Combined Authority scores plus points for customer service

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has celebrated the start of National Customer Service Week with the good news that it has once again retained Customer Service Excellence status.

In addition, it has been awarded 10 Compliance Plus marks recognising work to develop services for hard-to-reach and disadvantaged customers including people with dementia.�

Vulnerable groups�

The Combined Authority also scored extra marks for the way it supports wider communities and vulnerable groups. Its innovative use of its websites and other technologies provide people with a choice of channels they can use to access information was also recognised.

Assessors from the government�s Customer Service Excellence scheme visited West Yorkshire in September. They spent two days talking to customers and front-line Combined Authority staff in West Yorkshire's Metro bus stations.

Travel Assistance�

Cllr Keith Wakefield, Chair of the Combined Authority�s Transport Committee said: �I am delighted we are starting ational Customer Service Week with the announcement that not only have we retained Customer Service Excellence status for the eighth year running but we have also received these extra marks.

�For some time now we have been producing Travel Assistance Cards to help disabled and older people when using public transport, our bus stations are part of the Safe Places scheme. And only recently, the Easy Read information we have produced to help learning disabled people take part in our transport consultations was described as �brill� and �excellent work!�.

�I am pleased that we also received extra points for that our wymetro.com transport information website, which provides people around two-and-a-half million pages of transport information every month.

Excellent

Customer Services Excellence is a standard set up by the government to help ensure public services are efficient, effective and excellent. Its assessments test member organisations on the areas research indicated are a priority for customers, with particular focus on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude. An emphasis is also placed on developing customer insight.

Prestigious

Ben Still, West Yorkshire Combined Authority Managing Director said: �What a great way to start Customer Services Week by finding out we remain a Customer Service Excellence organisation and have scored these prestigious Plus Points.

�I would like to congratulate all of those colleagues involved in providing this level of excellence but also assure our customers that we will continue striving to improve upon that success.�

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