KCETB Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board
EN
EN GA
Rialtas na hEireann Government of Ireland
KCETB Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board
Rialtas na hEireann Government of Ireland
Co-Funded by the European Union
EN
EN GA

Customer Service Charter

The purpose of this Customer Charter is to set out the standard of service we have set for KCETB and what our customers can expect from our organisation.

What we do

Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB) is a leading provider of education and training in the south east, enabling more than 14,000 learners annually to reach their potential by offering a series of education pathways in schools, colleges, training centres and community settings. Our remit includes the management and operation of 13 post-primary schools, two colleges of further education and training, an extensive range of adult and community education services across Kilkenny and Carlow, the co-ordination of youth services, and the promotion of music education through Music Generation. At KCETB, we promote a culture of learning for all and recognise the importance of our role within our local communities. Our tagline is Flourish through learning with KCETB and the student is at the heart of everything we do as we strive for excellence in education, training and service delivery.

Our Customers

The following groups are considered our customers:

Our Internal Customers

  • our employees
  • existing students in our schools and centres
  • the elected members of our board and various committees

Our External Customers:

  • parents and guardians
  • members of the public
  • members of statutory, voluntary and community groups
  • prospective learners and students
  • key external stakeholders, communities and visitors to whom we provide a service; statutory bodies, government departments, voluntary bodies and other external groups with whom we interact.

Our Aim

Our aim is to provide our customers with a professional, efficient and courteous service and to continue to improve the standard of the service we provide.

Our Commitment to our customers

Customer satisfaction is very important to us. To this end, we will at all times try to:

  • provide our customers with the best possible service
  • treat our customers in a proper, fair, impartial and courteous manner
  • endeavour to ensure that rights to equal treatment, as set out by equality legislation, are upheld in the delivery of our services
  • aim, where possible, to meet any special needs our customers may have

Seirbhís trí ghaeilge

  • Déanfaimid gach iarracht chun freastal ar dhaoine ar mian leo a ngnó a dhéanamh trí mhéan na Gaeilge
  • We will make every effort to accommodate people who wish to conduct their business through the medium of Irish
  • In addition, we will publish our publications bilingually and maintain our website in the Irish language

How you can contact us

Our customers can contact us by:

  • calling to one of our offices or centres
  • telephone
  • email
  • sending a letter
  • accessing our website

Visitor to our offices, schools and centres

  • We will ensure that visitors are seen punctually during normal office hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) and are dealt with promptly and efficiently
  • We will treat all of our customers in a polite, courteous and fair manner
  • We will ensure that all enquiries are dealt with promptly and efficiently
  • We will provide facilities which are safe, accessible and maintained to a high standard
  • We will respect your privacy and confidentiality

Telephone calls

  • We will be available to answer telephone calls during normal office hours (9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm, Mon-Fri)
  • We will endeavour to answer all calls promptly, identifying ourselves and our area of work
  • We will be polite, helpful, and do our best to provide clear and correct information
  • If we cannot provide the right information straight away, we will take the customer’s details and call them back
  • We will only connect callers to voicemail when the person they wish to speak to is unavailable, and we will endeavour to respond to voicemail messages within one working day

Letters sent to KCETB

  • We aim to acknowledge receipt of all postal correspondence within five working days of receipt, and issue a substantive reply to a query within 20 working days
  • Where this is not possible, we will advise on the reasons for the delay

  • We will provide a contact name, address, telephone number and email address in all our correspondence

  • We will write clearly and simply, avoiding technical terms as much as possible

Website

  • We will endeavour to ensure that the information on our website is clear and accurate, and that any technical terms and acronyms will be explained as appropriate
  • We will provide all necessary information, forms and publications on our website that can be accessed at your convenience
  • We will make sure our website meets accessibility standards

Email

  • We will endeavour to acknowledge all correspondence within three working days and will endeavour to reply within five working days or less
  • We will ensure that all our email correspondence includes a contact name, telephone number and email address
  • If a customer query needs to be forwarded to another service or centre within KCETB, we will inform the customer we have done so and to whom the query has been forwarded
  • We will write clearly and simply, avoiding technical terms as much as possible
  • All staff members will have an email signature containing contact information on their correspondence
  • Where a staff member is absent for two or more days, they will use an ‘out of office’ email that provides an alternative contact

Help us to help you

We can help our customers best if they:

  • Provide us with full and accurate information, and follow/complete any checklists or guidelines they have been given
  • Ensure their name, reference number, address and any additional information is provided, if required
  • Request an appointment if they wish to see a particular member of staff
  • Treat our staff politely and with respect

If a customer is not happy

  • If a customer is unhappy about the quality of our service, they have the right to complain –  ideally at the point where the service was provided
  • We will deal with any complaint in an open and objective manner
  • Formal complaints will be acknowledged within five working days and responded to within 20 working days
  • If the nature of the customer complaint is complex, we will let them know the extended timeframe required
  • Further information on our complaints procedure and our Customer Service Action Plan is available on our website
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