ABSTRACT
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 98 Police Focus on Customer Service ..................................................................... 99
The New South Wales Police Force Customer Service Program ............... 99 The Role of Complaints in Building Police-Community Relationships ..... 100
Gap between Perceptions and Realities regarding Complaints ................101 Effective Use of Complaints in Customer Service Training Programs ... 103
The Value of Customer Complaints as Training Tools ........................ 103 Incorporate Training on Police Misconduct in Customer Service Training Programs .................................................................................... 103 Target Police Behaviors That Produce Higher-Risk Consequences ... 106 Target Highly Visible Behaviors That Are Risk Prone, e.g., New Technologies (Facebook) ......................................................................... 106 Target Behaviors That Involve Public and Media Exposure ................ 107 Incorporate Real-Life Case Studies in Training to Increase Motivation... 108 Use Examples Showing How Core Policing Tasks Lead to Complaints ... 108 Use Examples of Core Policing Tasks Involving Customer Service Skills .............................................................................................................110 Use Examples of Customer Service in Challenging Tasks such as Domestic Violence Cases ............................................................111 Use Examples Showing the Complexity of Victim and Suspect Roles in Real Policing Tasks .....................................................................111 Offer Training on Active Listening to Reduce Dissatisfaction and Complaints ..........................................................................................111
Fostering a Police Culture That Values Complaints ........................................112 Provide Examples from Practical Experience .............................................112 Connect Complaints to Procedural Justice and Community Policing Models ..............................................................................................................112
