Customer Services queries and complaints

Arrangements for responding to web related queries received by Customer and Support Services were set up in August 2005 as an extra method of encouraging customers to contact us about our own services. We also pass on queries to other directorates where appropriate.

We will:

• Answer all queries personally
• Refer all queries and / or complaints to the appropriate manager for action
• Take responsibility for following up complaints on behalf of the customer
• Monitor action taken in each case
• Analyse the results and regularly reports the results to the Head of Customer Services

This arrangement has been very successful in solving problems for customers throughout the council, and the number of queries has increased year on year.

2005
In 2005 there were a total of 27 website queries between August and December.

• 12 related to Customer Services – and ten of these were council tax queries
• 15 were queries about the work of other directorates

2006
This was the first full year in which Customer Services ran the system and there was a total of 93 website queries during the year.

• 46 related to Customer Services - and 37 of these were council tax queries
• 47 were queries about the work of other directorates

2007
In the period between January 1 and March 31, 2007 there were a total of 51 website queries

• 27 related to Customer Services - and 24 of these were council tax queries
• 24 were queries about the work of other directorates

You said:

The largest number of complaints / queries received each year relating to Customer Services is about council tax and benefits queries because customers say they have been unable to get through by phone.

This is the reason:

The demand being placed on the council tax service is due to an improvement in our recovery rate. Progress has been made this year with an additional £2million being collected in arrears. There has also been a 2.5% increase in the amount collected in the current year.

This is what we are doing about it

However, website queries and complaints have underlined that council tax call handling needs to be reengineered and therefore a complete review of processes from front to back is being carried out to support this. A weekly meeting with key personnel identifies the changes that need to be made.

Actions so far identified are as follows:

• We are setting up extra phone lines so that customers will be able to access the service in a different way. This will allow those with less complex enquiries or just wanting to make a payment to access the service quicker.
• We are also in the process of creating additional resources across recovery and the contact centre. They will be dedicated to dealing with customers who are in arrears and they will work across both business units.
• We are setting up a dedicated debt / arrears line which will direct customers more efficiently to the service they need and reduce demand on the service elsewhere.

This page was last updated on 3 October 2009