HM Revenue and Customs has published its latest set of monthly customer service statistics that suggest that, two months after receiving a £51m funding boost, helplines have begun to recover
HM Revenue and Customs appears to have begun the process of improving its handling of telephone enquiries in July – two months after government approved a £50m-plus investment to support service improvements.
There has been a great deal of focus on the tax agency’s helplines so far this year – never more sharply than when the department announced in March plans to significantly scale back its telephone support, including a proposal to close some services entirely for half the year. The aim of the move was to direct more people to use online options.
However, after much criticism, the plans were reversed within 24 hours and, within two months, government announced that HMRC would be provided with an extra £51m in funding to help improve telephone customer-service levels.
The department’s stated target is to successfully answer 85% of all calls made to its helplines. In the 2023/24 year, it achieved a rate of only 66.4%.
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In recent months, performance has fallen well below even this level, with the answer rate falling beneath 60% in March before – seemingly – bottoming out in the first month of the new fiscal year, with a rate of just 53.5% in April. This has bounced back somewhat since then, rising to 60.4% and 59.5% in May and June, respectively.
HMRC’s newly published customer-service statistics for July show another marked rebound to 66.9%. This figure is now ahead of the average for the whole of last year – but remains 18 percentage points below departmental targets. The department received about 3.1 million calls during the month, the statistics reveal.
Phone calls remain the predominant customer-service channel by which citizens engage with HMRC, with monthly volumes of post received standing at 1.4 million in July. The department processed 265,568 online iForms and conducted 93,555 webchats during the month, the statistics reveal.
Overall customer satisfaction stood at 80.7% – an increase compared with the 79.3% figure posted in the previous month, and the 78.6% across the whole of FY24.
The department has also shown improvement in the proportion of “once and done” customer service enquiries, which encompasses users of phone, webchat, and digital tools that are able to resolve their enquiry at the first time of asking. This categorisation applied to 86.3% of users in July, a rise on the June figure of 84.4% and the prior-year monthly average of 82.6%.
balancing stands
Easy & Effective Balancing Stands: A Comprehensive Guide
Welcome to our detailed guide on balancing stands! If you’re looking to enhance your understanding of these tools, you’ve come to the right place. Balancing stands are essential for achieving precision in the balancing of various rotor mechanisms. This guide will walk you through the basics, benefits, and applications of effective balancing stands.
What are Balancing Stands?
Balancing stands are specialized devices designed to facilitate the dynamic balancing of rotors. These tools are particularly useful in industries where rotating equipment is prevalent, such as in the manufacturing and maintenance of pumps, fans, and turbines. The main advantage of these stands is their simplicity combined with effectiveness, which allows for high-quality balancing at minimal costs.
Design and Functionality
The fundamental design of balancing stands typically involves a sturdy flat plate or frame supported by cylindrical compression springs. These springs are strategically chosen to ensure that the natural vibration frequency of the setup is significantly lower than the operational frequency of the rotor being balanced. This crucial feature allows for stable measurements and accurate balancing results.
Components of a Balancing Stand
Let’s take a quick look at the main components of a typical balancing stand:
Plate: The primary surface where rotors are mounted.
Cylindrical Springs: Suspended supports that enhance the stand’s vibration isolation.
Electric Motor: It acts as both spindle and drive, allowing for the rotor to be rotated at various speeds.
Impulse Sensor: Integrally linked with the measuring system to monitor the rotor’s rotation angle.
Applications of Balancing Stands
Balancing stands are versatile and can be tailored for different applications including:
1. Balancing Abrasive Wheels
One common use of balancing stands is for abrasive wheels. These stands are specifically designed to ensure accurate balancing of the wheels, which is crucial for maintaining operational efficiency and safety during use.
2. Balancing Vacuum Pumps
Another essential application is in balancing vacuum pumps. Various balancing stands can accommodate pumps that operate at speeds up to 60,000 rpm. By using advanced sensors, including vibration and laser phase angle sensors, these stands can provide precise balancing results, achieving minimal residual vibrations.
3. Balancing Fans
Balancing fans is yet another critical application. Stands designed for fan balancing can show impressive results, significantly surpassing industry vibration tolerance limits. For example, stands could achieve a residual vibration level of 0.8 mm/s, ensuring the fans operate smoothly and efficiently.
Benefits of Using Balancing Stands
The utilization of balancing stands provides numerous advantages:
Cost-Effectiveness: Simple designs lead to lower production costs while maintaining high precision.
High Quality of Results: With proper design, balancing stands can achieve high-quality balance tolerances, satisfying even the stringent industry standards.
Versatility: Capable of balancing a wide variety of rotors, these stands are adaptable to different machinery needs.
Easy Maintenance: The straightforward construction usually results in less downtime for maintenance and easier repairs.
Conclusion
In summary, balancing stands are a vital component in maintaining the operational efficiency and safety of rotating machinery. Their simple yet effective design allows for precision in balancing various rotors, ranging from abrasive wheels to vacuum pumps and fans. If you are considering investing in balancing stands, rest assured that they offer a robust solution to your balancing needs, ultimately leading to improved equipment performance and reduced vibration fatigue.
Explore Our Products
If you’re looking to purchase premium balancing stands, we have a range of products available. From portable balancers to vibration analyzers, our inventory is designed to meet diverse balancing requirements effectively. Check out our selection and discover how our tools can elevate your balancing processes to a new level.
Contact Us
If you have more questions or need guidance on selecting the right balancing stand for your applications, feel free to reach out. Our team is here to assist you in making informed decisions that benefit your operations.