We are committed to providing an accurate high quality service to our customers and will strive to make improvements to our service without passing on any additional cost to you.

We aim to make our services accessible to everyone and we have trained staff on hand to assist people with special needs.

Standard for processing applications

The Agency's key speed and accuracy targets are shown in the Corporate and Business Plan.  Performance against the targets will be published in our Annual Report and Accounts and displayed in our Public Counter areas.

Standards for dealing with enquiries

We will deal promptly, courteously and efficiently with all personal, telephone and written enquiries and have set the following standards to ensure this is achieved.

Personal Callers

• We will endeavour to see all callers at our Public Counters within 10 minutes of their arrival.
• We will see people with pre-arranged appointments within 10 minutes of the time of the appointment.
• We will make special arrangements for urgent or complex applications.
• Staff in direct contact with the public will wear identification badges.

Telephone Enquiries

• We will maintain a central enquiry point in our Customer Information Unit and provide a telephone helpline for customers.
• We will endeavour to answer all calls to our Customer Information Unit within 10 seconds and either deal with the enquiry or transfer the call to the relevant section of the Agency.  If the appropriate section is not available, the Information Unit will arrange for someone from that Section to contact you as soon as possible.
• Staff will identify themselves to you by name on the telephone.
• A direct dial telephone number will be shown on correspondence so that you can contact the person you need to speak to directly.

Written Enquiries

• We will endeavour to reply to routine enquiries within 5 working days.
• We will endeavour to reply in full to all other written enquiries within 15 working days

Complex matters may take longer and if this is the case we will let you know how the enquiry is progressing and when you may expect a full reply.