Service Quality

Service Standards

We provide services to:

• protect consumers and traders from unfair trading practices affecting their economic interests
• advise and assist people with consumer and debt problems
• help business to understand and comply with trading standards legislation
• ensure consumer safety by preventing the marketing of unsafe goods
• control the storage of petroleum explosives and poisons to ensure safety standards are met

You can expect us to:

• carry out inspection visits, investigations and all enforcement actions in a thorough, fair and professional manner
• provide consumer advice and information in a clear and appropriate manner to enable you to resolve the problem yourself and offer further assistance and action should this be necessary
• provide businesses with calibration services to the level of accuracy required within the timescale agreed
• publish guidance material to help those in business understand and comply with trading standards legislation
• provide those found to be acting outwith the law with clear and precise information about the action necessary to remedy the situation (and clearly distinguish between what is legally required and what is desirable)
• ensure you are kept fully informed about progress relating to the consideration or investigation of any matter you have brought to our attention
• provide accurate and up to date information in a manner you can understand
• provide an indication of when we will respond to your request for services
• be courteous and responsive
• preserve the confidentiality of your interests
• provide a way for you to comment about our services

Timescales

• visitors to our offices will be interviewed within 15 minutes or offered an appointment for a convenient time
• all calibration and testing work will be carried out at the time agreed with the person making the request
• action will be taken to verify compliance with written warnings, formal warnings and statutory notices issued in accordance with the following standards:
  • written and formal warnings-in 80% of cases-within 30 days of the date of issue of the warning
  • statutory notices-in 80% of cases-within 30 days of the date of expiry of the notice
• action following receipt of consumer complaints, will be completed in accordance with the following standards:
  • in 80% of cases-within 1 day
  • in 90% of cases-within 14 days

Performance Indicators

1	Achievement of Planned Inspection Programme	Achieved
1.1	% of planned inspection programme carried out on HIGH RISK premises	42%
1.2	% of planned inspection carried out on MEDIUM RISK premises	32%
1.3	% of planned inspection carried out on LOW RISK premises	28%
2	Actions in Relation to Traders Issued with Warnings
2.1	% of written warnings followed up within 30 days of the warning	100%
2.2	% of statutory notices followed up within 30 days of the expiry of the notice	100%
3	Achievement of Planned Sampling Programme
3.1	% of agreed samples taken	37%
4	Verification of Calibration of Equipment
4.1	% of verification and calibrations carried out on the agreed date	100%
4.2	% of calibration certificates issued within 5 working days	100%
5	Percentage of Enquiries, Complaints and Advice Requests completed in the following time bands
5.1	Consumer Enquiries-
	Same Day	98%
	2-14 Days	1%
5.2	Consumer Complaints-
	Same day	78%
	2-14 Days	11%
	15-20 Days	3%
	Over 30 Days	8%
5.3	Business Advice Requests-
	Same Day	66%
	2-14 Days	26%
	15-20 Days	4%
	Over 30 Days	2%
6	Indication of Public Satisfaction with the Trading Standards Service
6.1	% of consumers indicating they found the advice service good or very good	91%
6.2	% of consumers indicating they found the advice given useful or very useful	100%
6.3	% of traders visited who said the officers dealt with them in a manner which was professional, courteous and efficient	94%
6.4	% of traders visited who said the officer’s visit had positively contributed to helping them comply with Trading Standards law	96%
6.5	% of traders visited who requested advice/ information and said it was provided in a clear and helpful manner	100%
6.6	% of business customers indicating that Trader Guidance Notes met their requirements completely	100%
6.7	% of consumers who found the Consumer Advice Self Help Pack letters to be useful	100%
7	Provision of a Debt Counselling/ Money Advice Service
7.1	% of requests for advice where the first interview takes place within-
	5 working days	34%
	6-20 Days	47%
	>20 Days	19%
7.2	% of cases where the initial offer of payment to creditors is despatched within 10 working days of the income/ expenditure schedule being agreed	97%

 

Transport	2002/03	2003/04	2004/05
New Cars	93	86	49
Second Hand Cars	237	187	178
Car Repairs/Servicing	122	112	69
Motor Cycles and Repairs	19	15	14
Total	471	400	310

Your Satisfaction

Are you satisfied with the services we provide and how they are provided?
Please send us your views. If we have done well, let our staff know. Where we have not come up to standard, we also want to know. Your comments are always welcome and help us to improve the service we provide.

Have we done well? Can we do better? Let us know your views.

If you do have a complaint about our service your complaint will be investigated in accordance with our Complaint Procedure.

Aberdeen City Council, Trading Standards Service,

St. Nicholas House, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1BX

Telephone: (01224) 523737 Fax: (01224) 645786

 

Web: http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/Aberdeen/

E-Mail: tradingstandards@aberdeencity.gov.uk

 

Copyright © Aberdeen City Council Trading Standards Service 2004