Dear Queensland Police Service Complaints,
Formal Complaint
Law Abiding Firearms Owners Inc writes concerning the recent announcement of reduced Weapons Licensing telephone enquiry hours. The Weapons Licensing Newsletter to Clubs, dated 13 April 2018, declaims:
Weapons Licensing will be available for telephone enquiries on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of 9am and 4pm. Contact 07 3015 7777.
On Wednesdays, our priority will be the actioning of our clients’ requests to enhance customer service.
Firstly, we’d like to congratulate Queensland Police Service on its recognition that Weapons Licensing client requests are only prioritised in any sense of the word for about one day per week. After all, that lackadaisical attitude explains why, earlier this year, Weapons Licensing proclaimed online:
Please note there have been unforeseen delays in the printing of licence cards with issue dates from the 23rd of November 2017 onwards. These have now been printed. However due to delays with postal services these are not expected to be received until after the holiday period.
We write to complain about the exciting new management technique of taking no phone calls from clients on Wednesdays, for two basic reasons.
1. The paying public expects business hours service: almost all the permit and license applications are approved (not disputed). They are being processed through your paperwork mill and you’re taking money off the public for the privilege. Service expectations in 2018 include that you take phone enquiries during business hours. Excuses for failing to do so don’t wash.
2. Industry expects business hours service: Clubs, Farmers, Dealers, Pest Controllers, Armourers and Theatrical Ordinance Suppliers are running large scale public-facing or commercial operations. They deserve business hours service. Telling small businesses that they can’t have a business hours service might be fine in an impoverished, corruption-ridden country ruled despotically, but it isn’t OK in Queensland. Queensland, under the current anti-gun Labor government, might arguably be somewhat corrupt and ruled arbitrarily, but it isn’t yet impoverished. Which makes your reduction in service unacceptable.
We aren’t just complainers. Law Abiding Firearms Owners Inc isn’t without helpful suggestions for you. Maybe you could stop trying to rip pistols off farmers in remote areas and that would save you some considerable effort. Maybe you could get automated like most government agencies. In any event we recognise: cultural change is hard and you need to take it one step at a time.
A formal response to our complaint would be appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
[Name]
For Law Abiding Firearms Owners Inc