Number of public complaints reported
Complaint categories | Sub-categories | Example | Number of Complaints 2021-22 |
|---|---|---|---|
Professional behaviour | Staff competency | Failure to action service request; poorly informed decisions; incorrect or incomplete service provided | 8 |
Communication | Communication quality | Inadequate, delayed or absent communication with customer | 14 |
Service delivery | Process | Processing error; incorrect process used; delay in processing application; process not customer responsive | 4 |
Policy | Policy content | Policy content difficult to understand; policy unreasonable or disadvantages customer | 2 |
Service quality | Timeliness | Lack of staff punctuality; excessive waiting times (outside of service standard); timelines not met | 6 |
No case to answer | No case to answer | Third party; customer misunderstanding; redirected to another agency | 32 |
Total | 66 |
The Public Trustee experienced a 49% decrease in the number of public complaints received during 2021-22 (135 in 2020-21). Further, 48% of complaints received are classified as ‘No case to answer’.
Additional Metrics | Total |
|---|---|
% complaints resolved within policy timeframes of providing a written response within 10 days | 86% |
Data for previous years is available at: https://data.sa.gov.au/data/organization/attorney-general-s-dept
Service Improvements
The Public Trustee undertakes customer satisfaction surveys each year which provide insight into the main opportunities for improving service delivery. Complaints are also tracked throughout the year to determine common trends and improvement opportunities. The information from each of these sources, along with the initiatives customer service branches have developed to address the trends, is considered at a quarterly Customer Experience Committee forum.
Examples of initiatives undertaken during this period include:
- a new personal financial administration customer welcome pack has been developed to better explain services, fees and charges.
- a regular cycle of file reviews to support progress with files and ensure regular communication continues with customers.
- an internal Customer Service Charter has been launched to affirm customer service behaviours during customer interactions and highlight service delivery response times.
Complaints are thoroughly investigated to determine the appropriate resolutions for the customer and they are also discussed with staff involved for development purposes.