Premier & Cabinet

Type:
Premier's Memorandum
Identifier:
M1992-31
Status:
Archived

M1992-31 Customer Service in the Public Sector

Detailed Outline

In my budget speech, I made a point of emphasising the importance of public sector organisations developing a sharp customer focus. Adopting user-friendly practices such as name tags and identifying staff by name during telephone calls was an initial step toward better service to the public. 1 also made mention of the use of customer councils and other mechanisms to receive feedback from customers, including suggestions and complaints handling procedures.

The second major component of this focus on customer service is for service agencies to develop and publish a guarantee or charter of service, listing services provided, the standard of service the customer might typically expect, access times and locations, and how to go about making suggestions and/or complaints.

As you are all aware, this initiative was first articulated in the former Premier's statement NSW - Facing the World earlier this year. I am continuing the top level commitment to this major initiative on two grounds. First, it gives due recognition to the public's right to have information about and access to the services they pay for through their taxes. Secondly, good customer service based on matching delivery to customers' expectations is a means of increasing efficiency through eliminating waste.

In a very fundamental way, the Customer Service Project is the next phase in the Government's program of management improvement in the public sector. It builds on all the previous measures such as the introduction of performance agreements and performance management systems, the Senior Executive Service, accrual accounting, and the elements of a strategic management cycle.

It has become evident that the shift in organisational culture required may take some time to achieve and that the first guarantees of service may turn out to be little more than a first draft, to be developed and fine-tuned over time.

It has also become evident that considerably more attention needs to be given to informing and training staff at all levels and locations within agencies. Feedback provided to the Office of Public Management suggests that while head offices and senior executives may have addressed the initial formal requirements, the initiative has not been communicated in all cases to the front line staff who deal directly with the customers.

For these reasons, I ask you to communicate to your CE0s the importance I attach to the customer service policy initiative and my expectation that they will give serious attention to its implementation in the agencies within your portfolio in the immediate future.

Yours faithfully

John Fahey
Premier

Overview

Compliance

Not Mandatory

AR Details

Date Issued
Jul 17, 1992
Review Date
Jul 17, 2002
Replaces
Replaced By

Contacts

Contact
Contact us
Phone
02 9228 5555
Publishing Entity
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Issuing Entity
Premier