Memorandum from Public and Commercial
Services Union (PCS)
The Public and Commercial Services Union represents
300,000 members in the civil service and related areas including
over 80,000 who are employed by HM Revenue and Customs.
PCS welcomes the PAC's timely meeting on "Dealing
with Telephone Enquiries" and would be grateful if the committee
would consider this memorandum and suggested questions.
PCS has concerns over HMRC's increasing reliance
on telecommunications as their preferred method of communication.
We believe this is having a disproportionately negative impact
on their service to vulnerable areas of society for example the
elderly; hearing impaired and other disabled people; and people
whose first language is not English making communication very
difficult.
The intitial formation of the telephone communication
centres happened prior to HMRC having to take consideration of
these groups as would be required today under equality duties.
However, PCS believes HMRC must now do more to make better provision
for these areas of society. Given the current cost cutting environment
we are in, PCS does not envisage this happening.
HMRC are currently undergoing a workforce change
programme which could see 25,000 job cuts and over 200 office
closures by 2011. We have serious concerns about the effect this
is having on our members' ability to continue delivering a quality
service to the public, especially as the section responsible for
managing calls has informed PCS of a 15% cut in the work force
by the end of 2011.
Services are already suffering with 43% of the
103 million calls received going unanswered last year leading
to criticism from the National Audit Office[16].
The new MPPA system has also generated additional calls due to
system errors. We are concerned that the "channelling strategy"
introduced by HMRC to reduce the number of face to face enquiries
has resulted in an astonishing increase in the number of calls
being received at their contact centres.
HMRC themselves have used the increase of 3
million additional calls into the contact centres as proof that
`channelling' works. However, this has seen an increase in the
number of calls going unanswered. To assist with the volume of
calls, staffing has been increased by a total of only three. We
are concerned that HMRC's priority seems to be the number of calls
received rather than the quality of the information provided.
Customers with little or no English struggle
with the press button procedures, resorting to family or enquiry
centres staff making the call on their behalf to secure a translator
to then deal with their query. Our members in contacts centres
have reported to us that previously they were unable to go through
security questions with a third party assisting the customers.
However, due to cost cutting they can now offer this for non-English
speaking customers rather than using the translation service.
The elderly and disabled people all too often
find the system difficult to use—either in following the
verbal instructions, or the physical key strokes required; for
many in these categories. PCS believe that face to face would
be a better solution but that that this is being considerably
reduced due to the programme of office closures.
PCS are extremely concerned at inferences made
at recent management road shows that some UK contact centres may
close with the possibility that work may transfer overseas.
We are also concerned that staff moving from
different businesses, for example personal income tax to tax credits,
without the proper training. We question how staff can therefore
be expected to deliver the best possible service.
PCS members advise that many customers want
to use "lo-cal numbers" as they are free on talk plans
rather than 0845 numbers. These are available and classified for
International callers only. Members are also being advised to
keep customers on the phone whilst dealing with all the work involved
in the call. HMRC always states that they do not make money on
these calls but this is factually incorrect with income being
received both directly and also through VAT receipts from the
telecoms providers.
Call Centre staff are being instructed to call
tax credit claimants to ask awkward and probing questions on subjects
like living together and childcare arrangements. This bypasses
the legal requirements to "Open" and Examination of
Enquiry and does not give the customer a chance to seek advice
if required. We are concerned as to the legality of this practice.
The Union is also concerned at press reports
surrounding the newly appointed head of the HMRC East Kilbride
contact centre[17].
The position has been filled by Robert Bowering despite him being
declared bankrupt only a month previously over £75,000 of
unpaid tax debts. We are concerned as to impact this will have
on HMRC's public reputation.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
1. It appears that HMRC security procedures
have been relaxed solely to save the department money—is
that the case?
2. Does the increased reliance of service
by telephone not unfairly discriminate against customers such
as those who are elderly, partially deaf and with other disabilities?
3. What measures are in place to help this
section of the public accessing the service and what analysis
has been made of the demographics of those accessing these services?
4. Has the off-shoring of contact centre
work been a consideration of HMRC management and if so, has this
been the subject of discussions with Ministers?
5. How can the performance expect to improve
from "unacceptable" if staff levels are to be reduced
by 20-30%? How can the Department expect to realise their commitment
to answering 90% of calls with 30% less staff by March 2012?
6. What number of calls being received from
taxpayers/agents into the various Corporation Tax sites and how
many of thse calls are being answered?
7. What call waiting systems, if any, are
being applied to help customers know when their call will be answered?
8. Is the income generated the reason behind
the decision to use 0845 numbers?
9. Is there a methodology used by HMRC to
determine the number of calls being abandoned and can they throw
light on why calls are being abandoned?
10. Have bonuses been set for management
in contact centres and if so, what targets are being set to achieve
this?
11. Does HMRC employ staff solely to monitor
and/or report on the daily activities of telephone advisors and
if so, can they say what percentage of staff undertake this role?
12. What is the procedure for operators
when dealing with a call in terms of logging the details and taking
ownership for the information provided to the customer?
13. Is it true that call centre staff are
cold calling tax credit claimants are asking security questions
while it is accepted practice not to give out security information
on the phone?
16 National Audit Office-HM Revenue and Customs: Handling
telephone enquiries, 15 January 2010 Back
17
The Sun-Tax bosses give £70k job to bankrupt, 10 February
2010 Back
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