COUNCILLORS are being given lessons in how the public can make complaints about town hall services.
Politicians on Kirklees Council have been handed a guide so they know how the procedure works.
It's a serious business - with complaints in no way brushed off, councillors are being told.
Andrew Holmes, corporate customer standards officer, said: "We are continuously trying to improve the quality of services we provide to the people of Kirklees."
The guide explains that each service has a designated officer responsible for making sure complaints are properly handled.
It tells how there are three stages in the way complaints are dealt with.
The first is labelled "informal resolution" - an attempt to resolve the problem immediately.
Officers have to aim to make a response within six days.
A council report says: "The vast majority of complaints will be received and handled satisfactorily at this stage."
If a customer remains dissatisfied, the complaint goes to another level, where it is passed to the head of service. And then, if it still cannot be settled, it is reviewed by the corporate customer standards officer.
Complainants who remain unhappy are advised how they can approach the Local Government Ombudsman.
The guide tells councillors: "The Ombudsman does not normally consider a complaint unless a council has first had an opportunity to deal with that complaint."
Exceptions to the process include complaints which must be dealt with under a statutory procedure, such as planning or social services matters.
