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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Revenue 'failing to answer calls' | Revenue 'failing to answer calls' |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| More than 40% of calls to HM Revenue and Customs last year were not answered despite a drive to get taxpayers to use the telephone, a report has found. | More than 40% of calls to HM Revenue and Customs last year were not answered despite a drive to get taxpayers to use the telephone, a report has found. |
| Of the 100 million calls to the main HMRC helplines from 2008 to 2009, 40 million did not get through, parliament's spending watchdog found. | Of the 100 million calls to the main HMRC helplines from 2008 to 2009, 40 million did not get through, parliament's spending watchdog found. |
| The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) condemned the taxman's call-handling operation as "poor". | The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) condemned the taxman's call-handling operation as "poor". |
| Revenue and Customs said that, by next year, it aimed to answer 90% of calls. | |
| The government will formally respond to the report in due course, it added. | The government will formally respond to the report in due course, it added. |
| However the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report said Revenue and Customs needed to be "more ambitious" in improving its service to callers. | However the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report said Revenue and Customs needed to be "more ambitious" in improving its service to callers. |
| Confusion | Confusion |
| The department's target of answering 90% of calls would still fall short of the industry standard of 95%, it said. It also urged HMRC to answer all calls in less than a minute. | The department's target of answering 90% of calls would still fall short of the industry standard of 95%, it said. It also urged HMRC to answer all calls in less than a minute. |
| If an organisation wants more of its customers to contact it by telephone, then it has got to be good at answering calls Committee chairman Edward Leigh | If an organisation wants more of its customers to contact it by telephone, then it has got to be good at answering calls Committee chairman Edward Leigh |
| Last year customers with queries about their tax bills had to listen to a recorded voice for an average of two minutes before they were able to speak to an adviser. | Last year customers with queries about their tax bills had to listen to a recorded voice for an average of two minutes before they were able to speak to an adviser. |
| At peak times, the average wait rose to four minutes, the report found. | At peak times, the average wait rose to four minutes, the report found. |
| HMRC contact centre staff spend 38% of their time handling calls, compared with an industry benchmark of 60%, it said. | HMRC contact centre staff spend 38% of their time handling calls, compared with an industry benchmark of 60%, it said. |
| The report also urged HMRC to reduce the confusion caused by running 139 separate telephone numbers and to avoid unnecessary calls by making its written material easier to understand. | The report also urged HMRC to reduce the confusion caused by running 139 separate telephone numbers and to avoid unnecessary calls by making its written material easier to understand. |
| Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "If an organisation wants more of its customers to contact it by telephone, then it has got to be good at answering calls. | Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "If an organisation wants more of its customers to contact it by telephone, then it has got to be good at answering calls. |
| "HMRC unfortunately is not very good at answering calls, its performance remaining well below industry best practice standards. | "HMRC unfortunately is not very good at answering calls, its performance remaining well below industry best practice standards. |
| "Staffing levels should be matched more closely to the peaks and troughs of demand and the department must do more to cut the number of calls it regards as unnecessary." | "Staffing levels should be matched more closely to the peaks and troughs of demand and the department must do more to cut the number of calls it regards as unnecessary." |
| HMRC has been encouraging taxpayers to sort out queries over the phone or internet rather than letters and face-to-face interviews in order to save money. | HMRC has been encouraging taxpayers to sort out queries over the phone or internet rather than letters and face-to-face interviews in order to save money. |