Friday 17 May 2013

Basics matter!

As an elected member of Wigan Council I am frustrated at the very simple things that Wigan Council can't get right. If they can't do this what chance do they have on the more complex issues.

For example, I always ring the central number when I am calling an officer, as I find this easy than carrying all their individual numbers around. However over recent times the lines are often closed during the working day with the message that it closes at 5pm but yet it is 14.45, like yesterday.

The other week the operator told me that the officer I was trying to get through to was on the phone and I couldn't hold and I had to ring back. When I asked why she told me in a stroppy voice, "Because you are blocking a line" I mentioned I had held many times before and she replied that there are now only one person on the central number. 350 000 residents in Wigan and only one person answering the phone for their local Council. How ridiculous is this?

Money is tight, we all know, but things like this just demonstrates that the Council are cutting front line staff but yet still waste millions.

I am of the firm belief that the either or both Labour and Chief Executive cannot deliver any kind of service, never mind a first class service, that Wigan residents deserve. If the Chief Executive can deliver a first class service but it is the Labour cabinet that  won't allow her then she must stand up to them!

2 comments:

  1. On Wednesday I rang the Council Tax number, I was no:11 in the queue. It took 31 minutes and 25 seconds of waiting till I spoke to someone to ask why 9 weeks after notifying my change of address I hadn't received a new bill. I was told it was still in general holding because, wait for it....the person I spoke to initially advising I had moved on 15th March had put the 15th May as my moving date. Now why on God's green earth would I ring on 18th March to say I had moved house on 15th May? Suffice to say I was not very pleased, and requested immediate action.

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  2. It seems the service that the Council give is getting worse and the example above just demonstrates this.

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