-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Unacceptable Excuses For Use of 0845 Number by Local Government Ombudsman Service
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:45:24 +0100
From: Ricky Duveen <r.duveen@lgo.org.uk>
CC: Tony Redmond <t.redmond@lgo.org.uk>, Stephen Purser <s.purser@lgo.org.uk>, Nigel Karney <n.karney@lgo.org.uk>
Dear Mr __________,
The reason we are using an 0845 number is that callers using this service are only charged the rate for a local call as opposed to a national call rate. For many people in this country this is still the cheapest call rate to use (short of a free 0800 number but the Local Government Ombudsman is not funded for such a service). Whilst I note that some callers would be better off using an 024 number to call our service many would not. You may not like our explanation for not using an 03 number already which I included in my previous email but the decision to launch the new Advice Team with an 0845 number was taken many months prior to it going live and an 03 number was not available to us at the time.
Your point about not using 0845 numbers to access services may be relevant to a District Council where almost all calls are local but this is certainly not the case for LGO where we provide a national service.
There are two groups of caller who will pay more for using an 0845 number;
· Those who have signed up to a bundle that provides cheap calls but excludes 0845 and other low-cost number
· Callers using mobile phones where even standard calls are expensive
For the first group, the difference in making a 10 minute call to the LGO Advice Team may be that cost of the call at national rate offered by the telephone company involved, but will be in the region of 4p per minute or 40p in total. This is hardly a major barrier to people using our service and, as I pointed out, the numbers of callers using the new service has gone up way beyond our expectations. Callers with a bundle arrangement from their providers will often pay nothing for a call to an 024 or 03 number but be charged the national rate for an 0845 call. They will also typically pay a higher monthly fee to their provider so not all subscribers will take a bundle.
For the second group, a call may be charged at up to 40p per minute with some mobile telephone companies and the cost of a 10 minute conversation would be £4.00. However, such callers would pay similar costs for any other standard call using their mobile. Most people understand that using a mobile phone is much more expensive than using a land line.
Nevertheless there are two points that we will follow up on;
·
We will move to an 03 number at a convenient time later this year.
· We will advertise the 024 number alongside the 0845 number so that callers can make best use of their ‘bundled’ calls. As you yourself discovered this already happens on our website but we recognise that we can do more to give the 024 number added prominence.
Additionally, our operators do normally offer to call back people using our service if the call extends beyond a few minutes so that whatever happens callers should not face a large bill for calls to LGO.
I hope this answers your queries relating to call charges. If you wish to make a complaint about LGO then your first port of call should be Nigel Karney, the Deputy Chief Executive, who can be reached at n.karney@lgo.org.uk
Regards
Ricky Duveen
Head of IT
Commission for Local Administration in England
Tel: 020 7217 4729
Website :
www.lgo.org.uk 
Pages: 1
Local Government Ombudsman 03 tel no (Read 12,475 times)
