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MPs accuse HMRC of woeful customer service MPs accuse HMRC of woeful customer service
(6 months later)
HM Revenue & Customs has been criticised by MPs for costing callers £136m a year by not answering telephone inquiries, despite spending £900m on customer service. The Commons public accounts committee said HMRC had "an abysmal record", but welcomed moves to introduce a call-back system and dispense with costly 0845 numbers.HM Revenue & Customs has been criticised by MPs for costing callers £136m a year by not answering telephone inquiries, despite spending £900m on customer service. The Commons public accounts committee said HMRC had "an abysmal record", but welcomed moves to introduce a call-back system and dispense with costly 0845 numbers.
According to the committee's report, HMRC left 20m telephone calls unanswered last year and managed to reply to 66% of letters despite a target of responding to 80% of letters within 15 days.According to the committee's report, HMRC left 20m telephone calls unanswered last year and managed to reply to 66% of letters despite a target of responding to 80% of letters within 15 days.
Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the committee, said: "HMRC's 'customers' have no choice over whether or not they deal with the department. It is therefore disgraceful to subject them to unacceptable levels of service when they try to contact the department by phone or letter."Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the committee, said: "HMRC's 'customers' have no choice over whether or not they deal with the department. It is therefore disgraceful to subject them to unacceptable levels of service when they try to contact the department by phone or letter."
She said a new target of answering 80% of calls within five minutes was "woefully inadequate and unambitious" and warned that proposals to cut customer-facing staff by 8,500 posed a real risk to the department being able to improve standards.She said a new target of answering 80% of calls within five minutes was "woefully inadequate and unambitious" and warned that proposals to cut customer-facing staff by 8,500 posed a real risk to the department being able to improve standards.
"HMRC plans to cut the number of customer-facing staff by a third by 2015. At the same time, the stresses associated with introducing the real-time information system, universal credit and changes to child benefit are likely to drive up the number of phone calls to the department.""HMRC plans to cut the number of customer-facing staff by a third by 2015. At the same time, the stresses associated with introducing the real-time information system, universal credit and changes to child benefit are likely to drive up the number of phone calls to the department."
Since the committee's hearing on the HMRC, the department has announced the closure of its 281 inquiry centres, which is likely to put more pressure on phone lines. Hodge said: "It may need to put in additional resources … to avoid the kind of plummeting performance we have seen in the past."Since the committee's hearing on the HMRC, the department has announced the closure of its 281 inquiry centres, which is likely to put more pressure on phone lines. Hodge said: "It may need to put in additional resources … to avoid the kind of plummeting performance we have seen in the past."
An HMRC spokesman said: "This report criticises a previous poor standard of service from which HMRC has already recovered. We are investing an extra £34m in our contact centres to maintain this industry-standard level of performance."An HMRC spokesman said: "This report criticises a previous poor standard of service from which HMRC has already recovered. We are investing an extra £34m in our contact centres to maintain this industry-standard level of performance."
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