Contacting council is ‘never easy’

Contacting Shropshire Council is “never quick and easy” and people are getting “fobbed off”, two councillors have claimed.

Councillors Ioan Jones, for Harlescott, and Brian Williams, for The Meres, told a meeting of the authority’s audit committee that they had received complaints from members of the public.

But Michele Leith, the council’s director of workforce and transformation, defended the council’s call centre and resolution times at a meeting of the committee yesterday.

She told members that a new computer system had been rolled out last week as well which would help council workers deal with requests in a better manner.

Reports to highways over issues such as potholes will also always be followed up with whoever reporters them.

But Cllr Jones said: “People are complaining that they can’t get in touch with anyone they actually need to talk to.

“If you don’t have a direct number for someone you get talking to a gatepost and they you can’t get anywhere in the end.

“It is not a good experience and this is coming from members of the public who talk to me and also in my own experience as a members of this council.

“They do not want to be fobbed off as they are at times now. They want answers to their queries and they are not getting them now.”

Cllr Williams added: “It never a quick, easy or satisfying process getting in touch with the council.

“But if what I am hearing is correct and if you report a highways issue you will be kept in touch with the progress then I will be pleased.

“Because at the moment if you email you may get an acknowledgement but then you will not hear anything again.

“I have reported several things like potholes and I would love to hear if there is progress made and these things are repaired and then the people who report them are told that action has been taken.

“I will be very pleased if, in future, whenever I report a highways issue, I will be updated in the future.”

Ms Leith said: “I can provide statistics that show that in the vast majority of cases issues are solved in the first instance.

“This is certainly the case with the contact centre and the new web chat and customer point services will also record these statistics.

“The new computer system came in last week and staff are getting to grips but it seems to be working well.

“In the future as well, if you have reported something you will get updates electronically.

“Also, a member portal will be launched in September for councillors, who can report things on behalf of themselves or the electorate and updates will be given.”