AREAS OF CONCERN 11: AUTOMATED PHONE SYSTEM

This is the last in the series of “Areas of Concern” which were brought to the fore-front in the November 2008 campaign / election.

The girls that work in the two front desks are overwhelmed by the phone, the public coming in, and doing their other daily tasks. They really don’t get any of their “other daily tasks” done when working at the front desk because the phone rings almost non-stop.

From what I have overheard while in the office, it sounds like MANY of those phone calls could be avoided; it’s just an ill-informed public that calls the COC office because they don’t know who else to call. And many of those calls are for the same thing: 1) Traffic violations for Sandusky Municipal Court; 2) Traffic violations for County Court (in Avery); 3) requests to look up service; 4) requests to look up status on a case; 5) requests to do criminal checks or searches (which the COC does not do anyway); 6) transfers to the appeals division, foreclosure division, criminal division and civil divisions.

An automated phone system would eliminate numbers 1-5 above and automatically transfer the calls to the correct personnel in number 6. This would free up 2 personnel to take care of other tasks in the COC office that need attention. An automated phone system does not cost that much money to implement; it is cheap to do and would save THOUSANDS of hours every year for COC personnel to take care of other things. In an office that is so strapped for personnel, this seems to be a no-brainer.

So what has Barb Johnson done about this since it was brought up during the campaign in 2008 (a year later). . . . . . . . . . . absolutely NOTHING!

Now come on, really, would you expect anything more from our “NOTHING” clerk?

Too bad, and so sad; especially since OUR tax money is paying her to do “NOTHING” about everything.To you the voter I ask: Does this look like she is doing the job that she was elected by YOU THE VOTERS AND TAX PAYERS of Erie County to do?