Endless telephone queues everywhere - can't get through..

[Ykn]

Endless holding for the doctor's surgery, the pharmacy, the bank, the vet (no good if there was an emergency situation) and of course HMRC to get an 18 digit reference number so that I can pay voluntary contributions from missed years.

It's so frustrating and so difficult to get through to any organisation.

And yet, we have to supply email addresses and phone numbers for absolutely everything. My email is full of junk that hasn’t gone to trash. It’s not acceptable to be unable to contact all of these places, particularly when it’s to do with health and finances.

And they usually suggest checking their website. Because I just prefer wasting my time calling instead.

I feel your pain. Drives me insane as well. You need half a day off work to sort each and every problem that at one time could be done in a lunch hour.

And this. I don't want to plough through/sometimes don't't understand reams of written instructions- I just want to speak to a human being.

Not sure if all this is because of places being short staffed or just not caring. It's definitely got worse over the last few months.

Yup, it's quicker to drive to my doctors and book an appointment in person. The only place that does answer within 5 minutes consistently is my vet, which is amazing.

Everywhere else is a write off!

I think that they figured out during covid that 1. They can get away with it and 2. People that aren't desperately in need of the service will hang up after 40 minutes or so and move on.

Our vet took note of comments about this and they now have an option to go through to someone for emergencies so you're answered straightaway. I rang yesterday as one of mine had eaten something they shouldn't have, and was answered within 30 seconds. I actually said thank you to the receptionist!

Yes, it's worse since covid and working from home, but it was bad at a lot of organisations pre covid too!

I spent the entire afternoon yesterday trying to upgrade my Virgin broadband contract. Spoke to 4 different people, all clearly working from home due to the laughter, dog barking, doorbell ringing, in the background, and the first 3 calls were cut off mid call, sounded like one dropped her phone, another one the line started to go really crackly before cutting out and one went to answer the door but never came back! One had to keep apologising that her broadband connection kept cutting out! Finally, the 4th call I made must have actually been concentrating on the call and had a good connection, because it was all done and sorted within about 10 minutes! Working from home will be the death knell of some organisations!

Try ringing boots because my card isn't working fifty thousand questions and directions then your allowed to say none of these I did this thinking it would get me through somewhere NO! they simply reworded the earlier questions literally switched it from if you believe your card to be lost/stolen to if you think your card has been stolen/lost im sat there thinking 🤔 where is the my card doesn't fucking work option??

I hate how they all always say "we're experiencing higher than usual call volumes".

No - if it's been higher than usual for years, this is now usual. Either staff it adequately or don't, but don't make out like it's some unpredictable random surge in calls.

Omg I hear you 100%. HMRC cocked up my self assessment return (and it was their fault). I called and called over last autumn into winter. Each time they said it would be corrected. I noted each time when I started and ended the call and by the time I blew my lid at someone on a call this spring I’d spent 7 hrs on the phone to HMRC, either waiting for it to be answered or waiting to be connected to the right person or waiting for them to look into my file. Eventually it was sorted but if it happens again I can’t face it and will pay the extra £100s in tax just to not go through that again!