Revenue call-centre staff take lessons from Samaritans

Ringing up the Inland Revenue's call centre isn't a pleasant experience for most people. But neither is being on the receiving end of hundreds of upset people every day, trying to sort out their problems and still give them a sympathetic ear. Which is why the taxman has enlisted a helping hand - in the shape of Samaritans.

Samaritans, which provides 24-hour telephone support for those in emotional distress, is currently running a series of training courses helping businesses to improve their communication skills - and the Inland Revenue has signed up 2,000 of its call-centre staff for some extra expertise in learning to listen.

The Samaritans have been training non-profit companies for some time but the launch of the business-orientated courses marks a departure for the charity. Gaynor Howard, training manager for the Samaritans, said she believed that Samaritans' experience in dealing with distraught or angry callers makes it a perfect fit for industry call centres.

"Samaritans has developed unique skills in active listening and communication, often in highly charged emotional situations. Many of these skills are directly transferable to the business world, especially in companies and organisations that deal with emotionally charged situations or the public on the telephone," she said in a statement.