture will fix errors willingly.
• Management are to inform the customer of ongoing improvements to the business, if relevant.

If you have any questions about these policies, You can contact us here.