51茶馆

This guidance tells His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office staff about the different ways to communicate with our customers

About: How we communicate with customers

This guidance tells His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office staff about the different ways to communicate with our customers.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email OperationalGuidanceQueries@hmpo.gov.uk Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email OperationalGuidanceQueries@hmpo.gov.uk Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:

• version 31.0

• published for Home Office staff on 28 May 2025

Changes from last version of this guidance

This guidance has been updated to:

• tell you how to include more than one template from the Comms Builder in the email to the customer.

• remove information about the Telephone communications course which is currently unavailable

• remove the instruction to edit the return address when emailing a customer using Comms builder templates.

• remind examiners to call the customer before sending them a letter when they can

• remove an instruction to examiners to transfer an application completed in Welsh to AMS (Application Management System) as these are automatically routed to AMS by Digital Customer Services

• tell Digital Application Processing (DAP) examiners to send the Request applicant to call us letter (915), if they are unable to contact the customer by phone

• make it clear that Email: undelivered or delivered to wrong person applies to both examiners and Customer Services Management team (CSMT) officers

• explain how CSMT communicates with customers by phone and email

• change terminology from 鈥榦verseas鈥� to 鈥榠nternational鈥� in relation to applications and customers

• remove references to the Application Management System and Sopra Steria Ltd

• reference UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

How we communicate with customers

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how we communicate with our customers using 51茶馆, HM Passport Office web chat, Microsoft Teams, social media and advertising campaigns.

We interact with customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through examiners, customer service teams and external Contact Centres run by Teleperfomance and Serco.

We communicate with customers to ask for more information, to follow up requests for information and keep them updated. To do this, we use:

• automated emails and SMS (short message service)

• when a customer applies online, we ask if they want to get notifications by email, SMS or both

• telephone calls

• letters (by post and email)

• Microsoft Teams

• web chat

• 51茶馆

• social media

• the

If we do not get a reply to an email or letter we have sent to a customer who has a live application with us, we will follow the withdrawn application guidance.

If a customer is abusive with our staff

HM Passport Office staff are not expected to deal with abusive, violent or threatening customers, either face to face, by phone or in correspondence.

If you, the member of staff, have an abusive customer, you:

• have the right to refuse to serve them

• must refer to customer conduct guidance

How we communicate using 51茶馆

provides public information for UK government services, including HM Passport Office. It includes announcements, publications, statistics and consultations and provides our customers with useful information, such as:

• locations of passport interview offices

• locations of Application Processing Centres

• contact details for our Advice line

• how to make an appointment

• how to apply for a passport

• how to cancel a lost or stolen passport

• how to apply for an emergency travel document

• the standards customers must meet to get a passport (for example, photo standards)

• passport fees

• how to contact us

• how to make a complaint

• our policies and guidance

How we communicate using HM Passport Office鈥檚 web chat

The web chat service is provided by Teleperformance (TP) and is an additional communication channel for our customers. It is available from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5:30pm Saturday, Sunday and UK bank holidays.

TP will send an email to the Customer Service Management team (CSMT) with any questions they need them to answer. A CSMT agent will contact the customer within 24 hours.

A customer can print a transcript of the web chat.

How we communicate using Microsoft Teams

We use Microsoft Teams to facilitate remote passport interviews in specific circumstances where we are unable to carry out a face to face interview as specified in guidance.

Interviewing a person resident abroad by Microsoft Teams

When we need to interview a person who is resident abroad this will be facilitated using Microsoft Teams only when:

• it is not possible for a face to face interview in their country or a neighbouring one

• there is no Visa Access Centre (VACS) in the country

• there is no agreement to use the VACS

• the VACS cannot be used for example because of social distancing policies

Interviewing a person resident in the UK by Microsoft Teams

If we need to interview a person who is resident in the UK this will be facilitated using Microsoft Teams when exceptional measures are in place.

To conduct an identity interview using Microsoft Teams, you, must follow the Identity interviews using Microsoft Teams guidance.

How we communicate using Social Media

We interact with customers on Facebook X (previously known as Twitter), LinkedIn and Home Office in the media blog.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office also have Facebook accounts overseas in some countries so may provide some generic responses to questions or issues raised.

Facebook

HM Passport Office launched a dedicated Facebook page on 12 December 2022. Customers are not able to make comments or send direct messages but are able to share the posts. Any comments made on shared posts will not be monitored.

Customer Assurance will post 2 messages per week and customers will be sign posted to 51茶馆 for further guidance.

X (Twitter)

We get questions and complaints on X (Twitter) using our handle: @HM_Passport. We engage proactively with our current and potential customers, providing official information and guidance for UK passport services.

We do not currently respond to individual customer questions. Our customer messaging will tell customers to contact the passport advice line for further help.

LinkedIn

We use LinkedIn in the same way as X, to promote our services and provide information and guidance to our customers and potential customers.

How we handle advertising campaigns

Advertising campaigns can include social media, radio, TV, digital signage and search engine ads.

For paid advertising campaigns, the Campaign and Behavioural Marketing team submits a brief to the Home Office Strategic Communications team, who:

• develop a campaign plan

• work with the Cabinet Office and other departments to sign off the campaign

• engage with media agencies to deliver the campaign

How we communicate with a customer with disabilities

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about the services we offer to help us communicate with customers who are profoundly deaf, have a hearing loss or have a speech impairment and customers who are blind or partially sighted.

HM Passport Office provides a range of services to support customers who are profoundly deaf, have a hearing loss or have a speech impairment and customers who are blind or partially sighted.

Customers who are deaf, have a hearing loss or speech impairment

To support customers who are profoundly deaf, hearing-impaired or have a speech impairment, Teleperformance (TP) uses text relay on Minicom phones. The customer sends a message and TP replies. This service has the same opening hours as the normal Advice line.

The Customer Service Management team (CSMT) uses the Next Generation Text Relay Service (NGTR) to provide a text relay service for customers.

NGTR lets customers with hearing or speech impairments communicate through telephone or text-phone equipment and other devices (for example, personal computers and tablets). An assistant will relay the speech between the 2 people on the call.

When you, the CSMT officer, receive a call from NGTR:

1. A recorded message will say, 鈥楶lease hold for an operator-assisted call from a text-phone user.鈥�

2. A relay assistant will be connected to the call.

3. The relay assistant will say, 鈥楬ello, you have a call from a deaf or speech-impaired person, and I will be relaying the call. Please say 鈥榞o ahead鈥� when you have finished speaking.鈥�

Sign language and induction loops in Customer Service Centre

At our Customer Service Centres (CSC) and interview offices, we have:

• volunteer staff trained in sign language that can help interpret

• induction loops and quiet rooms with no background noise

• British Sign Language interpreters to help with passport interviews

When to book a British Sign Language interpreter

Customers who need a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to translate at an interview, must:

1. Call the Interview Hub to book an interview.

2. Book the interpreter when they book their interview appointment.

The Interview Hub must ask the TP Authentication by Interview (ABI) service desk to book an interpreter.

Customers who visit a CSC can bring a friend to sign for them, but we do not allow the friend to take part in a passport identity interview.

Customers who are blind or partially sighted

We support customers who are blind or partially sighted with versions of the guidance booklet available, in:

• braille

• audio tape

• large print format

Customers can ask for a guidance booklet by contacting the Passport Adviceline.

Braille stickers for passports

We can attach a braille sticker to a new passport.

Customers must ask for the Braille sticker option when they apply. To get a sticker for a current passport, the customer must call the Passport Adviceline.

Customers who need help filling in their application form

Customers can call the Passport Adviceline if they are blind or partially sighted and need help with their passport application form.

A member of the CSMT, will:

• fill in the form for the customer, using the information they provide

• post the form to the customer, to:

  • check

  • sign

  • return with the correct documents, payment and photos

Customer communication: automated texts and emails

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about how and when we send automated emails and SMS (short message service) text messages to customers.

We send email and SMS (short message service) text messages to customers using .

When we send automated texts and emails

We send automated texts and emails at different times in the customer鈥檚 passport journey if they give us their email address or mobile number.

The automated text messages and emails we send to the customer may be different depending on if:

• they gave us their mobile number, email address or both

• they did not give us their mobile number or email address

Automated reminders: when a passport is due to expire

We send automated SMS text messages to a customer鈥檚 mobile phone to remind them their passport (or their child鈥檚 passport) is due to expire.

Automated reminders: Premium and Fast Track appointments

We send automated SMS text messages to customers to remind them they have booked a counter appointment. We only do this if they have asked us during the application process. Customers can also ask for reminders by email.

Automated reminders: asking for documents

When customers do not send us the documents we need, we will send them automatic reminders through text message or email. If a customer still does not send us their documents, we will withdraw their application.

Automated responses: from examination team mailbox

If a customer sends an email to an examination team mailbox, we will send them an automatic email response to acknowledge receipt of the email.

The team operational team leader (OTL) must make sure the automatic response has been added to the mailbox using the standard template. Once the response has been set, the examiner will not need to recheck it when they sent an email from the mailbox.

Automated messages: when the customer鈥檚 passport is expected

We send automated SMS text messages and emails to customers to tell them when they can expect to receive their new passport. The message will be in English or Welsh (if the customer has applied in Welsh).

Automated messages: digital referee notifications

We will tell customers, when:

• we send an email to their digital referee asking them to complete the referee section of the application

• the referee has completed the application

• we have finished automatic identity checks

• we reject their referee and need a new one

See: how to deal with customers who cannot provide a digital referee

Automated messages: specific requests

We will also send the customer an automated message (if they have supplied a mobile number), when:

• we need a new photo

• the customer has applied from the UK and we ask them for a new paper referee (1 page form)

• it is time to send in their documents (for example, after the digital referee completes their section)

Automated messages: after we issue a passport

We will send the customer an automated message:

• to tell them we have approved their application

• when we issue their new passport using the Premium service

• telling them their passport will be with them soon (when we issue their new passport using the standard or Fast Track service)

Automated messages: reminders to sign new passports

We will send customers an automatic message reminding them to sign their new passport when they receive it.

When we stop sending automatic messages

We will stop sending automatic messages when we have sent the customer their new passport.

Messages sent from the Digital Lost Stolen Reporting system

If a customer reports a passport lost or stolen using the Digital Lost Stolen Reporting (DLSR) system, they will receive automatic notifications at different stages of the process.

For UK cases, a customer can choose to get notifications by SMS (short message service) email or both. For international cases, we will send notifications by email.

DLSR will send automatic notifications, to:

• let the customer know we have received the lost or stolen report

• tell the customer we have cancelled their passport

• give the customer a reference number for the lost and stolen record

If we need more information, Teleperformance (TP) will try to contact the customer 3 times. If TP contacts the customer, they will continue to deal with the report.

If TP is unable to contact the customer, they must select a radio button to move the report to the next stage. This will trigger an automatic notification to the customer. DLSR will send these messages, after the:

• first unsuccessful attempt to contact the customer

• second unsuccessful attempt to contact the customer

• third unsuccessful attempt to contact the customer

TP will cancel the report after the third unsuccessful attempt to phone the customer.

For further information on how TP support our customers please see How Contact Centres communicate with customers.

How to contact customers by phone

This section tells HM Passport Office examination staff when and how we make phone calls to customers, the greetings we must use and how we identify the customer.

HM Passport Office examination staff phone customers to ask for information missing from an application, and to answer customer questions. Calling a customer to ask for information may prevent further delay to their application, unless we need further documents or written consent.

Examination staff may phone a referee to ask them for information they did not give on the application, or to ask them for more information about the responses they provided. If you, the examiner, need to phone a referee, you must also refer to DAP: contact a referee by phone.

Individual guidance topics explain what information examination staff can take over the phone. In some cases, examination staff must ask the customer to send us a written statement to confirm the information they give us over the phone (for example, a letter of consent).

When to phone a customer: office hours

You, the examiner, must only phone a customer between the hours of 9am and 8pm. Calling a customer outside these hours can cause alarm and distress.

Before calling an international customer, you must check the time difference. If the time in that country is not between 9am and 8pm, you must send an email.

You can phone outside these hours, if the customer says they are happy for you to call them.

Before contacting a customer, you must check the application and case notes to see if the customer has told us about any times when they will not be available.

Phone contact: no answer from the customer

If you contact a customer by telephone and they do not answer the initial call, you must:

• leave a voicemail to confirm you will call again in 2 hours

• make 2 further attempts to call the customer in one day (making no more than 3 calls in one 24 hour period), leaving a voicemail on the third attempt telling the customer you will write to them

• add a case note detailing your actions after each attempt

If you have made 3 attempts to call in one day and have not been able to speak to the:

• customer, you must send a letter using the Comms builder

• referee, you must see How to contact a third party guidance

If there is no suitable letter and you still need to speak to the customer, you must send a Request applicant to call us letter (915) asking them to call you.

If there is no response to the Contact letter, you must deal with the application using the Withdrawing passport applications guidance.

Putting an application on hold during customer phone contact

You must put the application on hold during the 24 hour period you attempt phone contact. You must use the I need to speak to a customer reason. You must only use this once (for 24 hours) unless you:

• speak to the customer, and they ask you to call them back outside of the 24 hour period

• need to attempt contact with an international customer, and the time difference means you have limited chance to call (you must use the I need to speak to a customer reason no more than twice (48 hours) in this scenario)

How to answer, open and close a phone call

All staff must be consistent in their approach to phone calls to maintain good customer service and display a professional approach.

Phone contact: how to answer a phone call

You must answer a phone call with the greeting:

鈥淕ood [morning, afternoon, evening], His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office [office location], [first name] speaking. How can I help you?鈥�

Phone contact: how to open a phone call

When calling a customer, you must open the call with:

鈥淕ood [morning, afternoon, evening], I am calling from His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office [office location], my name is [first name]. Can I speak to [customer鈥檚 name (first name and surname)]? Is this a convenient time to talk?鈥�

Phone contact: how to close a phone call

When closing a phone call, you must:

1. Thank the customer for their call or the information they have given us.

2. Ask them if there is anything else you can help with.

3. Say goodbye.

Phone contact: how to leave a voicemail

If a customer does not answer the phone, you must leave a voice message if the facility is available:

• on the first and second attempt, with:

鈥淕ood [morning, afternoon, evening], I am calling from His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office, my name is [first name]. I need to speak with you directly, so please do not contact our helpline, as they will not be able to advise you. I will call you again in 2 hours. Goodbye.鈥�

• on the third attempt, with:

鈥淕ood [morning, afternoon, evening], I am calling from His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office, my name is [first name]. As I have been unable to contact you by phone, so I will send you a [letter or email] asking you for information. Please follow the instructions in the [letter or email]. You may need to check your spam or junk email folder. Thank you.鈥�

Identifying the customer on the phone

Before answering a customer鈥檚 questions, you must first confirm their identity on the phone by asking security questions.

If you cannot identify a customer, you must not tell them:

• an application exists

• any information about the application, including details

What we can say over the phone

The Disclosure guidance explains what information you can discuss over the phone.

If a customer tells us they are recording the phone call

HM Passport Office does not consent for customers to share, publish or broadcast a conversation with HM Passport Office in any way.

If a customer says they are recording the conversation, you must ask what they intend to do with the recording. If they say they are going to share, publish or broadcast the conversation, you must:

• tell them HM Passport Office does not consent to this sharing of information

• politely end the call

If a customer says they are keeping the recording for their own records, you can continue the call. You must advise the customer that under UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) they must not share, publish or broadcast the conversation.

DAP applications: requesting information or documents

This section tells HM Passport Office examination staff how to contact the customer if their application is being processed on the Digital Application Processing system (DAP).

You, the Digital Application Processing system (DAP) examiner, may need to contact a customer to ask for documents or more information, or to tell them something (and not expect a reply). If your question or request is simple, you must try to resolve it by phoning the customer. Phoning the customer improves the customer鈥檚 journey and helps clear queries or misunderstandings quickly.

DAP: Welsh language letters and email

If you need to send a letter or email to a customer who has submitted a Welsh language application, you must follow: How examiners and operational team leaders contact customers in Welsh.

DAP applications: asking for documents or more information

If your question or request is simple, you must try to resolve it on the phone. If you need the customer to send us documents or information you must send them an email or letter asking for the documents (so the application moves into the 鈥榓waiting documents鈥� state).

Contacting the customer by letter or email

If you cannot resolve your query by phone, or are asking the customer to send documents, you must contact the customer by email or letter (only if they have not provided an email address). To create a customer email or letter, you must use the templates in the 鈥楥omms builder鈥�.

DAP defaults to show 鈥楽end an email鈥� to contact a customer, however the customer has applied (online or using a paper form). However DAP will automatically change the screens to 鈥楽end a letter鈥�, when both of the following apply:

• the customer submitted a paper application

• the customer did not provide an email address on their application form

The process for sending a letter to a customer using DAP is the same as sending an email. DAP will automatically:

• change the 鈥楽end an email鈥� screen to 鈥楽end a letter鈥�

• update the timeline to confirm it sent a letter to the customer

Examiners must not:

• use free text to start a letter, the preset phrases must be used

• send the Request applicant to call us letter (915) unless completely necessary

• encourage customers to phone the Contact Centres

• use free text unless there is no alternative phrase in the letters

• copy and paste a case note into the free text phrases of the letters

• copy any information from guidance, resources or bulletins into a free text phrase

• add anything in the letter about Public Protection concerns such as identity or fraud

• use abbreviations, for example: e.g. ppt, doc鈥檚, countersig or etc

• underline words or show them using all capital letters or bold font, or change the text style in the letters

Sending an email in DAP: Comms builder templates

To create an email using a Comms builder template, you must:

1. Click on the Send an email tab (the Send an email page will display).

2. Open a new browser window or tab in your current window, and open the Comms builder.

3. Select email template from the drop down list in the Comms Builder.

4. Select the correct radio button and check boxes to answer the onscreen questions to create the email.

5. Click Copy email subject and paste it into the subject field in DAP.

6. Click Copy email message and paste it into the message field in DAP. (If you need to use more than one Comms builder template, you must select another template, then copy and paste it into the same email).

7. Click Preview on the Send an email tab to view and check the message and customer鈥檚 details are correct. You must check you have used the right message options.

8. Change the email, if necessary, by clicking Continue editing and making the changes, (for example, if you have forgotten to include the subject field, or have selected the incorrect template or message options).

9. Click Preview again to check the message is correct.

10. Click Send.

Sending an email in DAP: Digital Fast Track applications

If you need to contact the customer on a Digital Fast Track application, you must select the radio button on the template in Comms Builder to show the application is Fast Track. This will add an additional phrase to the letter, telling the customer their application will not progress until they reply (and therefore may not meet the Fast Track service level).

The Fast Track radio button will be available on frequently-used templates requesting further documents or information.

DAP: Tell someone something 鈥� I鈥檓 not expecting a response

You must use the Tell someone something 鈥� I鈥檓 not expecting a response radio button if you need to tell a customer information after completing their application. For example, when we:

• refuse to issue a passport because the customer has no claim

• withdraw their passport because the customer is not entitled

• withdraw their application at the customer鈥檚 request

• send a travel document to the Home Office

• have processed a lost and stolen application

After you have written the email, it will be saved. The email will not be sent to the customer until the application is completed (for example, the new passport issued, or the application withdrawn).

DAP does not yet have the functionality to process some of these application types. You must only use the letter templates if other guidance tells you to.

DAP: how to view sent emails and letters

To view emails and letters sent from DAP, you must:

1. Access the Timeline tab.

2. Scroll down and find the email or letter you want to view.

3. Click on the message details link, a copy of the email or letter will display.

The timeline will not show the content of a letter, but it will confirm the date the letter was sent and the subject.

DAP: how to delete draft emails and letters

If you write an email or a letter to a customer about their application and do not send it to them, it will be saved on the application as a draft. If there is a draft email or letter saved on an application, it is shown in a banner, above the task list.

You must delete a draft email or letter if you decide:

• the email or letter is no longer needed

• a more suitable email or letter can be used

To delete a draft, you must:

1. Click on the Send an email or Send a letter tab.

2. Click Delete, at the bottom of the draft.

3. Click Confirm to delete the draft.

DAP: dealing with the customer鈥檚 reply

When a customer replies to a letter or sends in documents, the Document Handling Unit (DHU) will scan the document onto DAP.

DAP will create an alert called Documents received. This is in the Tasks tab with any outstanding tasks. You must:

1. Open the Tasks tab.

2. Click View document, check the document the customer has sent, and complete the actions on the original task.

3. Select I鈥檝e checked the documents.

4. Click Save.

DAP: if a customer changes their email address

If a DAP customer changes their email address from the one on their original application, you must assess the change using the information in the DAP

change of customer鈥檚 phone number or email address guidance.

Email: undelivered or delivered to wrong person

This section tells HM Passport Office staff what to do when an email sent to a customer has not been delivered or has been sent to the wrong person.

When you, the examiner or Customer Services Management team (CSMT) officer, are sending an email it is important to check the email address you are contacting is correct. An error in the email address can result in the email:

• not being received

• being sent to a different person, resulting in a potential data breach

Undelivered email report

HM Passport Office email addresses are set to retry sending an email for 2 hours. If, after 2 hours, the email has not been successfully sent, you will receive a failed delivery report notification by email.

Where an email has failed to be sent you will receive an email from either MAILER-DAEMON, noreply_csmtpgw@homeoffice.gov.uk or smtpgw@homeoffice.gov.uk with a subject heading such as:

• 鈥淒elivery delayed: 鈥� 鈥�

• 鈥淒elivery failed: 鈥︹��

• 鈥楿ndelivered Mail Returned to Sender鈥�

When you receive this email you must review the delivery report enclosed to see why a particular email has failed.

If the email has failed because of an incorrect or mistyped email address (for example, hotmall instead of hotmail or ouilook instead of outlook), you must correct the email details and resend the email.

Email sent to the wrong person

If you send an email to the wrong person, you must:

• check the email address held on DAP (Digital Application Processing)

• resend the email to the correct email address if you have clearly mistyped it, for example, if a letter is in the wrong order

• report the loss of data to the security liaison officer through your team manager

Resending an email to the correct email address

To resend the message to the correct customer, you, the examiner or CSMT officer must:

1. Go to 鈥榮ent鈥� emails.

2. Find the email with the incorrect email address.

3. Select the email and click on the forward button.

4. Delete:

• 鈥楩W鈥� from the Subject field.

• any details that do not relate to the person you are sending the email to (for example, the incorrect email address)

• any record of the incorrectly sent email (including details of the sender and the time the first email was sent)

5. Check the email to make sure the information is correct.

6. Insert the correct email address.

7. Send the email.

If the email still returns an 鈥榰ndeliverable message鈥�, you must contact the customer (or referee) by phone to confirm their email address.

DAP: customer tells us they have not received an email from us

When sending an email to a customer from Digital Application Processing (DAP), the system does not recognise if the customer has entered an incorrect or misspelt email address. You will only be aware of this if you contact a customer by other means and they claim never to have received any emails.

If the customer has provided someone else鈥檚 email address in error, you must report the loss of data to the security liaison officer through your team manager.

If a customer wants to change the email address held on DAP, you must follow the DAP: change of customers phone number or email address guidance. If you then want to resend a previous email you must follow the create an email using the Comms builder template guidance.

How CSMT communicates with customers

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about how the Customer Services Management team contacts HM Passport Office customers and the Customer Service Liaison team.

The Customer Services Management team (CSMT) deal with:

• customer complaints

• correspondence for applications not live on Digital Application Processing (DAP)

• deceased persons鈥� passports

• cancelling passports returned by frequent travellers, after we issue them replacement passports

• calls and emails sent to them by contact centre staff

• requests, enquiries, and correspondence relating to:

  • refunds

  • gratis applications

  • passport delivery

  • lost or damaged documents

  • faulty passports

  • examination errors such as passport book errors and incorrect withdrawals

  • return of documents

How CSMT contacts customers

You, the CSMT officer, will contact customers by phone and email to respond to their questions or complaints. You must add a case note (or passport note) on the system with any information, action, decision, and outcome of your contact.

If a customer asks us to escalate their phone call or complaint (for example, if they ask to speak to a manager) you must tell the customer, if they wish to make or escalate a complaint:

• immediately, you will record the details of their complaint and forward them to the complaints team through the complaints referrals mailbox

• in the future, they can find information on how to make a complaint and what to expect from HM Passport office by visiting the Complaints procedure page on 51茶馆

How CSMT communicate with customers by phone

You must be consistent and professional in your approach to phone calls to maintain good customer service.

CSMT: when to call a customer

You must only phone a customer between the hours of 8am and 8pm. Calling a customer outside these hours can cause alarm and distress.

If the customer is outside the UK, you must check the time difference and only call between 8am and 8pm in the customer鈥檚 local time.

Before contacting a customer, you must check the application and referral case notes to see if they told us about any times they will not be available.

CSMT: using the correct number

You must contact the customer using the phone number provided on the referral. If no phone number has been provided, or the one provided does not work, you must use the phone number provided with the application. If the application is no longer live, you must access the Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act (CPIA) report to retrieve the phone number.

CSMT: how to open a phone call

When calling a customer, you must open the call with:

鈥淕ood [morning, afternoon, evening], my name is [first name] I am calling from His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office, may I speak to [customer鈥檚 name (first name and surname)]? I need to make you aware before we continue calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes, is that ok?鈥�

If the customer does not want to be recorded, you must politely end the call.

If the customer agrees to being recorded, you must continue the call by telling the customer:

• 鈥淚 am calling you today as I can see that you contacted the advice team in regard to [subject of enquiry]鈥�, if your call is in in response to an enquiry transferred from a contact centre

• 鈥淚 am giving you a courtesy call today in regard to your recent enquiry鈥�, if your call is in relation to a query already being handled by CSMT

You must not disclose any information about the application without first confirming the customer鈥檚 identity.

CSMT: how to confirm a customer鈥檚 identity on the phone

Before you discuss the application, you must tell the customer:

鈥淏efore I can advise you further, I need to confirm I am talking to the correct person鈥�

You must then ask the customer security questions to confirm their identity.

If you cannot identify a customer, you must not tell them that an application exists or any details about the application.

The Disclosure of information guidance explains what information you can discuss over the phone.

CSMT: how to close a phone call

To complete a phone call with a customer, you must:

• make sure all issues raised by the customer have been addressed

• provide the customer with:

  • clear and relevant guidance, signposting to 51茶馆 where appropriate

  • clear and accurate timescales for further action (where available)

• use the outbound call closure phrase 鈥渢hank you for taking my call today鈥�

Once the call is complete, you must:

• add a case note to record your actions on DAP or, if there is no facility to record a case note on DAP, the comments section of the electronic documents and records management system (EDRMS)

• complete the EDRMS call back log

• send a , if the case has been resolved by phone and the customer has provided an email address

CSMT: customer unavailable

If you try to call a customer but they are unavailable, you must leave a voicemail, if there is a facility to do so.

If an email address has been provided, either with the referral or the application, you must leave the voicemail message:

鈥淕ood morning/afternoon/evening, I am phoning from His Majesty鈥檚 Passport office regarding your recent enquiry. We are sorry we have been unable to reach you on this occasion. We will now respond by email to the address provided.鈥�

You must then complete the enquiry with an email response.

If no email address has been provided, you must leave the voicemail message:

鈥淕ood morning/afternoon/evening, I am phoning from His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get through to you following your call back request. If your enquiry is still outstanding, please contact us again on 0300 222 0000. Thank you.鈥�

If there is no facility to leave a voicemail, you must:

• allow the phone to ring for 2 minutes before terminating the call

• complete the enquiry with an email response, if an email address has been provided

• record your attempted contact in the comments section of the call back log, if no email address has been provided

How CSMT communicates with customers by email

To maintain good customer service, you must maintain a consistent and professional approach to email correspondence.

You must make at least one attempt to contact the customer by phone before proceeding to answer an enquiry by email.

CSMT: Identifying the customer by email

Before you disclose any application information by email, you must make sure you are dealing with the customer, or their legitimate representative.

The customer鈥檚 identity has been confirmed if you receive an enquiry which contains three pieces of information that can be verified against the application details.

If the customer does not provide three pieces of matching information with their enquiry, or they provide any information which does not match (even if they have also provided 3 pieces of matching information), you must contact the customer, either by phone or email, to confirm their identity before proceeding further.

If the enquiry is from a 3rd party, you must also record who contacted us, their relationship to the customer, and explicit confirmation they are acting with the customer鈥檚 full knowledge and consent.

CSMT: how to format an email

When emailing a customer, you must:

• select the correct email template for your enquiry from the CSMT SharePoint site, copy and paste it onto a blank email, then edit the details, ensuring all sections in red are changed or removed

• use the subject line 鈥淗M Passport Office Enquiries鈥�, followed by your initials (customer details must not be included in the subject line)

• make sure the customer鈥檚 correct email address is entered in the recipient field

• send the email from the address noreplycsmt@hmpo.gov.uk

• make sure any information communicated internally (for example, contact centre referral information) is removed

• make sure:

  • the font used for the main text is Arial black size 12 (can be 14 for visually impaired customers) with hyperlinks in blue

  • the text is not italicised, unless that is how it appears in the template

  • the text alignment is consistent, and lines are single-spaced throughout the email

  • dates are shown as DD Month YYYY (for example, 01 January 2024)

• address the customer by the name and title they signed off with in their enquiry

• acknowledge the enquiry by thanking the customer, for example:

  • 鈥淭hank you for contacting His Majesty鈥檚 Passport Office鈥� or

  • 鈥淭hank you for your enquiry鈥�

• make sure the tone of your email is polite, friendly, and professional

• avoid jargon and acronyms where possible, providing clear explanations where their use is unavoidable

If your email has not been delivered, or has been sent to the wrong person, you must follow Email: undelivered or delivered to wrong person.

CSMT: how to complete an email enquiry

To complete an enquiry by email, you must:

• make sure all correspondence related to the enquiry has been reviewed and all issues raised by the customer have been addressed

• provide the customer with:

  • clear and relevant guidance, signposting to 51茶馆 where appropriate

  • clear and accurate timescales for further action (where available)

• add a case note to record your actions on DAP or, if there is no facility to record a case note on DAP, the comments section of EDRMS

• complete the EDRMS call log

If you need further information from the customer before a full response can be issued, you must ask the customer to:

• respond to CustomerServiceManagementTeam@hmpo.gov.uk

• quote the reference 323000 in the subject field

How CSMT contacts the Customer Service Liaison team

If the CSMT needs to contact Customer Service Liaison team (CSLT) at an Application Processing Centre, they will do so by email or phone.

How Counter Fraud teams communicate with customers

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how Counter Fraud teams communicate with HM Passport Office customers.

Counter Fraud teams (CFT) will contact customers by phone, email and letter, when dealing with referrals and casework.

Counter Fraud Teams: sending letters by email

Counter Fraud teams generally use Microsoft Word templates to write letters, instead of using system generated letters and send these letters to customers using email.

You, the counter fraud investigator, must convert the Word template to a PDF format before emailing the letter to the customer.

This is to stop us sending a letter in a format which may allow the recipient to view other subject details, from the template, and breach data protection rules.

How to create a PDF format letter

If you need to change the format of a Microsoft Word letter to a PDF version, you must:

1. Open the letter.
2. Click File in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
3. Select Save As and add:
   • where to save the letter
   • the name of the letter
4. Click Save as type dropdown box and select PDF.
5. Click Save.

How Contact Centres communicate with customers

This section tells HM Passport Office staff how our Contact Centres, run by our partners Teleperformance and Serco, communicate with HM Passport Office customers.

Our partners Teleperformance (TP) and Serco are our external Contact Centre providers. They handle first and second line customer contact and answer general questions about applications.

Teleperformance responsibilities

TP is responsible for:

• providing telephone, email and web chat support to customers, including:

  • dealing with questions

  • requests for application packs

  • customer feedback forms

• booking passport interview and counter appointments for customers unable to book online

• sending out passport interview invitation letters

• taking payment from customers

• coordinating with British Sign Language interpreters for customers who need an interpreter

• providing the Passport Validation Service

• providing services to the Ministry of Justice

TP will communicate with customers in Welsh, if the customer asks for this. TP will escalate question they cannot deal with to the Customer Service Management team (CSMT).

Serco responsibilities

Serco take 25% of our customer calls, routed from the main passport adviceline. Serco deal with calls about:

• applications

• progress enquiries

Serco will not deal with:

• digital lost, stolen and recovered notifications

• emails

• requests for paper application forms appointment booking

• Welsh language calls

When Contact Centres must refer calls to CSMT

Contact Centres must escalate calls they cannot deal with to the Customer Services Management Team (CSMT) using the CSMT call back email process, they must not use the live transfer function.

For example, Contact Centres will ask CSMT to deal with calls about:

• complex nationality questions

• complaints

Customer communication courses available for staff

This section tells HM Passport Office staff about customer communication courses available for staff.

HM Passport Office has a training course available to support staff communicating with customers in writing.

Written communications e-learning course

HM Passport Office staff who write letters, emails or use free text must take the Written communications e-learning course.