Increase in complaints hits answers

THE BBC dealt with more complaints in 2010-11 than the year before and took longer to respond to them, according to figures released in its annual report yesterday.

The corporation's Audience Services answered just under 240,000 complaints in the first stage of its complaints procedure - 20,000 more than in the previous 12 months.

According to the report, the introduction of a new complaints database led to "a number of issues" that meant 81 per cent were dealt with within the ten-day target - compared to 94 per cent the year before.

A team of mystery shoppers tested the procedure this year and found more than a third of letters and almost half of e-mails did not get a reply within the correct timeframe.

The report states: "This level of service for written complaints is not satisfactory."

Recent high-profile complaints from fashion chain Primark and Band Aid trustees including Bob Geldof have led to on-air apologies, but the complaints procedure itself has also been criticised.

In a recent speech to the Royal Television Society, BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said the corporation needed a procedure that is "quicker and easier to understand".

He also announced the BBC would appoint a chief complaints editor following criticism of the complaints procedure by a committee of peers.