Nearly 30 percent of calls to the Swedish Enforcement Authority have been dropped so far this year, according to figures requested by the member magazine of the Swedish Tenants’ Association Hem & Hyra – a significant increase from last year, when the figure for the whole of last year was eight percent.
On one day in June, the Swedish Enforcement Authority’s (Kronofogdens) customer service received a total of 4,887 calls, but 1,255 calls did not make it into the queue and were disconnected.
Ingrid Gunnarsson tried to contact the Swedish Enforcement Authority shortly after nine one morning, but the queue was already full.
– I couldn’t get through. Then I called at 11 a.m. It was the same thing, she told the newspaper.
The Swedish Enforcement Authority is only open for six hours a day, and when Gunnarsson called, there were 101 people in line with 40 agents.
– How are 40 agents supposed to serve all of Sweden?
According to data requested by the newspaper, about two percent of calls were not answered in 2021. Last year it was eight percent. So far this year, 30 percent of calls have gone unanswered. In January, Swedes’ debts to the Swedish Enforcement Authority had increased by 17% since the beginning of last year and amounted to close to €17,4 billion (SEK 199 billion).
“Tough priorities”
Kristin Alm, head of the over-indebtedness department at the Swedish Enforcement Authority, which is responsible for customer service, regrets that it is so difficult to get in touch with staff and admits that more and more worried Swedes are getting in touch – at the same time that the authority has cut back on customer service staff.
– We have a higher volume of calls than we have had for many years. We have not been able to meet this demand because we do not have the budget and finances to cope with it. As a result, we have made some tough business priorities.
The priority, she says, is to process cases, which means fewer resources for the customer service department and less time to answer questions.
– It’s not something we wish for, but it’s something we had to do.
