Don't forget the reindeer! – Consulting the recipients of a service is great ….but remember those who deliver the services as well!

The Consultation Institute has just discovered a discarded copy of a Best Value Report on Christmas delivery services sub-contracted to a certain S. Claus Ltd …..

We note that the suppliers have undertaken extensive consultation with the customer base who reacted positively in general. The focus group seems to have been well attended and we are pleased to see that young people were very well represented. Their complaint that too many electronic items arrived with instructions that parents had difficulty understanding seems well founded – and we note that most children believed that implementation was best done by themselves anyway.

Receipt of correspondence is still a problem. They are still overwhelmingly postal and we would like to see increased take-up of SMS or e-mail through the new e-gov website. Children in homes without old-fashioned chimneys still express concern that they may be discriminated against – and we recommend that the sub-contractor continues to take account of the requirements of this hard-to-reach group!