Coventry City Council 'sorry' for 'long delays' for callers

[dutchman]

Residents calling a council are being met with "long delays" after operators' hours were cut, an authority has admitted.

In July, Coventry City Council changed hours for staff handling calls about street services from 08:00-20:00, to 09:00-17:00 from Monday to Friday.

Sue Stowe said she tried to ring the council 13 times in three weeks about an abandoned van.

The council apologised and said it was trying to improve its system.

Mrs Stowe, aged 67, from Walsgrave, said she waited in 20-minute queues for operators to answer the phone about the van, left in Cheltenham Croft.

Nigel Warren, 43, from Cheylesmore, said he had tried to call the council on 40 occasions since June to discuss his council tax as he did not have internet at home.

He claimed his longest wait was for three hours and 47 minutes and on Monday was told there were 137 people waiting ahead of him in the queue.

"I can't fine them for not answering the phone but I must have spent £100s on phone calls by now," said Mr Warren, who works as a driver.

The city council said the number to call about council tax had always run from 09:00-17:00.

A council spokesperson said: "We are aware some residents have had long delays when trying to contact us and we apologise.

"We're working really hard to improve our telephone system to help deal with the high number of calls we're currently receiving."

The council added it was trying to make it easier for people to manage council tax bills online, and encouraging people to go online or use its automated telephone line would save it money and make contact more convenient for residents.

[rebbonk]

I thought last year they went all automated? - At least that what I was told; couldn't find a real live person to answer my question.

[dutchman]

I could and she was less help than the answering machine!