A pilot text messaging system trial launched to save valuable officer hours and make it easier to contact residents is being rolled out across a south Suffolk council.
Babergh District Council is keen to find a way to reach many more of its customers cheaply and efficiently. It tested the system, which operates through email, during the local elections in May.
Information on newly-elected councillors was sent through text messages to journalists and broadcasters – saving officer time, hours on the telephone and improving the service provided.
Now the system is being used to contact people to remind them to pay their Council Tax and also for builders to book work inspections.
Bob Southgate, Babergh’s Head of Customer Services, said: “Text messaging is an effective and modern way of communicating. Most people have a mobile phone and it is no longer a gimmick but a real help in a busy world.
“By launching this system, Babergh is hoping to communicate with even more of its customers, while keeping the traditional methods open, to allow for greater access to our services.
“Text messages are more instantaneous and allow a greater flexibility for the person receiving them. The potential for numerous worker hours saved is enormous, coupled with money savings - the cost of a second class stamp is 24p, a text charge is 6p.”
Internally, the system is being used for a travel alert service to try and alleviate the amount of time visiting council officers waste sitting in traffic jams.
In the future, residents will be able to use the system to report fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles to the Babergh offices. ENDS
More information on the council's texting service.
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