UCL Estates receives reward for putting customers first

One of UCL Estates' key objectives is to improve customer focus and develop a culture of continuous improvement.

A number of our teams who provide 'soft' facilities across UCL (cleaning, waste, retail, catering, and portering services) have been working towards external customer recognition in partnership with Customer First UK and have recently been awarded accreditation.

This has included staff training, workshops and exams, and the implementation of a number of customer service initiatives including improved communications, partnership working with external service providers and the roll-out of technical developments to improve efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, an Estates Customer Charter can be viewed on the UCL Estates website: www.ucl.ac.uk/estates/charter.

Within these new pages are a number of electronic 'calling cards', which are designed to identify areas of good practice, as well as to highlight areas where further improvement is needed. All feedback is used to improve UCL Estates' understanding of our customers' requirements and to enable us to adjust services to best meet them. All staff and students who have used our 'soft' services are encouraged to provide constructive feedback by filling in a 'card'.

The Customer Charter will be further developed through consultation with departments and students in the coming months. If you have any thoughts on how Estates can improve their online Charter, please contact: g.pearson@ucl.ac.uk.

Gary Pearson, Customer Services Centre Manager, UCL Estates