Agenda item

This Council condemns the ruling Conservative / Lib Dem administration’s use of 0845 numbers at their flagship Contact Centre, “Contact Leeds”.

This Council demands that the Administration immediately scrap these 0845 numbers. Furthermore this council calls for the Chief Executive to immediately examine the effectiveness of the contact centre and report back to the next meeting of the Executive Board.

This Council recognises the dedication and hard work of all its staff who work at “Contact Leeds” and holds the administration totally responsible for the faults of the contact centre and not the staff

K WAKEFIELD

It was moved by Councillor Wakefield seconded by Councillor A McKenna

That this Council condemns the ruling Conservative / Lib Dem administration’s use of 0845 numbers at their flagship Contact Centre, “Contact Leeds”.

This Council demands that the Administration immediately scrap these 0845 numbers. Furthermore this council calls for the Chief Executive to immediately examine the effectiveness of the contact centre and report back to the next meeting of the Executive Board.

This Council recognises the dedication and hard work of all its staff who work at “Contact Leeds” and holds the administration totally responsible for the faults of the contact centre and not the staff.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Brett seconded by Councillor Golton

Delete all after ‘This Council’ and replace with

“congratulates staff working at the Council’s flagship contact centre, ‘Contact Leeds’ and notes the greatly increased performance in answering telephone calls from the public over the last three years.

In particular Council notes that :-

• at the beginning of 2004 only 38% of telephone calls from members of the public to the Council were answered, but that the latest figures for the last three months of 2007 show that over 95% were answered;
• that the contact centre has been awarded
  • European Contact Centre of the Year Awards 2006 – runner up in Environment category;
  • Yorkshire & Humberside Contact Centre Awards 2007 – Innovation category (for the Academy);
  • Communications in Business Awards 2006 – Call Centre Project of the Year;
• that the use of the 0845 number has been kept under review for over 12 months, awaiting a decision by OFTEL and the telecommunications companies on the introduction of new ‘03’ numbers which will address issues of different charging policies for 0845 numbers from different companies;
• that alternative 0113 numbers are available for members of the public to contact the Council’s Call Centre if they do not wish to use 0845 numbers.

Council welcomes moves to adopt a new ‘Golden Number’ in 2008 which should further improve the ability of members of the public to contact the Council.

The amendment was carried and upon being put  as the substantive motion it was

RESOLVED – That this Council congratulates staff working at the Council’s flagship contact centre, ‘Contact Leeds’ and notes the greatly increased performance in answering telephone calls from the public over the last three years.

In particular Council notes that :-

• at the beginning of 2004 only 38% of telephone calls from members of the public to the Council were answered, but that the latest figures for the last three months of 2007 show that over 95% were answered;
• that the contact centre has been awarded
  • European Contact Centre of the Year Awards 2006 – runner up in Environment category;
  • Yorkshire & Humberside Contact Centre Awards 2007 – Innovation category (for the Academy);
  • Communications in Business Awards 2006 – Call Centre Project of the Year;
• that the use of the 0845 number has been kept under review for over 12 months, awaiting a decision by OFTEL and the telecommunications companies on the introduction of new ‘03’ numbers which will address issues of different charging policies for 0845 numbers from different companies;
• that alternative 0113 numbers are available for members of the public to contact the Council’s Call Centre if they do not wish to use 0845 numbers.

Council welcomes moves to adopt a new ‘Golden Number’ in 2008 which should further improve the ability of members of the public to contact the Council.