More people contact council with comments

There has been a big rise in the number of people contacting Shropshire County Council with comments, compliments and complaints, following work to make it easier for residents to contact the council, councillors have heard.

A report presented to the council’s Corporate Support Services scrutiny panel last week showed that, in the year 2007/08, the council received 692 compliments and 575 complaints – compared to 592 and 342 respectively in the previous year.

The increase in compliments and complaints is due to the council’s new customer service centre, and the increased ability to submit comments online using the council’s website.

Councillor Phil Box, Chairman of the Corporate Support Services Scrutiny Panel, said: “Though complaints have increased in the past 12 months, this is largely down to the council’s new customer service centre - which makes it easier for people to make a complaint in the first instance; improvements that make it easier for people to complain online; and other activities designed to encourage people to contact the council with feedback.

“I’m pleased to see that the number of compliments received by the council has also risen in the past year, and continues to exceed the number of complaints.”

Compliments are recorded when a member of the public writes to or emails the council to praise the work of staff.

The council also receives comments and suggestions from residents about services, and these are used to help improve service delivery, where appropriate.

Councillors at the scrutiny panel also heard that the county council is working closely with Shropshire’s district and borough councils on developing a new single complaints procedure for Shropshire Council. Good progress is being made, and much of the work is ahead of schedule.

22 July 2008