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The Corporation of
THE TOWNSHIP OF MELANCTHON
157101 Highway 10, M elancthon, Ontario, L9V 2£6
Telephone - (519) 925-5525
Fax No. - {519) 925-1110
Website: www.melancthontownship.ca
Email:[email protected]
CUSTOMER SERVICE POLICY/COMPLAINT POLICY
PURPOSE
The purpose of this Policy is to provide general guidelines as to the level of customer
service expected by Melancthon Township Staff in an effort to supply the most efficient and
effective service delivery to Members of the Public. The tracking of complaints can provide
a way for staff to provide continuous improvement of services to the Members of the
Public.
STATEMENT
The Township of Melancthon is a government body that provides service to the people
living within its jurisdiction. The Employees of the Towns hip of Melancthon strive to provide
customer service excellence to all people living in Melancthon Township, Community
Partners and any other party with which they have interaction.
This policy is designed to outline the expected customer service standards in the areas of
telephone answering, email, mail, fax, front counter service and public complaints.
Procedures
In Person/Face to Face Interactions
(
1.
Greeting: Members of the Public will be greeted in a polite, friendly manner upon
entering any service area.
2.
Waiting: Members of the Public will be notified of expected waiting times.
If a Member of the Public is looking for an out of office or unavailable Staff Member,
Staff will provide the Member of the Public with the Staff Member's Business Card
so that they can contact that Staff Member via telephone or email, or the Staff
Member will take down a message from the Member of the Public and personally
provide it to the out of office Staff Member when they return to the office.
Phone Interactions
1.
Greeting: The telephone will be answered in a polite, friendly manner within three
rings.
2.
If Administrative Staff are unavailable to answer the phone due to being on another
call, away from their desk or at the counter, a greeting will come on and direct them
to another Staff member or the Member of the Public can press O and leave a
message in the general mailbox.
3.
Response time:
1.
Business Hours: Phone calls coming in during regular business hours
(Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) can be expected to be answered
before reaching voicemail unless Administrative Staff are on another call, at
the counter or away from their desk. If a voicemail message is left, it can be
expected to be answered as soon as reasonably possible but within one
business day.
2.
After Hours/Holidays: Voice messages left when the office is closed will be
responded to as soon as reasonably possible during business hours but
within two business days.
3.
Out of Office: Phone calls directed to a Staff Member who is out of the office
will be advised that they are out of the office and then be given the option of
being assisted by another Staff member or by leaving a message on their
voicemail and be responded to as per the above after hours/holidays policy.
4.
Put on Hold: Members of the Public will not be on hold for longer than two
minutes without having the option to speak with another Staff Member or
requesting a call back.
5.
Transfers:
1.
Reasons for Transfers: Administrative Staff may be unable to answer
a question from a Member of the Public and in that case, the phone
call will be transferred to an appropriate Staff Member.
2.
Number of Transfers: Members of the Public should only be
transferred once. However, depending on the nature of the inquiry,
more transfers may be necessary.
3.
Reasons for redirection to external phone lines: Members of the
Public can expect to be given contact information to other
municipalities, other government agencies or organizations if they are
calling for a service provided by another level of government or
agency.
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Email Interactions
1.
Response Time:
1.
Business Hours: During regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30
a.m. - 4:30 p.m.), Members of the Public can expect an email
response within one business day.
2.
After Hours/Holidays: Emails received when the office is closed will be
responded to during business hours within two business days.
3.
An Employee's Non Working Day: Emails received on an Employee's
Non Working Day will be responded to during business hours within
two business days of their next scheduled working day.
4.
Out of the Office: Emails sent directed to a Staff Member who is out
of the office will receive an out of office reply indicating that the Staff
Member is out of the Office and will also advise that if an immediate
response is required, that they call the Municipal Office and speak to
another Staff member.
Emails will be responded to within two
business days of the Staff member returning to the Office.
Mail and Fax Standards
1.
All mail and faxes must be date stamped.
2.
Correspondence requiring a reply must be acknowledged or responded to within 10
business days except for mail addressed to the Mayor and Council which will be
forwarded to the next available Council Meeting.
Front Counter Standards
1.
There will be a Staff Person available at all times from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to
assist with the front counter. In situations where this is not possible, a sign will be
placed on the door indicating time of return and where to inquire. Exception: Due
to inclement weather where Staff are unable to get to the office.
2.
If a Staff member is on the phone when a Member of the Public comes to the
counter, the Member of the Public will be acknowledged by the Staff Member by
eye contact.
3.
When a Staff Member is with a Member of the Public, that person will be given full
and undivided attention.
3
Complaints
1.
Types of complaints:
1.
Breach of Privacy - to be dealt with by the FOi Sub-committee
2.
Insurance Claim
3.
Service Delivery
4.
Service Level
5.
Lack of Customer Service
6.
No access to Politicians
2.
Lodging a Complaint:
There are a variety of ways in which a complaint can be heard. The following
methods are encouraged and communicated to the Public:
1.
Discussing the issue directly with a Staff Member
2.
Discussing the issue with a Department Head
3.
Discussing the issue with the Chief Administrative Officer
At any time, any person can:
1.
Complete a Complaint Form available from the Municipal Office and on the
website
2.
Contact a Council Member
3.
Request to attend a Council meeting
4.
Contact the Ontario Ombudsman
All Staff will accept written complaints on the Complaint Form via in person, email,
mail and fax. All complaints will be kept in a written log.
3.
Responding to Complaints:
Recipients of the complaint will respond immediately to address the issue if
possible. If the person receiving the complaint is not able to address the issue, they
will notify the Department Head or Chief Administrative Officer providing the
following:
1.
Date and time of complaint
2.
Nature of complaint
The Department Head or Chief Administrative Officer will ensure:
1.
Acknowledgment and receipt of the complaint with the complainant and
advise of the process.
2.
The complaint is investigated.
3.
Offer that the matter could be placed on the Council Agenda.
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4.
Provide a response to the complainant within 10 business days. For those
complaints that cannot be investigated and resolved within 10 business days,
further communication is required with an estimate of when there will be a
resolution to the complaint.
5.
Document the action taken.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the response, the CAO will direct the complainant
to the Council and/or the Ontario Ombudsman.
This policy may be amended as necessary through Council resolution.
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