Worcester City Council has praised its customer service team after new performance data showed that 98.7% of calls to the main council number were answered within 90 seconds, with live calls picked up in an average of just 15 seconds.
Between July and September, the council received 5,769 calls to its main line. While many residents successfully used automated options to self-serve online or access county-level services, 735 callers chose to speak directly with an officer—and were met with swift, reliable support.
Speaking at the Policy & Resources Committee, Cllr Jessie Jagger, Vice Chair, highlighted the significance of these results:
“Technology is brilliant and has its place, but we must protect human jobs and the simple reassurance of having someone at the other end of the phone. Not everyone can or wants to navigate an app or a website—human contact matters.”
Cllr Jagger urged that, as discussions progress around creating a new unitary authority for Worcestershire, the preservation of accessible, human-centred customer services must remain a priority.
She added:
“Our staff have delivered outstanding service. As structures change, we cannot lose the people behind this success. Residents deserve real voices, real conversations, and real support.”
Worcester City Council is committed to ensuring any future local government reorganisation strengthens—not weakens—the quality of public contact and the protection of frontline staff.
