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Our Customer Service telephone answering standards

Wherever possible a contact telephone number and the office telephone answering hours will be included in any letter we send to our customers. A telephone answering machine will be used, where available, during times that the telephones are not manned and will provide details of the office opening hours.
We aim to answer 95% of all calls within 6 rings (it is recognised that in some offices they already have a local standard to answer within 20 seconds which is measured by an automated system).
We will answer the telephone in a polite and helpful manner and give customers our name and the name of our service (i.e. Tribunals Service or Tribunals Service, Employment Tribunal). We will give accurate information and aim to answer all customers’ questions. If we are unable to help we will aim to redirect the customer to the right place. Before terminating the call we will ask whether there is anything else we can help with.
We will treat customers fairly with respect and consideration.
Staff in Wales will give a bilingual greeting. If a customer in Wales wishes to converse in the Welsh language and no Welsh speaker is available, the customer will be given the choice of using the free Welsh Language Helpline 0800 212 368 or conversing in English.
We will use simple clear language and ensure all technical details are explained, summarising the outcome to the customer’s satisfaction wherever possible.
We aim to answer any queries immediately. If this is not possible we will explain why and agree when we will ring the customer back with the information. If we have to transfer a call we will pass on the caller’s details and all relevant information and aim to transfer it to the correct person the first time. Where appropriate we will give the name and extension or telephone number of the person we are transferring you to.
We will tell customers when the appropriate member of staff can be contacted if they are not available. Alternatively, we will leave them a message to call the customer back by a given time.
If we need to put a caller on hold we will tell the customer what we are doing and indicate how long they may have to wait.
If a customer is dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, or has praise or any other feedback, we will treat and log it, in accordance with the Tribunals Service customer feedback handling procedure.
If requested, when appropriate, we will provide the customer with details of where they can obtain legal advice and assistance. (e.g. Community Legal Advice, Citizens Advice Bureau)
All offices that have a text phone or minicom facility for those who are hearing impaired will provide details on all their correspondence.
If requested, when appropriate, we will provide customers with details of our website for on-line services and other information. (http://www.tribunals.gov.uk/)

Customers responsibilities to us

Treat all our staff with courtesy

We will not tolerate

Abusive, intimidating or threatening behaviour
Swearing and offensive language
Insulting remarks about a person’s sex, race, nationality, disability status, actual or perceived religion or belief or actual or perceived sexual orientation
Shouting

General enquiries

If your query relates to:

Employment
(this includes unfair dismissal, redundancy payments, discrimination, wages and other payments.)

Please call
0845 795 9775 (Employment Helpline)

Immigration & Asylum
(this includes Refusing a person asylum in the UK, Refusing a person entry to, or leave to remain in, the UK for permanent settlement, Deporting someone already in the UK and Refusing a person entry to the UK for a family visit.)

Please call
0845 600 0877 (Immigration & Asylum enquiries)

Social Security and Child Support
(this includes Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Employment Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Retirement Pensions, Child Support, Tax Credits, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)/ Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Compensation Recovery Scheme/ Road Traffic (NHS) charges, Vaccine Damage, and decisions on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.)

Please call
0845 408 3500 (for Birmingham) – Additional contact details for Birmingham
0292 066 2180 (for Cardiff)
0141 354 8400 (for Glasgow)
0113 389 6000 (for Leeds)
0151 243 1400 (for Liverpool)
0191 201 2300 (for Newcastle)
0208 652 2300 (for Sutton)

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Press enquiries

Please note these numbers are for journalists only.

Telephone: +44 (0)203 334 6510
Fax: +44 (0)203 334 6578

Postal address
5th Floor
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ

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Your guide to making a complaint or comment on our service

How you can help us

You can help by telling us what you like about our service, how you would like us to improve our service and how you believe that we have not met our usual standards.

How we aim to help you

Once we have received your comment or complaint, we aim to:

Send an acknowledgement of your complaint to you within 10 working days.
Tell you when you are likely to receive a full response to your complaint.

We treat all comments and complaints seriously and may contact you to ask for your comments about how we dealt with your query.

Please note that the above information does not cover the following:

A challenge to a decision reached by the President or a Tribunal about matters which can be pursued by appeal or judicial review. This is because, in reaching judicial decisions, including procedural decisions about the handling of cases, judicial office holders are independent of the views of government and are not subject to government control.

The Tribunals Service is committed to delivering a high quality service. This is your opportunity to provide us with feedback about your experience.

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Website enquiries

We welcome comments and suggestions about how this website may be developed and improved. If you have a query relating specifically to this website you can contact the Tribunals Service via email:

Send comments or suggestions relating to this website to the Tribunals Service

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