Moray Council: More calls from public and less staff to answer
The number of people choosing to phone in queries to Moray Council is at its highest in three years.
About 39,000 calls were made to the local authority’s contact centre between January and March – a rise of almost 5000 from the same period the year before.
A combination extra calls and a reduction in staff has resulted the number being answered falling to 81.9% – well below the council’s 93% target.
Also the number of abandoned calls has increased by 138%.
It is thought a significant number of those are repeat callers who became fed up waiting and decided to try again later.
Councillor Sandy Keith (Elgin North, Labour) highlighted the issue at a meeting of the corporate committee on Tuesday, June 11.
He said: “There’s a shift with the customer going back to the telephone.”
Around 1000 fewer emails were received by the council between January and March.
But Alasdair McEachan, its head of governance, told the meeting it would be preferable for people to use online means.
That way, he said, they should be able to have their issues dealt with faster.
Cllr Paul McBain (Forres, Conservative) said people often preferred to speak directly to another person.
He was told there would always be a way to get in touch with the council for older folk or those uncomfortable with newer technology.
The council has also missed its target to answer three-quarters of calls within a minute.
Only 55.8% were picked up in 60 seconds.
