Download the Management Plan - Carlisle City Council

Customer Service
We recognise that things can go wrong and that we can only put them right if customers are able
to let us know. A compliments, concerns and suggestions system has been set up to collate
information. Forms are available from the office and on the table top folders in the tearoom.
Forms can be given back to staff or put in a special box in the tearoom. The site manager deals
with responding to forms handed in as soon as possible. These are often discussed at team
meetings as ways to promote discussion for improvements. If people feel they do not want to use
this method then they can speak to the Green Spaces Manager whose contact details are provided
on the form. Or they can use the Carlisle City Council customer contact centre.
Staff attend a one day ‘Welcome Host’ training course led by Cumbria Tourism focusing on
good customer service. Additional courses are also provided internally through Carlisle City
Council such as communicating effectively and dealing with difficult situations.
Information Technology
The Tarn is connected to internet and email on a dial-up system linked to the council’s internal
system. The tearoom has an independent wifi system available to the general public to use for
free while in the tearoom. The site has website pages on the Carlisle City Council website
located at www.carlisle.gov.uk/talkintarn The web address www.talkintarn.org.uk has
additionally been purchased and is linked to take you directly to the Tarn’s web pages. These
pages are updated regularly by the Tarn Manager and Tarn Supervisor. In 2009 the web pages
had 2,500 hits, and in 2010 they had 5,500 hits. Showing that are pages are becoming more
popular and an important point of contact with our visitors or potential visitors.
Podcasts are currently being developed by site staff to help with the new Environment and Land
Based Diploma’s. There is potential for more use of modern IT equipment at the Tarn and this
should be explored further. The main constraining factor is the speed of the phone link to the
Tarn which is dependant on BT improvements in Brampton. This could be overcome
independently but was costed out at £40,000 in 2008 to provide a broadband service to the Tarn.
This is not currently deemed viable due to the high cost. See also the section on Moodle under
Education for our school specific interactive website.
Action
Identify new areas of IT potential for development
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