If only we could bring back the days when it was possible to phone Herefordshire Council and speak to an operator who would put you straight through to a real live human being in the department you needed.

Nowadays it’s as if the council’s intention is to cause as much frustration as possible and ensure that most people will give up on trying to get information because it is just too much hassle, and that's not good for local democracy.

Some years ago the council’s telephone access system changed and a call receptionist would take your contact details and tell you that someone would phone you back.

This meant that you were kept hanging about for an indefinite time after which, if you were lucky and had suspended all your plans to sit by the end of the phone all day, you might receive a response. Now the situation is worse. Much worse!

Here is my recent experience of trying to get some straightforward information about the whereabouts of roadworks in my street, since a sign had mysteriously appeared on my verge announcing three days of non-access to the rest of the street, including my house.

I phoned the council number and was told via a recorded message that I would be put in a queue and that a customer service operator would answer my call.

I sat through an unnecessarily detailed statement of data privacy conditions and was then given five options:

  1. Press 1 if your call is about council tax
  2. for Waste
  3. for Planning 
  4. for Concessionary Bus Passes
  5. for Blue Badges, for anything else go to our website 
     

What if your call is about housing, education, council business, social services or anything else?

I hung on hoping to be be rescued by a friendly voice but no, I was cut off. It appears that unless your enquiry fits into one of those limited categories you do not count.

I phoned back and went through the whole rigmarole again and decided to press 4 for concessionary bus passes. At least it’s vaguely to do with transport, for which there is no button to press.

I waited in the queue and spoke to the nice concessionary bus passes person and asked to be put through to Roads, apologising for having to bother her with an enquiry that had nothing to do with bus passes in order to speak to a real person.

I also asked to be put in touch with someone in the council’s communications department to give feedback about how totally non-user-friendly their telephone system is, but never heard back from anyone on that, hence this letter.

I did get put through to Roads, asked my question and was told they know nothing and that I need to phone Balfour Beatty.

I phoned Balfour Beatty and was told they know nothing: I need to phone Welsh Water.

I phoned Welsh Water and was told they know nothing: the work is being done by a contractor, they will contact the contractor and get back to me. Two missed calls later and Welsh Water phoned back with the simple piece of information I needed.

If someone from Herefordshire Council’s communications section reads this letter could they please take note of how thoroughly time-wasting and frustrating their current system is for users.

I’m sure I am not the only one, and would it be too much to ask to return to the old way of doing things where people spoke to people and it was all much easier and friendlier?

Wendy Harvey
Hereford

Have your say: letters@herefordtimes.com