Library’s combined help desk to provide ‘better customer service’

Members of Suffolk Coastal District Council and Suffolk Libraries officially open thenew customer service centre at Woodbridge Library

The £60,000 project is part of Suffolk Coastal’s move from headquarters in Melton Hill to Riduna Park, near Melton railway station, later this year.

Woodbridge Library staff will share a new help desk with members of the district council’s customer service team.

A private interview room and quieter area for accessing computers, reading or studying are also part of the refurbishment project – work on which began in February and continued while the library remained open.

It’s completion comes more than three years after Suffolk Coastal decided to also relocate Woodbridge tourist information centre (TIC) from the railway station to the library.

Suffolk Coastal’s head of customers, communities and leisure, TJ Haworth-Culf said: “This investment allows us to provide better customer services to local people by dealing with more things at the first point of contact.”

The customer services team will deal with enquiries on matters including council tax and housing benefits. Appointments can also be made to see staff from other council services, such as planning.

Suffolk Libraries chief executive, Alison Wheeler said: “We are always pleased to help the public pound stretch even further.

“This partnership project will provide benefits for everyone and put our library at the centre of the community providing a vast range of services and activities under one roof.”

Council customer services opening times at Woodbridge Library are 8.45am-5pm Monday to Wednesday, 9.30am-5.30pm on Thursday and 8.45am-4.30pm on Friday. There are no services on Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays.

Council and tourist information services have also been incorporated into a similar ‘one stop shop’ at Felixstowe Library.