Bristol city council to close customer service points
Bristol City Council could close all but one of its help centres in a bid to save money.
The seven Customer Service Points (CSPs) are dotted around the city and assist people with everything from paying bills to advice about council tax and housing benefit.
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Visitors can order recycling boxes, make complaints about noise, apply for concessionary travel passes and more.
Concerns have been raised that many people in Bristol don't have access to the internet, such as the elderly and those who would benefit from one-to-one help.
But the council says it wants to provide services in more modern ways, including text messages, self-service points in libraries and a new website.
If the council goes ahead with the closures up to 18 of 67 full-time equivalent jobs could be lost, with the council seeking to introduce a more self-service approach.
The CSPs are based at Phoenix Court, Bond Street South in the city centre; Waring House, Redcliff Hill; Robinson House, Fishponds; Symes House, Hartcliffe; Salcombe House, Knowle; Ridingleaze House, Lawrence Weston; Southmead House, Southmead.
The council's "vision" is to eventually shut all but Phoenix House, opening two more at the forthcoming Southmead Hospital and the Hengrove Campus site to replace them.
Centres employ about three team managers, seven team leaders, 43 customer advisors, six cashiers, five local tax experts and three electronic benefits advisors.
The council says people are using internet instead of the centres.
Officers estimate the cost of dealing with someone per "transaction" is £6.56 face-to-face, £3.22 by phone and 27p online.
But no-one the Bristol Evening Post spoke to at the CSP in Hartcliffe had access to the internet, and the majority of people who used the Phoenix Centre in an afternoon did not speak English as a first language.
The centres are open five days a week between 8.30am and 5pm.
The council is looking at cutting back services in several phases next year.
Phase one is due to take place in March and would see Bedminster's CSP closed.
Southmead would be cut back to three days a week, Ridingleaze to two days a week and Knowle to either two days a week or relocated elsewhere.
Phase two would take place next December, with Fishponds reduced to two days a week, while Knowle and Ridingleaze would become self-service only.
The council's goal is then to have Phoenix as a one-stop-shop with longer hours, with all other centres relocated to Southmead and Hengrove, though no date has been given for the third phase.
There are currently 36 self-service points and 19 freephones in Bristol's 35 wards, leaving 11 without coverage.
The council is consulting on the changes with a wide range of groups, including staff, tenant support groups, neighbourhood partnerships, and bodies representing the elderly, disabled and minorities.
Two invitation-only meetings are due to be held to discuss the proposals, one on Friday, November 13 and the other Wednesday, November 18.
The deadline for people to have their say is November 19.
The Bristol Evening Post asked the council for a statement on the proposals but one wasn't provided.
A consultation document issued by the council states: "We want to better meet growing customer expectations for improved access to, and increased availability of, services.
"We also need to ensure that the council is offering value for money.
"Face-to-face customer service transactions are on average twice as expensive as transactions by telephone."
28 Comments
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by Paul Smith, Bristol
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 3:28PM
“Lib Dems are cutting services in the porrest areas of the city - no surprise there then”
by JJ, Bristol
Monday, November 02 2009, 11:38PM
“Funny that, I didnlt even think they had any custoemr service qualities in the first place, so it's hardly going to be missed...!!!!!!”
by Shaun, Bristol
Monday, November 02 2009, 10:14PM
“I thought it might be worth reminding those who post inquiries asking about where the money saved will go. There appears to be a bout of national amnesia on this matter: the money is needed to replace all the tax payer's dished out to rescue Britain's banks/financial services industries. Yes, so the least well-off and able have to suffer to pay the inflated life style of a few”
by derek, Not in Briz
Monday, November 02 2009, 9:57PM
“OK Hedgehog. I wonder when you are an OAP (if you get that far) you would be quite happy to cycle (in the middle of Winter!) to the Council House and back. Iimagine not!.”
by Lee, Highridge
Monday, November 02 2009, 8:54PM
“Here we go again. We have just had to suffer a modernisation programme with Jobcentreplus and look at the mess they are in!! I have had to make a claim recently and waited nearly 12 weeks before I received a payment. When I have used a council customer centre, all the staff have been extremely efficient and courteous. Unfortunately this was not my experience with Jobcentreplus. I really hope the council reconsider this move as I have had enough of call centres. I would rather deal with real people who show empathy for peoples circumstances and not a voice at the end of the telephone reading off a script.”
by SF, Bristol
Monday, November 02 2009, 8:17PM
“I thought it was very helpful of Tash to highlight the benefits of the local libraries. It would be even more helpful to add that you need to book your slot in advance (hopefully you wont have an emergency!) and don't forget your purses and wallets, at 32 pages it'll cost over £3.00 to download a claim for for housing benefit. All you have to do then is find somebody to help you complete it............”
by The Hedgehog, Horfield
Monday, November 02 2009, 7:32PM
“Can't all these old codgers without the Internet get on their bikes to the Council House? After all, we seem to have unlimited funds to spend on this Cycling City nonsense...”
by Peter, Bristol
Monday, November 02 2009, 7:31PM
“This is absolutely ridiculous. Why the hell are they cutting back on essential services. I don't want to use a call centre, I want to deal with someone face to face. I also dont want to have to travel into town from Horfield to get my documents checked. They spend a few hundred thousand pounds on renaming a museum and yet they cant spend £6 to deal with me! I'd also like to know where they got that figure from as it sounds rubbish to me. The Councils call centre is rubbish and a complete waste of money. Ive had to phone them a few times and not been happy with the service at all. Ive never had a bad service when Ive gone to any of the Housing Offices. I appreciate the Council need to save money but surely they should be looking elsewhere.”
by Annon, Bristol
Monday, November 02 2009, 7:00PM
“No, you won't see a reduction in your council tax. The money will go to pay the Chief Exec's extortionate salary, while the once lower paid staff sign on for jobseekers.”
by disgruntled council tax payer!, knowle
Monday, November 02 2009, 6:46PM
“So the council want to make cut backs to save money......money for who? Does this mean our council tax will be considerable less because of the saving Bristol City Council are making at our expense.
The council suggests we should use our local libraries.....has this now become a free service for photocopy/download documents all of a sudden. I had to copy documents recently at my local library....it cost me 10p per sheet. Is this another way of getting the public to pay. I look forward to a decrease next year in my council tax.”