to be utterly fed up of "because of pandemic" being used as an excuse..

[5foot5]

..for piss-poor service. Particularly on call centres and the like.

Granted in the early stages I can see it would have an impact - people off sick or self-isolating. Initially also I suppose there was some set-up to get people working efficiently from home. But, come on, it has been over a year. Surely things should be sorted by now?

I have just spent 45 minutes of my lunch hour waiting for my call to be taken. And yes I do know that some of my questions might be answered on the web-site FAQ and yes I know that I can manage my account on-line for some things. But not this thing. Even though they gave me four choices of musical style to listen to while I am waiting it doesn't help. Of course I wasn't arsey with the person who eventually answered as it's not his fault (I assume) but I do wonder if some companies are now using this excuse to cut down on staff and explain the long waits away on "unprecedented" circumstances.

DH is in a similar position. He sent a query about something to one of his pension funds. February was when he made the original query. He got the "because of difficult times" excuse and was told it would be in excess of 20 working days before they they could reply. More than 6 weeks later and no response he chased it. Then he was told another 10 days. Of course no joy so queries again and now it is 5-10 days. FFS 3 months to answer what he thought was a simple query

Just how long I wonder are companies going to keep hiding behind the pandemic excuse

fee = few

Agreed! ‘We’re open reduced hours due to covid’ is my least favourite.

It’s been a year. These are your hours now.

I've had a few pearlers this week.

Gas safety check company couldn't call or email me before sending an engineer ut cs covid. Sent him twice, he couldn't leave a card to say he had been cos covid. I then get a snotty letter saying I must allow access as legal requirements and they have been out twice when they have called. When I asked why I wasn't aware they were wanting to come, they can't send letters or emails or phonecalls cos covid.

Ds just gone up a level in swimming. He can have the certificate but they can't fill it in and sign it cos covid.

Housing association can't send a plumber to fix a leak, only a joiner cos covid.

And I had a delivery scheduled today for 10.10am to 111.10am. Got home at 10am to find a card and I'd missed them. Could I collect from sorting office. No I can't. Impossible to park anywhere near and it's a large parcel so can they redeliver. Errm, yes but we would prefer collection. Well yes but I've paid for delivery and would prefer delivery in the time slot you say. Ah yes, that's cos covid.

The most irritating auto responses are those along the lines of “due to an exceptional volume of calls at present/ unprecedented demand etc ....you may have to wait a decade for your call to be answered “. I mean maybe there was a bit of a flurry in calls to helplines back at the outset of the pandemic in 2020 when we were all wondering how things would actually continue to function but we’ve all largely adapted by now to the changed world we live in surely and calls must be pretty much back to the normal volumes?
The subtext of those announcements is actually that the relevant organisation has used the pandemic as an excuse to cut overheads (I.e. reduce the human work force even further) in the endless drive for “profit” and so there isn’t actually anyone to answer the phone!

Thank you @IrmaFayLear We have a Nationwide on our high street, so I shall check their opening hours and see what they can do.

I spent £350 in the local off-licence and the young man serving wouldn’t help me carry the boxes to my car or use the loo “because of Covid”.
Fortunately a kind customer helped me.

India?

We have contact centres in India. The situation is affecting UK performance levels as they’re not able to take anywhere the normal volume of contacts, so even our UK contact centres are struggling.

I spent two and a half hours in a phone queue this morning to try and contact my GP. This was for a prescription for a regular medication. Before covid I always got prescribed 6 months worth, but they've started only giving me 3 months. I asked for 6 months worth and was told no, because they hadn't seen me. So I asked if I could see someone and they said no....... so not only did I waste hours of my time, I have to pay twice as much (and I've lost my job because of covid!). It sucks.

I agree OP, in fact I just said as much to my DP. I'm sick of it being used as an excuse and I have a feeling it's going to be used for quite a long time. It's also interesting that in some cases you are getting a reduced service but still paying full price or in many cases increased prices. I am not doing anything at the moment that isn't necessary.

YANBU!

I have life long ear issues, so I’m a regular at my local ENT department and have been since I was 4. I haven’t been seen now for 18 months, should be seen every 6 months. I was called earlier in the year and told I would be sent an appointment through the post last month. Guess what? I’m still waiting! Due to COVID they apparently haven’t been seeing anyone yet I’ve been for appointments in 2 other departments since last Summer without a problem? I’ve also been to the opticians and the dentist a few times, had my hair cut and a few beauty treatments but I can’t have my ears looked at?

Completely agree op. I've given up on contacting some companies now.
As for the Drs if noone is allowed in the building why arent more Drs doing phone calls? What exactly are they all doing in there instead?

I was about to recommend Nationwide for the bank account too.

It's not just office type services either; local pool used to have a nice play session with floats for kids at the weekend...no more, due to covid?! Zero basis for this. Agree that councils and organisations are using it as an excuse for poor service.

My bank has changed their opening hours to 10-4 Mon to Fri closed at weekends - so if you work full time tough luck (guess covid must be more contagious on Saturday )

A building with 100s of people taking phone calls in a large call centre, of course they are still working from home. If one employee caught covid the whole office could potentially catch covid.

My husband runs a insurance department with 170 people who work on the phones he couldn’t have everyone off sick at the same time. Head office said they will be working from home until September, it’s hard though with people being asked to work from home with crappy internet or working from bedroom etc. I think we can cut people a bit of slack still.

@2021Vision

I agree OP, in fact I just said as much to my DP. I'm sick of it being used as an excuse and I have a feeling it's going to be used for quite a long time. It's also interesting that in some cases you are getting a reduced service but still paying full price or in many cases increased prices. I am not doing anything at the moment that isn't necessary.

Do you know what I want to shout when they say with that air of "duh" at me "cos of Covid"?

In February, one of the DCs teachers passed away from Covid. He was a star. DD especially was devastated.

The school told us all through an email from the Headteacher at 9am. They said in this email, that due to the news only having just reached them, they "hoped parents didn't mind" but they would not be doing live lessons on classroom for that day. However, most tutors were available on their form class Google classroom. Teachers were available to call students who needed it or to email them if they preferred. That was Friday.

Monday morning, the live lessons, for the most part, started again. Subdued, yes, but the teachers put their own huge amount of grief aside, and they damn well taught our kids. The only other time they stopped early was so staff could watch the live feed of his funeral service, but keyworker kids were in throughout with staff.

If those teachers and support staff could put their own feelings aside, after what was a bloody shock death, of a teacher who wasn't the usual Covid elderly victim, who was loved by so many and a huge part of the school, then what the hell is wrong with everyone else?

Currys - 6 plus hours on hold trying to exchange faulty item. Ended up just reporting to my credit card company

Even ds school has reduced their hours, finishing at 2pm, "cos of covid."
I really don't get that one. If they need extra time to clean each day, why not employ the cleaners to finish 1 hour later rather than starting 1 hour earlier?

I can understand it. Like why are banks having less opening hours? The council building in my town now has no public access. If I can go into any shop to get service why can’t I get service in a council building?

*can’t

Agree completely. Waiting impatiently for refund for holiday that was cancelled ages ago

Virgin quickly went from excruciatingly slow online chat option when trying to organise a better renewal deal, to; a very much open call centre when the issue of just cancelling the contract instead of renewing was pressed. Twats.

@Fashionablylate1999

My bank has changed their opening hours to 10-4 Mon to Fri closed at weekends - so if you work full time tough luck (guess covid must be more contagious on Saturday )

HSBC has cut it hours to 10am - 2pm in my town, Luckily I work in a bigger town where it’s open until....4pm...wait I’m still working face to face exactly as I have been aside from 6 weeks WFH LAST YEAR.

My bank told me they'd reduced their opening times because customers were doing more on-line banking and fewer people wanted to come into the branch. They obviously never look out of their windows at the long line of miserable people queueing outside. It feels like a deliberate plan to force people to use on-line.

@5foot5

Agree it utterly BS now from call Center’s.
It’s called staff on furlough.