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The lowdown on Viewer Enquries
Posted: 02-05-08This week, The TV Show asked Viewer Enquiries manger Fiona Irwin to provide you with an insight into her department, letting you know exactly what happens to your complaints and comments when they reach Channel 4. Do you think the channel deals with your feedback in the right way? Is there anything that could be improved?
Viewer Enquiries is the department within Channel 4 that deals with the comments and complaints that come in about our programmes and channels – and it’s been doing that since the channel started back in 1982. Back then we were called the Duty Office and our one analogue channel broadcast for just over 6 hours daily. We received 175 calls on our first day of transmission, many of which expressed good wishes and praise for our brand new channel.
Twenty-five years later, Channel 4 has a stable of four channels (not counting the +1s) going out on analogue, digital, satellite, HD and broadband, and transmits 24 hours a day. Last year Viewer Enquiries dealt with over 260,000 viewer contacts, which came to us via phone, letter and email. That works out at an average of just over 700 queries, complaints and appreciative comments about our programmes and channels per day! Perhaps you’ll find it surprising that complaints only make up about 10% of our overall contacts each year.
Due to the Channel 4's unique remit there are very few dull days down in Viewer Enquiries, and as you will see in Cheers & Grumbles, we've had a fairly busy month with both Dispatches: Immigration - The Inconvenient Truth and Bodyshock Special: I am the Elephant Man attracting a lot of comment from viewers.
The internet has not only revolutionised how we receive your comments, but it has also revolutionised the way in which we are able to provide you with the information you need. You can see this in the form of our online FAQs, TV listings and many dedicated programme websites.
Thankfully, the internet has also spelled the end of duty officers having to photocopy 50 copies of the duty log at the end of their shifts, distributing them by hand the following morning. These days, an electronic comments report is distributed by email each morning – your feedback gets sent to virtually all members of staff here at Channel 4 and also to the production companies who are responsible for making the programmes.
So, that's Viewer Enquiries in a very small nutshell - remember, when we tell you that your comments are important to us and that they will be seen by the people who matter – they do and they really are!
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