• Complaints/Compliments
• Service Charter

Complaints & Compliments

During 2007, we received only one complaint about the services we provided. This was from a local motor trader who was a member of the South Yorkshire Motor Trade Partnership. The trader was unhappy with the support offered by the service to a dissatisfied customer of his. We made a full response to the trader within two days of receipt of his complaint.

COMPLIMENTS

Also in 2007, we received numerous verbal compliments about our services and five of our customers wrote to us to offer their thanks. These are some of the comments received:-
“I followed your advice and posted a letter to both parties….. It all seemed to do the trick and I received a cheque for the full amount…..Thank you so much for your help and support.”
“I would formally like to express my thanks for the contribution that your staff gave in attending the Over 50’s Crucial Crew event.”
“Thank you very much for sending me the papers ‘Stranger at the door’ for our team to act out.”
“In 19 years of working with your TSOs I have always been treated fairly and they have always carried out their job in a professional manner.”
“We were visited due to a packing error on a product….. The advice I received enabled us to respond to the problem within minutes.”
“It will be a great loss to Sheffield Council when Mr……. retires. Another 10 years perhaps!!”

Service Charter

• WHAT DOES THE SERVICE OFFER?
  • Whenever you buy goods or pay for services our officers have been working behind the scenes to protect your right to a fair deal. We do this by:
  • Checking the accuracy of weighing and measuring equipment along with the quantity marking of goods.
  • Checking the safety of goods including sales of age restricted products.
  • Monitoring the legality of credit advertisements and agreements.
  • Ensuring the descriptions of goods and services are both true and accurate and that prices are not misleading.
  • Checking food against compositional standards and labelling requirements.
  • Investigating all trading practices that are contrary to the public interest.
  • Providing a Consumer Advisory Service to deal with your particular problem.
• WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE SERVICE We will:
  • Operate the service between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
  • Respond to most service requests within 5 working days and all within 10 working days.
  • Provide an individually quality marked Consumer Advice Service in association with overall BS EN ISO 9002 accreditation.
  • Carry out delegated functions in compliance with the Government's Enforcement Concordat.
  • Report on our service annually.
  • Seek to visit high risk premises every year, medium risk every second year and low risk every fifth year.
  • Annually benchmark our service against other 'Core Cities'.
  • Seek full compliance with the Government's Best Value Performance Indicator No. 166.
  • Act as the 'Home Authority' for local businesses.
  • Always provide official identification.
  • Provide you with the name and contact details of the officer dealing with your enquiry.
• IN ALL INSTANCES We will:
  • Deal with you in a fair, polite and confidential manner.
  • Keep you advised of progress made and action taken.
  • Treat all our customers equally irrespective of age, sex , race or disability.
• HOW YOU CAN HELP
  • If requested, provide us with your name, address and telephone number so we can report back to you.
  • Co-operate with and support the efforts of officers dealing with your enquiry.
  • Keep appointments and treat officers dealing with your enquiry in a proper manner.
  • Allow officers access to premises at all reasonable times.
  • The City Council treats any incident of abuse, threats or assaults on its employees very seriously and we will always consider taking action whenever this occurs. This may include withdrawal of service and legal action.
• HOW YOU CAN ACCESS OUR SERVICE
  You can contact us on the numbers shown below:
  • Consumer Advice Tel: 0114 2736289
    
  • Product Standards Tel: 0114 2736286
    
  • Consumer Affairs Tel: 0114 2736283
    
  • Metrology Tel: 0114 2736291
    
  • Fax: 0114 2736248
    
  • Email: trading.standards@sheffield.gov.uk
    
  • Website: www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/sheffield

2-10 Carbrook Hall Road, Sheffield S9 2DB.

IF THINGS GO WRONG
We try to get things right first time, but if you are dissatisfied with the level of service provided then you can contact the Chief Trading Standards Officer on 0114 2736284 or write to the address below.
Please note that case files may be subject to independent scrutiny for audit purposes.
Environmental & Regulatory Services Trading Standards Service Issue 2 May 2003

Sheffield City Council, Trading Standards, 2-10 Carbrook Hall Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S9 2DB
Telephone: (0114) 2736290    Fax: (0114) 2736248
Internet World Wide Web http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/sheffield/
Electronic Mail: trading.standards@sheffield.gov.uk