The DVA – Driver & Vehicle Agency has been recognised for exceptionally high standards in customer service
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan today – Friday 14th February 2014 – congratulated the DVA on retaining the prestigious Customer Service Excellence Standard.
The award is given to organisations that demonstrate that they are efficient, effective, excellent, equitable and empowering and which put the citizen at the heart of delivering services.
Significantly, the award comes at a time when over 300 DVA jobs are under threat.
Commenting on the success of the Agency, the Minister said: “This is good news for the hundreds of thousands of DVA customers who continue to get a quality service from professional, dedicated staff. It is especially good to see that the Agency is continuing to improve on its already high standards in this independently and externally accredited award. The Agency has been judged to be fully compliant in 44 of the categories of service delivery assessed and to be an example of best practice in the remaining 13 categories and has been awarded the rare distinction of a “compliance plus” grade.
“This is a tremendous achievement and I was very impressed that the external examiner concluded that DVA is one of the most innovative organisations in terms of effort made to improve its customer service that it has been his pleasure to assess. I also note the assessor’s comment that the ethos of excellent service in DVA is demonstrated in its highly developed policies and through its very committed leaders and managers and down to the staff who interface with the customers.
“I fully endorse the assessor’s comments about the exceptional amount of work and effort that has gone into improving services, especially for those customers who have disabilities or are hard to reach. As the report points out, in DVA, full arrangements remain in place for consulting staff, customers, citizens and partners on the review of standards and targets. Very extensive benchmarking has been and continues to be undertaken by DVA to ensure that it remains at the top in service delivery and many improvements have arisen as a result. The report concludes that the Agency’s complaints policy is recognised as being one of the best of its kind”
The Minister concluded: “It is particularly significant given the high standard of service provided by DVA to motorists in Northern Ireland is under threat by DVLA’s proposals to close all of the vehicle licensing offices here and to carry out this work remotely from Swansea. I have opposed this proposed centralisation very robustly and I am waiting for a decision from the relevant Minister in the Department for Transport in London. As I have pointed out to the London Government, it would be totally wrong to take this excellent local service away and to reward the excellent service provided by motor tax staff here by taking away their jobs.”
Original Source – Media Centre of the Northern Ireland Executive – Click Here
At Right To Ride
Now at Right To Ride we have only praise for the “staff” that we have contact with though stakeholder groups, consultations and road safety forums. They are professional and helpful when asking or enquiring about issues of concerns, they may not have the right answer we are looking for but they have an answer and explanations.
At the recent Adelaide/Blackhorse Motorcycle Festive at the Kings Hall Pavillion in Belfast the DVA had a stand and staff on hand to answer the numerous questions from the crowd, that always appeared to be thronging around the stand.
We were able to discuss a few issues and rumours on the grapevine as regards the planned introduction of a rolling road brake test for motorcycles and scooters.
Now you may be at the coal face of dealing with the DVA, so do you think that the award is deserved and what do you think of the threat by DVLA in GB to close all of the vehicle licensing offices here and to carry out this work remotely from Swansea?
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