Improved experience the focus of new customer service charter

Published on 24 June 2026

Reflecting Council’s commitment to delivering improved customer experience, a new Customer Service Charter and Complaint Handling Policy were endorsed at Wednesday's Council meeting.

The Customer Service Charter outlines the standard of service customers can expect when interacting with Council online, by phone or in person. It applies across all Council services and governs interactions with both Council staff and authorised contractors.

The charter is built around six core commitments including responsiveness, clarity and transparency, ownership of service, respect and fairness, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Developed in line with recognised best practice for customer service and satisfaction frameworks, the charter is supported by performance monitoring and governance mechanisms. It will be reviewed each Council term to ensure it remains accountable, relevant and responsive to evolving community priorities.

The Complaints Handling Policy is designed to ensure that any customer concerns are treated seriously and are addressed promptly, fairly and equitably. It applies to complaints about operations, contractors and decisions made at Council meetings. The policy outlines what defines a complaint, how complaints can be made and how complaints are assessed, reviewed and responded to.

Deputy Mayor of Baw Baw Shire Councillor Suzanne Allen says both documents strengthen the way our customer service team supports the community and will help deliver better customer experiences into the future.

“We are committed to continuously improving our customer service as community needs evolve, our services expand and technology advances. We want to continue to meet community expectations with professionalism, responsiveness, transparency and care,” said Cr Allen.

“We take complaints seriously and are committed to addressing them fairly, consistently and in a timely manner. Feedback from our community plays a vital role in helping us identify areas for improvement and enhance the way we deliver services.”

Both documents have been developed with direct feedback from the community via online consultation held earlier this year in March/April, and face-to-face engagement at Farm World.

Councillor Allen added, “I thank everyone who provided feedback online and took the time to speak with us at Farm World. Your insights and experiences have been helped shaping these service standards and ultimately help us deliver better outcomes for our community.”

Looking forward, this work will help to inform future development of Council’s Customer Experience Strategy, which will provide a longer-term roadmap for improving customer experience across Council services. Once completed, the strategy will identify future priorities for enhancing customer experience, communication, accessibility, and service delivery outcomes, while aligning with Council’s broader planning and budget processes.