Residents calls increased during cold snap!
Warwickshire County Council’s Customer Service Centre have seen a 30% increase in calls over the last two weeks from residents concerned about accessing services, due to the bad weather.
In just ten days between the 4 and 14 January 2010, the call centre dealt with 5,680 calls from Warwickshire residents who wanted information on Highways, Refuse and Recycling, School Closures, Housing Repairs and Council Tax.
Customer Contact Manager, Adrienne Bellingeri said:
“Staff in the customer Service Centre have been working tirelessly to help residents by responding to increased levels of calls during the bad weather. The contact centre handles calls for both Warwickshire County Council and Warwick District Council and so questions from residents have ranged from bin and highways enquiries to gritting and council tax payments. Amongst the more unusual enquiries we have tried to help with were “What can we do about a swan frozen in the lake in Jephson Gardens?” and “I’ve tried to defrost my grey bin lid six times with boiling water – what can I do now?”
Portfolio Holder for Customer, Workforce and Partnerships, Councillor Heather Timms said:
“I am pleased that we helped so many residents during the cold snap. The contact centre provides a valuable service to residents, especially in bad weather like this when residents are concerned about accessing services or need assistance with a crisis such as a burst pipe. A 30% increase in calls has obviously put the centre under pressure, but they have coped extremely well to serve the needs of all our residents.”
For more information on Warwickshire Direct and all the ways in which you can contact Warwickshire County Council and the county’s borough and district councils, visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/warwickshiredirect.