Customer Service Measurement & Regulation

1. Overview/background

Carraig Donn Ennis:

Carraig Donn was established in 1965 and is now one of the largest solely Irish-owned retails. Carraig Donn (Ennis) is one of 36 stores across Ireland with a further two outlets in the UK. This premier retailer specialises in fashion, jewellery and giftware.

Kilkenny Shop Ennis:

Kilkenny Group was established in 1963, originating as part Blarney Woollen Mills.

Kilkenny group promotes and supports Irish design and Irish artists. Kilkenny group has 15 own-brand stores around the country and also two sister brand stores, (Christy’s, in Killarney, Co. Kerry) and Cobh, Co. Cork). Kilkenny stocks approximately 450 brands, around 80% of which are Irish. Who currently employ over 300 people.

2. Summary of findings:

Carraig Donn	Kilkenny Shop
Store clean & well maintained Clear signage Aisles free of clutter Merchandise well presented Bright	Store clean & well maintained Clear signage Aisles free of clutter Merchandise well presented Bright Very Busy
Well-presented employee’s in black attire or current fashion stock Name badges on each employee Acknowledged & greeted on entrance	Well-presented employee’s in black attire No name badge Was not acknowledged by staff on entrance
Pleasant efficient professional attitude	Unprofessional attitude, did not make eye contact or acknowledge my presence
Staff member was efficient, offering a number of different gift choice options Removed price tags as this was a gift Option of gift wrapping service offered Inserted a separate gift receipt	Needed assistance as jewellery not clearly priced as tags where placed face down underneath Shop was busy, no available staff to offer service
Good product knowledge Was made awareof the shops returns policy	Left premises without purchasing anything
Was very satisfied with customer service	Very disappointed, further training on customer service should be applied

3. Recommendations on how the customer service offering could be improved:

Carraig Donn	Kilkenny Shop
No recommendations required, very satisfied with the level of customer service on this occasion. The shop assistant was capable and competent in her role of customer service provider.	Customer service training should be implemented Mystery shopper guidelines should be applied Increased staffing levels should be implemented during periods of busy seasons Regular spot checks with constructive appraisal guidelines Informed, educated, well trained employees have greater confidence and job satisfaction

The Office of the Ombudsman
Who they protect:	Provide a free public service which is open and accountable. Their job is to examine complaints in a fair and impartial way. [1] Examine complaints from people who feel they have been unfairly treated by certain public bodies, for example, government departments, local authorities, the HSE and publicly funded third level education bodies.
How they operate:	How complaints to the Ombudsman are investigated The Ombudsman will carry out a preliminary investigation and decide whether action is necessary or not The Ombudsman will then consider if the complaint was made: without proper authority was an example of unfair or unsound administration on irrelevant grounds was made in a careless or negligent manner was based on wrong or incomplete information whether the client was discriminated against was based on bad administrative practice . The formal investigation by Ombudsman: Will draft a Statement of Complaint in consultation with the client. May demand any information, files or documents to help them carry out the investigation. The Ombudsman only has the power to make a recommendation. their findings are not legally binding and they cannot force the body to accept or act upon the decision. [2]
The specific piece of legislation they operate within:	The Ombudsman’s legal authority to investigate complaints, and to recommend redress where necessary, is set out primarily in the Ombudsman Act 1980. The Ombudsman Act has been amended a number of times, principally by the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 1984 and by the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012. There are also some other Acts and Regulations, including the Disability Act, 2005, whose provisions affect the role of the Ombudsman.[3]
How to make a complaint:	If unhappy with the service provided by any of the following bodies: Government departments Local authorities Health Service Executive Complaints can be made in writing, online, by telephone or by e-mail. Include any relevant supporting documentation or correspondence that could help with the investigation All complaints should be made within 12 months [4]
Their limitations	Matters relating to defence, internal security and external relations Matters concerning foreign missions e.g., High Commission, Embassy, etc. Court proceedings Cabinet matters Private disputes Complaint against private bodies Complaint against local authorities and parastatal bodies.Â In certain cases, however the Ombudsman seizes the parent ministry [5]
Citizens Information
Who they protect	Citizens Information provides comprehensive information on public services and entitlements for citizens in Ireland
How they operate	Citizens Information gather relevant up to date information on public service & entitlements and make it freely available for all
The specific piece of legislation they operate within:	The organisation was established as a statutory body under the Comhairle Act 2000. This Act was amended by the Citizens Information Act 2007 and Pensions Act 2011, The Citizens Information Act 2007 also sets out the development of the advocacy service for people with a disability, In 2008 the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 extended the existing acts to give the Citizens Information Board responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service. The Consumer Protection Act 2007.[6]
How to make a complaint:	Complaints should be put in writing or in person and made directly to the person in charge If unhappy with the response from the manager, a complaint should be put in writing to the Board of Management of the Citizens Information Board. If still unhappy, contact should have made in writing to Citizens Information Board by email to the complaints advisor If at this stage your complaint is still not resolved, contact the Ombudsman to further investigate[7].
Their limitations	Citizen Information limitations are within their legislation as they cannot take any action but only give advice and guidance in relation to their complaint and how to follow it through

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Devise a Customer Complaints Policy for an organisation within one of the following industries:

Policy Statement:

Carraig Donn is committed to providing exceptional customer service. While we make every effort to ensure customer service is superior, sometimes mistakes are made. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

A complaints procedure in line with the Sale of Goods Act 1980 has been established for customers who feel discontented with any part of our service. We acknowledge your right to complain and have your complaint investigated. We aim to learn from our mistakes, and our complaints policy is an important part of our continuous improvement.

Making a Complaint:

You may raise your complaint with the member of staff responsible for the service in question. If the matter is not resolved in a prompt manner, the staff member’s supervisor or store manager will become involved in an effort to reach a satisfactory resolution.Â If you are not satisfied with how your concern has been handled, the matter maybe appealed to the area manager. You may begin a formal written complaint procedure which will be dealt with within 10 working days.

See form below:

Branch Area: __________________ Date: ____________ Time: _____________

Customer Name:
Customer Address:
Tel:
Taken/Reported by:
Summary of Complaint:
How would you like to see your complaint resolved:
Signature:
Acknowledgment:	*Internal Use Only*
Investigation:
Response:
Action Taken:
Date Completed:

[1] http://www.ombudsman.gov.ie/en/

[2] http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/national_government/standards_and_accountability/office_of_the_ombudsman.html

[3] http://www.ombudsman.gov.ie/en/About-Us/Legislation/

[4] http://www.ombudsman.gov.ie/en/Make-a-Complaint/How-to-complain-about-a-public-service/

[5] http://ombudsman.govmu.org/English/Policies/Pages/Limitations.aspx

[6] http://www.citizensinformationboard.ie/en/about/legislation/

[7] http://www.citizensinformationboard.ie/en/about/customer_service/complaints.html

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