Do customers have to have a Firmstep account to use the online forms?
Many forms do require that the customer has a Firmstep account, but not all. Typically, forms that involve the reporting of incidents or problems (e.g. public health or road defects) do not.
How does a customer obtain a Firmstep account?
Customers without a Firmstep account can create one themselves by registering online. It is a simple process requiring a working email address and password.
Can a customer use the online forms without a valid email address?
It depends. Forms that require the customer to log in (which is the majority) require a Firmstep account which in turn requires a working email address. Forms that can be used anonymously (i.e. without an account) often allow email addresses as an optional field. Exceptions include anything for which a receipt is provided after payment, for example the Garden Waste permit application form.
If a customer forgets their Firmstep password, what do they do?
They should use the Firmstep password reset facility to resolve this problem. They will require their working email address to do this.
A customer has registered for a Firmstep account but not received the confirmation email. What is wrong?
This is usually caused by the applicant typing in an incorrect email address or the confirmation email being diverted, blocked or even deleted by email (spam) filters. We can ask Firmstep to check that the confirmation email was sent but there is no way to prove it was delivered. Unfortunately, this usually means the customer needs to start again with a different email address (or the original one correctly typed).
Why does Firmstep say a road is not adopted when it is?
First of all, it is important to understand that Firmstep only reports the data it is provided with by the mapping software. The maps are provided from the ArcGIS system so if Firmstep is reporting an incorrect adoption status then that is because it is incorrectly labelled in the mapping software.
How do I report a road that is marked incorrectly in terms of adoption?
The mapping software is managed by IT and therefore you should report any and all mapping errors to them via ServiceNow.
Other mapping issue
GIS maps provide data on a wide range of forms but these forms don't necessarily have a map in them on display. Longitude and latitude of an address might be compared to a map layer in the background.
If an address within the Aberdeen City Council area is missing from Firmstep, please report this to Sagar Simkhada (ssimkhada@aberdeencity.gov.uk). The address will need to be added to the Corporate Address Gazetteer (CAG) database, which is where Firmstep finds address information.
How are online payments made?
All online payments are made via the Civica UK payment portal. This page is presented automatically by Firmstep once the completed form has been submitted by the customer. It is vital that the customer does not close the browser window after the payment is submitted and waits until they are returned to the Firmstep platform. Closing the window early breaks the data link between the form information and the payment, often rendering the submission as pending.
A customer hasn't received a payment receipt. Why would this be?
There are several possible causes of this but the most common ones we see are either the payment being rejected for some reason (e.g. card declined) or the receipt being sent to an incorrect email address. The latter can occur where a customer changes their main email address but hasn't updated their Firmstep profile account. It can also occur as a result of the customer closing the browser window before being returned from the payment page to the online form.
Are online payments safe?
Online payments for council services are as safe as any other typical online payments. The payment portal is protected by industry-standard digital certificate hashing and signing (SHA-256 with RSA-2048). The transmissions back and forth between the website and browser are also encrypted to the extent that attempting to crack the codes would take decades of effort. Civica is a trusted online payment provider and partner for dozens of councils all over the UK. Customers should always however take all reasonable steps to ensure they are entering their card details into a legitimate website and avoid anyone looking over their shoulder, for example in a public space.
Are there alternatives to online payments?
For some services payments are accepted by cash or card in person at council service centres or contact points. For many services however online payments only are accepted. Please check with the specific service directly for details.
Can we issue refunds via Firmstep?
No. Refunds need to be authorised by an appropriate person in the service and then carried out by someone with relevant access to the Civica ICON application. Neither Digital First nor IT can assist with the issuing of refunds.
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