CVS – Warwick District (CVS) aims to provide its members, organisations and individuals with the best possible service. CVS has a policy of striving for excellence and continuous improvement. It is therefore essential that CVS gains feedback, positive or negative, from all of its customers, partners and staff.

This policy describes:

• A standardised method for providing feedback on CVS services
• What will happen to feedback
• How CVS will deal with suggestions
• How you can find out about the feedback CVS has received
• How you can comment on this policy.

If you have a formal complaint against CVS please refer to the separate Complaints Procedure.

Feedback
Individual projects within CVS collect feedback after specific events, for example:

• Evaluation forms are issued after training events
• Evaluation forms are given to New Deal participants and host organisations after a work experience placement
• Regular feedback is requested on the CVS newsletter – Know How
• A customer satisfaction survey is completed for users of the Transport Scheme
• Volunteering development services are evaluated regularly

This form of evaluation is available to those that have used a CVS service, and only occurs at specific times. CVS has therefore devised a standardised, general feedback procedure that can be used at any time.

Appendix A shows a copy of the CVS Feedback Form. The form provides a standard format for comments or suggestions about CVS or its staff. This form is included with all CVS literature, at all CVS events and is available from the CVS offices. The form will be made available on the CVS website and can be completed on-line or e-mailed to CVS. All staff will have a supply of the Feedback Form and are able to take comments or suggestions by telephone.

All CVS staff will be trained in the importance of customer feedback and handling comments and suggestions discreetly. Wherever possible, CVS staff will be empowered to make changes to systems in response to suggestions or comments. When appropriate, arrangements will be made to inform the customer of any action taken as a result of their comments.

What happens to your feedback?
Feedback, comments and suggestions will be collected on the CVS Feedback Form and held centrally by the member of staff responsible for customer service issues, Stephen Nightingale. The Feedback Form will also be attached to details of any immediate action taken by CVS staff to act on the feedback.

Every 6 months, a Customer Service Group will convene to analyse all feedback received on CVS during this period. This Group will be made up of:

• The CVS staff member responsible for customer service, Stephen Nightingale
• A range of 3 other CVS staff from across the organisation
• A member of the Board of Trustees
• Up to 2 customers, partners or individuals will also be invited (usually from the list of those making comments or suggestions)

The group will be tasked with discussing the feedback received and producing recommendations for change within CVS. These recommendations will then be passed to the next meeting of the Board of Trustees for consideration. The customer service representative will pass these on in report form.

The Customer Service group will also seek to co-ordinate, streamline, influence and standardise individual project evaluation to meet the needs of the wider organisation.

Where is your feedback published?
Summary reports of feedback received and action taken will be published every year in the CVS Annual Review and 6-monthly in the CVS newsletter, Know How. The 6-monthly report will also be made available separately from CVS in paper form, by e-mail and on the CVS website. Personal details of those providing feedback or complaints will not be divulged.

How to comment on this procedure?
In order to ensure that appropriate feedback is obtained from customers, partners and individuals, it is essential that this procedure is appropriate. There is space provided to comment on the feedback method on the Feedback Form, but the entire form could be used to comment on the feedback procedure.

The Customer Service Group described above will consider this feedback at their 6-monthly meetings and are empowered to suggest changes to the policy as required. The Group will also consider the effectiveness of the policy in soliciting feedback, e.g. if very little feedback is received, they will suggest appropriate changes to the policy.