If you are calling a Government department but unable to speak to someone, there will be a new call centre to pick up the slack.
Called the Citizen Services Contact Centre (CSCC), it will officially be launched on January 23.
This new service will cost taxpayers just over $10 000 a month.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight made the announcement yesterday during a post-Cabinet briefing at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ offices in Wildey, St Michael.
“We hear the concerns that citizens speak to on the call-in programmes and in other fora about their dissatisfaction with the level of delivery of Government services.
“Therefore, over 2023, the Government has been bringing together ministers, permanent secretaries and other officers almost monthly to discuss how we can improve, and how can we rise to the challenge and make sure we have a Government that is fit for purpose for delivery for our citizens,” Munro-Knight said.
Although they intend to answer all calls made, provision is being made for representatives to reach out to individuals who hung up because they were waiting too long.
“You are going to be guaranteed because we are working for a 100 per cent call-answer. You will be able to speak to a Barbadian agent who will answer the phone and respond to you.
“Even if you have to wait a minute for a call, you can also have the option of saying you want to have a ‘call back’. Somebody will call you back if you are waiting too long, so that’s how serious we are in relation to making sure this works,” she added.
The CSCC, which will be run by Trident Processing Services, can be reached at 573-7373 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
About 50 to 60 individuals will be employed.
Government also plans to roll out an email address and a WhatsApp number where the concerns or recommendations can be made. From January 24, people may email [email protected], or send WhatsApp messages to 266-4242.
In response to queries from reporters, Munro-Knight said the company secured its six-month contract after placing a bid as part of the Government’s procurement process.
“We solicited persons to bid for the service and Trident was selected, so the logistics and where they will be employed is up to the service provider,” she said.
The minister made it clear this latest initiative was not a replacement for existing Government contact centres.
She said they also intended to set timelines for Government agencies to respond to complex queries from the public. (TG)
Please remember that the purpose of this new and innovative venture is to help the public. We have to have call monitoring for audit purposes of the system, and insolence and matching of wits with weary members of the public would not be tolerated. Strive for a kinder and gentler Barbados. For too long, going into a government office was akin to walking into a Roman Coliseum with hungry lions in wait. Let my people go!!
So, the people have to pay 10,000 a month for a company to answer a phone call that will then be routed to the same entity that you wanted to call in the first place where people employed there don’t answer the phone?
Bentley, you got that right. $ 120,000 a year out of all the borrowed money they owe.
This money could have gone to the interest that they have to pay back. It could have gone towards security for the policlinics. It could have gone to cleaning up the schools, protecting the staff and children.
The math is flawed- 50 to 60 persons employed at a cost of $10,000 per month calculates to between $160 and $200 per month per employee. No money to pay phone bill or rent or electricity etc
EMAIL address is too long.
Hope the telephone persons are TRAINED in CUSTOMER SERVICE first before sitting in that chair.
Here it say WE SURE ABOUT MAKING A CALL, but what about RESULTS after the CALL.
Now that’s my concern.
this is utter nonsense omg only in Barbados …..they really taking people for a ride
So I guess the receptionist in the government offices will be made redundant.
Senator Shantal Munro Knight have lost her Mind. Taxpayers are Struggling just to Keep a Roof over their heads and Food on the Table, Along with the Massive Debt that this Government has Buried this Country Under. Why don’t she see that the Workers in these Government offices do the work they are Paid to do or Replace them with persons who really wants to Work.
SMOKING MIRRORS
So they taking off answering the phone from out of the job description for the receptionist and other workers in government. They are expected to answer the phone. What is so hard about answering the phone when it rings? Granted sometimes it gets really busy but a lot of them just refuse to answer when they can just answer and be mannerly now that is another topic for discussing because they have no manners either.
The maths definitely has to be wrong. Unskilled workers weeding the road get $520.00 per week. In they were to pay these trained call centre workers $2000 a month slightly lower that road weeders 50 worker would be oaid $100000 per month in wages, plus national insurance. The company managing the call centre must make a some money to cover office rent etc. It is a misprint or someone does not know simple arithmetic.