Starting to dread having to make household calls

[BobDear]

This might just be me - and actually I think what I'm really looking for is some clarity on whether this sounds rationale. For context I am not having a great time in general at home - marriage issues and teenage issues - life has been hard for some time.

I also recently went through menopause.

But is anyone else finding that their mental health or general wellbeing is adversely affected by the amount of time and lack of resolution when having to make general household calls. I'm talking banks/insurance/utilities/service providers/hmrc/council etc. Calls that have to be made.

Today I had a few on my 'to do' list. One medical, two related to my mum (who died four years ago - so it's not particularly raw) and one utility. I am a freelancer and currently working full time from home and these calls have so far taken four and a half hours and I haven't got a clean and final resolution on anything.

I was on hold for between 16 and 49 mins and am currently on hold to an insurer and have been on hold for 44 mins. Most people don't listen properly to the issue and give scripted and robotic responses that don't solve anything and I'm actually getting to the point where I really really dread it and it's making me feel sick. There are things slipping because I don't have the time to be on hold or explain the same thing to five departments and I feel a bit like Michael Douglas in 'Falling Down' (if anyone remembers that film).

It's actually a joke that it's now normal to have to commit this level of time to speaking to someone. I am owed £150 by Opodo and have been trying to get this back for 6 months but it's so long winded and difficult to resolve that I am about to give up as the thought of calling again makes me feel ill.

Is it just me? Is this everything else that's going on in my life? Or does anyone else feel this way?

Yes, that's a good point @Crucible I use airpods now so I can leave my phone on the side and crack on with what I'm doing. They catch you out though by answering and demanding your card number when you are at the other end of the house.

Why is this acceptable? Surely we need some action to change this.

I used to deal with complaints professionally, and the best way is to contact them once by phone or letter. If it isn't resolved at thar point go through the complaints process in writing. The call centre staff are rarely given enough leeway to properly resolve issues, but once you are dealing with the complaints team, they do.

I totally agree. It's gone beyond a joke now and needs regulating.

No, I’m currently nearing the top of my rage arc after trying to pay for a holiday I’ve booked.

Booking took numerous calls just to get someone to take the fucking booking, then I’ve had to chase repeatedly to get the confirmation emails and payment details then when they finally sent them, there’s a problem with their website. The sheer amount of time and hassle it’s taking just to give someone a decent sum of money is making me furious.

It started with covid in the first lockdown when a lot of staff were struggling with working and having children at home. That was understandable. But since then firms seem to have decided they only need to have a few poorly trained staff and we have to accept it.
It does need regulating though as it is now ridiculous. And those stupid messages advising you to look on the website while you wait on the phone for ages. If I could have my question answered by going to your website I would. I need to speak to someone!!

It’s getting I hate these type of call most time now they can’t understand you, you can’t understand them🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️Dwp is worst expect to stay on hold for over an hour pip the same. SSE the same hate it.

I think it started long before lockdowns. It's obviously got much worse but I remember calling call centres 20 years ago and waiting ages and then being connected to someone following a script. My mental health was worse then and I'd sometimes find myself near tears of rage.

in fact, those calls stressed me out more then as it was more likely that you'd have to wait till you got home, then the call centre would be closing an hour later etc.

Thank you all, thank you!

I am glad I am not alone in my utter despair.

This morning I was trying (for the third day) to resolve a situation with Eon around the house move that went something like this:

Me: I just want to pay
Them: But Madam, we no longer deal with Eon customers, only Eon Next customers
Me: I am an Eon customer. My new house/account is Eon next but my old one is Eon
Them: So you are with Eon then!
Me: I am with both - one for my old house and one for the new one. Can I please pay the Eon Next amount?
Them: No sorry
Me: But you have sent me a chase letter
Them: Yes but you need to speak to Eon
Me: But you are Eon
Them: Yes but Eon-next. Your Eon account will have been moved
Me: What can you actually do? I want to pay
Them: You need to wait for a bill
Me: But you've sent me a chase!
Them: Yes but you need a bill.
Me: I hate you all. Goodbye

And then, within two minutes, i got an email from them asking me to 'Rate My Call'.

I want to cry

OP I feel your pain on the Eon thing. I still don't know which I am. It's bloody ridiculous. They create systems no one understands and it only benefits companies selling software.

The trouble is, when they all do it, you can't vote with your feet.

I think I have this next story right but it's so unbelievable. Friend bought a new car. After she confirmed she wanted to buy it - there was a wait for this car - she was asked to sign papers in the showroom, then told she had to download an app and pay that way. It took her some time of repeating "you must have a way I can pay here" before they eventually admitted they could take her payment there.

I must have a look round and see if any consumer orgs are on to this.

I so agree. I have a to do list that mainly consists of chasing people to do things they have already agreed to do

Anything NHS is the absolute pits. They spend more time telling you they don't have the time to do the thing you were asking for than it would have taken them to do it.

Don't get me started with easyjet (change the terms and conditions of a ticket without telling you) or tesco mobile (actually will lie to you admit the previous agent lied to you then tell you to trust them). HP were also very good at sorting my printer, each of the 4 times I've had to contact them about the same problem 🤬🙄😖

Amazon and now TV and the only two customer service people who actually seem to sort things.

A little bit of me dies inside every time I get one of these types of issues to deal with. Car/house/travel insurance renewal leaves me avoiding the paperwork until the last possible moment as I can't deal with having to get quotes or try and make amendments.
I'm ashamed to admit that I've avoided trying to phone the GP to make an appointment for a routine screening as I've already lost the will to live by the time I've listened to the long, drawn out recorded message before I'm even added to the long queue if calls - and making appointments online and e-consult are suspended.
My MIL who is 94 and registered as severely visually impared (but definitely all there mentally) was recently trying to sort out an issue with her house insurance, couldn't get through on the phone. She tried for days. They wanted everything done online. She does use a computer but there's a limit to what she can read on screen as she has to enlarge the text so she prefers to speak to a real person. She is fiercely independent so wouldn't dream of asking BIL to sort it out for her.

Customer service has gone to sh1t since Covid.

Oh god the 'Its quicker to use our website' messages on the phone...

Of course I have fucking checked your useless website. I would not be here sat on the phone, wasting hours of my life on hold if I could have sorted it on line. Gah!

Selecting numerous options to speak to someone and constantly being told 'we are currently experiencing higher than normal call volumes'. Every bloody time you call.

Then they advise you to try their website.
Just gets worse and worse.

Agree with pp, this started before covid

BobDear it was a similar issue that tipped me over the edge. We moved house on 1st April, contacted Octopus regarding energy and they couldn't take over the supply until 12 April. We took meter readings the day we moved in and on the 12th, supplied both to Octopus and they've billed us since 12 April.

We received a bill from EDF for the period 1-12 April, so far so good, but it was an estimated bill for £200. DH was in the house pretty much on his own for the first couple of weeks with no heating, he was living on tomato soup and toast so no oven. We've supplied EDF with the readings, explained the previous owners were a family of six and there's no way we use as much power. We calculated we owed them just over £35.

We've emailed, called, spoken to 4 different people, had queries raised, received increasingly fierce demand letters and it's still not resolved. I almost want EDF to take legal action against us so I can march into court with the reams of paperwork and tell them to shove it. I've just referred the whole lot to the ombudsman. But it's the circular headache, the hours spent on the phone, the complete lack of resolution, the fact that various customer service people have admitted they can see the notes on the system regarding the complaint, but no-one seems to be able to actually DO anything.