HMRC has published a report on the results of 50 in-depth interviews with individuals, small businesses and tax agents, designed to reveal in greater detail the reasons behind dissatisfaction with the time it takes HMRC to resolve specific queries. Responses to a 2015 survey revealed dissatisfaction among a significant proportion of agents (46%), as well as among individual taxpayers and small businesses.
The qualitative research in this study aimed to understand:
customers’ expectations of time taken;
customers’ experiences of time taken at each stage of their journey;
customers’ views on the acceptability of time taken; and
how customers think the experience of time taken can be improved.
The report’s conclusions in relation to each group were:
agents had clear expectations and were tolerant of the amount of time taken for more complex queries, as long as timelines were communicated in advance, but were less tolerant when simple queries took longer to resolve than expected. Clarity around HMRC processes and timescales, as well as improved self-serve options, would increase their satisfaction;
for small businesses, the primary requirements were for clarity around HMRC’s processes, reassurance and burden minimisation; and
for individuals, the primary need from contact was for reassurance, requiring communication to provide greater clarity on the steps HMRC is taking to address queries and timescales, as well as more proactive and personalised communications.
See ‘Customer experience of the acceptability of the time taken to reach an end result’, https://bit.ly/2Kf4Q8T.
HMRC has published a report on the results of 50 in-depth interviews with individuals, small businesses and tax agents, designed to reveal in greater detail the reasons behind dissatisfaction with the time it takes HMRC to resolve specific queries. Responses to a 2015 survey revealed dissatisfaction among a significant proportion of agents (46%), as well as among individual taxpayers and small businesses.
The qualitative research in this study aimed to understand:
customers’ expectations of time taken;
customers’ experiences of time taken at each stage of their journey;
customers’ views on the acceptability of time taken; and
how customers think the experience of time taken can be improved.
The report’s conclusions in relation to each group were:
agents had clear expectations and were tolerant of the amount of time taken for more complex queries, as long as timelines were communicated in advance, but were less tolerant when simple queries took longer to resolve than expected. Clarity around HMRC processes and timescales, as well as improved self-serve options, would increase their satisfaction;
for small businesses, the primary requirements were for clarity around HMRC’s processes, reassurance and burden minimisation; and
for individuals, the primary need from contact was for reassurance, requiring communication to provide greater clarity on the steps HMRC is taking to address queries and timescales, as well as more proactive and personalised communications.
See ‘Customer experience of the acceptability of the time taken to reach an end result’, https://bit.ly/2Kf4Q8T.
