Customer Service Charter

Who Are We?

Collections Australia Network (CAN) is an initiative of the Cultural Ministers. Council (CMC) and administered by the Australian Government Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA). Launched in 2005, CAN is a redevelopment of the former Australian Museums and Galleries Online (AMOL) website that provided online public access and professional development services, since 1994.

Sydney.s Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum) is currently responsible for the redevelopment and hosting of the CAN site.

Location:

The Powerhouse Museum is located at 500 Harris Street, Ultimo, NSW, 2007.

Contacts:

Telephone:	02 9217 0347
Mail:	PO Box K346 HAYMARKET NSW 1238
Email:	enquiries@collectionsaustralia.net
Website:	www.collectionsaustralia.net

What do we do?

CAN is an Australian Government funded online resource designed to benefit both the general public and the collecting sectors. CAN is intended to help materially improve SMCs (small to medium size collecting institutions) in regional Australia, many of which operate as not-for-profit entities run by volunteers.

CAN is dedicated to providing high standard online access to Australian collecting institutions (and collections), our activities being guided by the following objectives:

• Extending the scope of regional collections online and providing support for professional development and collection management including digitisation;
• Supporting workers in the collections sector, especially in the regions to improve networking and communications, help place collections online with the correct documentation and provide access to agreed training and standards;
• Enabling comprehensive quality content; and
• Extending partnerships with the education and tourism sectors and the general public.

It endorses the following minimum service standards:

• We deliver our range of services with enthusiasm
• We treat our customers fairly and professionally
• We provide resources to stir the imagination
• We provide local access to global information and global access to local information
• We anticipate customer demands and we create new and exciting opportunities for the delivery of our services
• Demonstrate technical/professional competence

Standards of Service

Service points

• You will find CAN staff courteous and helpful.
• You can expect staff to have the knowledge, authority and responsibility to deal with your enquiries or to be able to refer you to someone who has.
• You will be put in touch with the appropriate person with the minimum of delay.
• If waiting for service you will be acknowledged courteously and advised of possible waiting periods.
• We aim to provide you with prompt and authoritative assistance.

Telephone communication

• Your telephone calls will be answered promptly with the staff member's name and work area identified.
• You can expect us to acknowledge or respond to telephone messages as soon as possible, at the latest by the next working day.
• Aim to resolve your enquiry during the call . if the query is more complex we will respond to you as soon as possible and within three working days.

Written communication

We acknowledge or reply to your written communications within five working days. Our written communications to you are in clear and simple language, address the issues directly and include relevant contact details.

Electronic access

CAN online services will be available to the public a minimum of 99.5% of the time. We strive to make the web site user-friendly and accessible to a broad range of users, including those who are unable to use the latest technology or who have disabilities that inhibit access in some way.

We strive to comply with the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO.s) Better Practice standards (www.agimo.gov.au )

Are you satisfied with our service?

We welcome both enquiries and suggestions to help us improve our services. If you have a comment you can contact us by the following methods:

• Write, e-mail or phone us using the (Contact Us) section.

How to make a Complaint

Formal complaints will be handled using the following procedures:

• When advised of a formal complaint, CAN personnel will make every endeavour to contact you within 24 hours.
• The CAN manager will investigate your complaint and advise you of the outcome as soon as possible.
• If you are not satisfied with the resolution, or consider your complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily, you can contact CAN Program Officer at the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts on (02) 6271 1244.

Evaluating our performance

We will regularly monitor and seek to improve the quality of our customer service according to the standards in this Customer Service Charter. Comments, complaints and responses taken will be periodically reviewed for the purpose of service improvement.

CAN.s performance will be independently reviewed and evaluated by the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in consultation with CMC and relevant stakeholders.

Last revised: 29 April 2005