We welcome your feedback as it helps us to improve what we do and continue to deliver high quality services in line with the Customer Service Excellence standard. You can contact us directly with your feedback.
Comments and requests updated April 2025
| What you said | What we have done |
| We have been informed that it is not easy to report issues found in our public bathrooms. | Our Facilities teams have installed feedback stations in the public bathrooms across site. These are automated feedback solutions that allow visitors to select an issue to report, which automatically raise jobs on our Estates and Facilities team’s job tracking portal. |
| A number of visitors highlighted that it was not very clear how they could offer donations to archives, or enquire about donating material. | We created a webpage that explains in detail about donations, and links to a specific team to contact as a liaison. |
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We received feedback that our rules for visitors, including readers, were confusing and unclear.
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We reworked and simplified our Visitor Regulations as a result of this feedback. You can find the link to the new style information here: Visitor regulations – The National Archives |
Compliments
Here are some examples of compliments, which we receive in a number of ways, including email, feedback form and letter, to telephone calls, social media and in person.
| Date received | How received | Summary of compliments |
| 9 March | I would like to give special thanks to the gentleman who was on duty at the front reception desk yesterday. He very efficiently and very good naturedly, managed to sort my cloakroom locker out, which I had somehow managed, twice, to lock myself out of (this, after having been a regular researcher at the PRO/NA since the 1980s). He was cheerful, friendly, efficient and professional. (CAS-247055) | |
| 18 February | Out of casual curiosity I have just listened to episode II and was then spurred to go back and listen to episode I of this podcast. I had never heard of the Prize Papers let alone known what they were and I have learned so much in 80-odd minutes presented in such an engaging and accessible way. Also having the transcripts to refer to after listening was so useful and subsequently I have had a fascinating time touring the internet to explore miscellany like parchment, iron-gall ink, RTI, privateers, the prize court and so much more. What an eye-opening, informative and fun evening I’ve had. Thank you!
As to suggestions about future podcasts I think I will leave that entirely up to you to surprise us as (speaking for myself) we the general and uninformed public have little or no idea about what treasures – both materially and intellectually – you hold. What you are involved with in your “normal working day” is often an exciting mystery to us. I am hugely looking forward to more such entertaining enlightenment. (CAS-243058) |
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| 3 February |
Brought a friend for his first ever visit to Kew on Saturday 1 Feb. As always – I had a fabulous day, and he was no end impressed with the wonderful atmosphere and the cheerfulness and helpfulness we received from every single member of your staff with whom we interacted. Please thank them all for being amazing. (CAS-240131) |
Complaints
Here are some examples of complaints, which we receive in a number of ways, including email, feedback form and letter, to telephone calls, social media and in person.
| Summary of complaint and date received | Background information | Action taken |
| The complainant was unhappy with the cost of their Record Copying Order, as they had already paid for a Page Check, which they thought would be the total cost to access the document. 25/02/2025 |
Our Record Copying service provides digital or paper copies of documents from our collection. The Record Copying service has two stages, the initial page check costing £8.40, which is then followed by (if accepted by the customer) the copy order. | We explained how our Record Copying service works and the prices charged, as we are obliged by a Statutory Instrument of Parliament to operate our scanning services on a full cost recovery basis. We reminded the complainant that they are welcome to visit us here at Kew and view the document in person in one of our Reading Rooms, and then take pictures using their own camera or device for free of charge. |
| The complainant was dissatisfied by The National Archives’ lack of phone line to request help to order documents in advance of their visit. 05/02/2025 |
A phone information line was run until October 2023 which provided basic information about our services, and subsequently placed under review. The complaints line is also available on the website and document orders can be placed using our published accessibility line. | We apologised to the complainant and our Quality Manager gave them a call to discuss the documents they wished to order for their visit. Following this, we ordered the documents on their behalf to view on the day. |
| The complainant was dissatisfied with the number of malfunctioning lockers in our public cloakroom. 17/01/2025 |
We have lockers in our public cloakroom for visitors to store their personal belongings while they visit. | We apologised to the complainant for the inconvenience caused, and acknowledged that this is an issue we have been monitoring over the past few months. We investigated the underlying causes, and put in a new procedure to resolve the issues with the lockers. This includes our security staff checking all lockers overnight and reporting lockers that need attention. We are also developing revised instructions for locker use, and plan to replace door labels and add larger posters in the near future to assist visitors in understanding the locker process. |
External feedback
Below is a selection of external feedback sites where users can leave independent feedback about our services:
The National Archives on Trip Advisor
Google Reviews