'Stop calling us customers', taxpayers tell Powys Council
Respondents to a survey assessing the quality of service by Powys County Council has revealed a surprising outcome: Local taxpayers hate being called council "customers".
But the sample size may be a bit off, as only 22 people responded to the consultation on plans to create a framework informing how Powys council provides good service.
At a meeting of Powys County Council's Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee on Thursday, June 12 councillors received a report of the draft 'Customer Experience Framework'.
Head of digital service Ellen Sullivan gave a presentation on the framework after a consultation between March 18 and May 12.
The council now has five call centres answering queries from residents across the spectrum of services, she said.
The main customer services team also deals with calls for the highways, transport and recycling and environmental health departments.
Four further call centres answer enquiries about income and awards, housing, adult social care and children's services.
Ms Sullivan said: 'Many years ago the council had one contact centre and now there's five.
'It was deemed vital to create this framework, without this there's a danger of inconsistency across those five different centres
'What we're trying to get to, is no matter how the customer contacts us the service and consistency being offered is the same.
'This pulls it together.'
Of 392 visitors to the consultation web page only 5.6 per cent (22) completed the survey.
Former council leader and now cabinet member for a more prosperous Powys Cllr James Gibson-Watt highlighted people's rejection of the 'customer ' label.
The report noted that 'Several users objected to being called customers, emphasising their role as taxpayers and employers of the council.'
Cllr Gibson-Watt said: 'It was an interesting point from the feedback we did get
'Is it appropriate for us to view residents of the county as customers, I just wonder if we need to philosophically think about that for the future.
'The council is not like a private sector business that sells thing over the counter, I wonder whether we ought to take some notice of it.'
Cllr Chole Masefield (Liberal Democrat) said: 'I'm not surprise there was a really low response rate.
'I wasn't really sure what the point of this was, it's not clear what we are proposing to change it just says we will do better.'
Cllr Masefield believed that 'every call' the council received could be an opportunity for feedback and during the consultation period people could have been asked to take part in it.
She added that she was 'excited' to see what the next step with the actual performance strategy and plan would be after the framework is agreed.
It is expected that the proposal will go before a cabinet meeting for a decision soon.
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