A PROGRAMME of action designed to improve the levels of service offered by Suffolk Football Association to its customers is under way.

Key to this initiative are the Suffolk FA Service Goals booklet which have been distributed to all clubs and leagues and set out how the Association plans to better meet the needs of its various customers.

The Service Goals commit that Suffolk FA will strive to be Accessible, Responsible, Informative, Attentive and Transparent.

The aims have been set down in The Suffolk FA Service Goals Booklet which provides detail on what customers can expect in their dealings with the Association. This includes office opening hours, the availability of individual members of staff and response times for customer queries.

To evaluate the levels of service provided, Suffolk FA has become one of the first County FAs to launch a Mystery Shopper Programme, where twice a year an independent commercial organisation will monitor performance standards. This information will then be made available to all stakeholders via the Suffolk FA website.

To support this programme, Suffolk FA has set up a Service Standards Panel, which comprises members of the Suffolk FA Council as well as independent members from the county’s wider grassroots football community. Its role is to work with the Suffolk FA team to ensure that continual improvement is achieved.

Phil Knight, Suffolk FA chief executive, said: “Whilst it was generally felt that we offered a satisfactory level of care to our customers there were a number of areas that were identified where improvements could be made.

“For the past six months we have worked on developing a programme that should ensure that the standard of service Suffolk FA offers its clubs, leagues and other partners will be more relevant to their needs.

“Coming from a commercial environment where customer service was an issue of genuine competitive importance this is an issue dear to my heart.

“I am committed to ensuring that the team at Suffolk FA focus their efforts on providing the best customer service possible.” Gordon Rayner, Suffolk FA service standards panel chairman, added: “I am delighted to have been appointed chairman.

“I hope that through my leadership we can provide robust scrutiny evaluating both the strengths and weaknesses of the customer service offered by the team at Suffolk FA.”

Anyone wishing to offer feedback about Suffolk FA’s performance can email feedback@suffolkfa.com or alternatively can contact Phil Knight, Suffolk FA Chief Executive, on 01449 776317 or 07770 642675 or phil.knight@suffolkfa.com

Details about Suffolk FA’s complaints procedure, Mystery Shopper Programme and Service Standards Panel can be found on http://www.suffolkfa.com