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

I suspect a neighbour's child is being abused. I phoned Children's Services last week, who told me they can't do much as they are STILL working from home --- after 14 months!

Why? What's so special about them?

YANBU - 89yr old mother can’t speak to GP “Because of Covid”

There are only so many staff for so many nuisance callers whose calls are not urgent.

People jam the lines, taking up agents who could be helping vulnerable people for non-urgent calls.

Unless you're dying or poor - What's the problem? Use your commonsense and Google it. Otherwise, look at the bigger picture and just wait.

I know the stats for call lines, my particular role is quality checking. Honestly, it's a system that everyone must abide by and just do their job. It cannot be changed.

There are hundreds and thousands of you calling for a limited amount of staff, because there are more than just calls which need answering...there are payments, paperwork, new guidances, people with other responsibilities outside of their job.

Bunch of snow flakes. Just be lucky you're not suffering.

YANBU. I agree with the comments about GPS. This is what’s going on where I live

www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/19277998.worcester-gp-fire-appalling-changes-appointments/

We got sent an email kind of warning people that they are not allowed to be angry about this.

Our council have just decided to keep the restrictions on the local tip, put in place because of the pandemic, after the restrictions ease. Because it's been received 'positively' - it really hasn't, everyone hates it, except perhaps the employees at the tip who, going by what my friend who works there says, have pretty much nothing to do all day. It's also saving the council a fortune because there's much less waste to deal with.

You have to book weeks in advance for an hour slot, in which you're permitted to attend once and once only, and rebook to come again the next week if you're lucky enough to get a slot.

Meanwhile there's flytipping EVERYWHERE.

Yup! Someone posted this very same post after the first lockdown and I agreed then. But a year down the line, backlogs excepted, it’s got behind a joke.

DD can't get any work experience. Understandable. Except the kids with parents with contacts have been work experience.
No-one likes having to look after the work experience kid, easy now, Covid means computer says no.
University places that like relevant work experience are now only going to be given to kids whose parents have connections.

"All our agents are currently busy. You will be connected to an agent as soon as one becomes available." This actually means "Our one and only agent is working from home and is having a lie in. As soon as they are awake, dressed, breakfasted, abluted, and have made a coffee, you will be connected.". We are victims of opportunism!

I think some people are going to have to accept that their job cannot be done remotely. Eg I have a physiotherapist appointment coming up.... on the phone - not even a zoom call!

The council is fully wfh. But the phone message adds that because of this there will be a delay in dealing with issues and queries will be answered by email only. Before covid they worked at a snail’s pace, now they seem to have given up on the idea that they have to work at all...

The big companies seem to be the worst too. And government depts. Seeing as they got us into this shit show, which taxpayers will have to pay for, I do resent being told that they can't possibly answer a phone cos covid.

YANBU. Doctor told me I needed to email her a blood pressure reading before I’m allowed my next batch of contraceptives. Told me she couldn’t do it “because of Covid” and phone appointments only etc. I even offered to have it done quickly at my babies in person check up (as yano, both of us would be there...). She said no and to go to the chemist.
Chemist has also said no chemists in the area are doing BP “because of Covid” and recommended I buy my own kit?!
I only need one sodding reading, tempted to make it up to be honest!

@covidcrapcircus - bloody absolutely!!!!

Ds’s internship (paid!) was cancelled. So were the employment plans of most of his friends. Pre-covid, firms were increasingly coming up with all sorts of health & safety/data protection reasons to avoid having to have pesky work experience kids, and now, hurrah! Just say Covid.

Ds has had innumerable rejections, mostly citing that no one is in the office. I just wonder how this is going to pan out, if there is effectively a huge freeze on employment, whilst retaining many people who are swinging the lead at home (not all, I hasten to add).

@ChelleMum85

There are only so many staff for so many nuisance callers whose calls are not urgent.

People jam the lines, taking up agents who could be helping vulnerable people for non-urgent calls.

Unless you're dying or poor - What's the problem? Use your commonsense and Google it. Otherwise, look at the bigger picture and just wait.

I know the stats for call lines, my particular role is quality checking. Honestly, it's a system that everyone must abide by and just do their job. It cannot be changed.

There are hundreds and thousands of you calling for a limited amount of staff, because there are more than just calls which need answering...there are payments, paperwork, new guidances, people with other responsibilities outside of their job.

Bunch of snow flakes. Just be lucky you're not suffering.

Well this sums up companies’ attitudes perfectly. Paying customers deemed a nuisance because people like high and mighty here have better things to do.

Not everything can be googled. Sometimes we do need to speak to people and after well over a year of pandemic businesses have had more than enough time to adapt to take calls. If you don’t have enough staff to do everything that needs doing it’s because you’ve either not got enough staff full stop or you’ve furloughed too many. Either way it’s putting profits above customers which will ultimately lose you money and customers will go elsewhere.

I'm currently unable to work because a chronic condition isn't being properly managed by the NHS because of "covid". Essentially I need funding from the ccg for a new drug that should get me back to almost normal but the ccg have decided they are only doing vaccinations. None of their other functions. That means a whole section of queries at the local council aren't getting answered (I'm the only one that does them and my colleagues will try but are also really really busy doing their work). I have no idea when I'll get back to work. I've written to my mp and everyone I can think of to try and speed things up. Work can't afford to replace me because austerity meets covid costs equals massive budget overrun. There are so many factors still affecting workplaces.

I applied for a council license 13 months ago, costing just under £1000. My premises passed all the checks (which I have to pay separately for) and the license should have been granted by the Council but hasn't been processed yet.

No repies to emails, no one answers the phone.

Now this year's license is due and the price has gone up, inexplicably, by £200.

Yanbu. I'm getting pissed off with this also. Shoddy.

There was a feature on the news today; something about wfh top 50 companies carrying it on even after Covid. Sounds like the shoddy service is here to stay.

I totally agree, worked all through in my place of work and if I need to call about something I spend hours holding on SSE are abysmal, then told me they are running at about 4 weeks to answer a complaint email. I know some people who are WFH but do the school runs and dont use wrap around care as they can have their kids at home - these arent older kids. I phoned the bank and got through but could hear children in the background.

@Sarahrellyboo1987

YABU and entitled.

It’s not an excuse it’s a genuine reason.

Please expand

I think it is indeed an excuse for crap managers and crap organisations to be even more crap. It isn't universal - our incompetent (and partly corrupt) council have got the tip back to 'just turn up' and fortunately the bin collection contract is one of the few things that does work smoothly. The things they have always ignored, they continue to ignore.

I've also spoken to some organisations recently and been pleasantly surprised how quickly I had a response, and a competent one too.

smart meter installs are hit and miss anyway, due to very fragile technology. And we are all hearing of GP practices that are refusing to see anyone. Many companies also need to get their websites working properly which would reduce calls; example is Barclays where secure messaging has been out of action for weeks. If you don't have or want to use the app, you have to phone to sort things.

Our gp surgery make you feel like an inconvenience if you dare to call up. That’s if u can get through as I am sure the phones are left off the hook.

The this not a rant about teachers. But my youngest was on stage 7 just about to move onto Stage 8 in December when we relocated to a new area and a new school. He has some complex SEN needs and an EHCP.

Since December he has had NO intervention. No SALT -absolutely sweet FA. From March - December he has 1 20 minutes session with SALT online -as they weren't do it at his school. He was given bog standard work that he could not access every Friday for the following week. He was in tears. I was in tears.
I spend hundreds on English books etc that WERE accessible to him as the worksheets were impossible.
He returned to school in March.
Since then no 1-2-1 no TA, no SEN help no SALT none of the 15 minutes daily 1-2-1 phonics in his EHCP absolutely nothing.

He's had no reading books since January -citing Covid. Then it was given out on Monday and collected in on a Monday and books in quarantine for a week.

I went a bit over the edge when he was given stage 4 reading books this week -so in exactly a year -are they seriously saying he has gone back 4 flipping levels? Was it a joke? ok he has a lisp but he can read that level.

I emailed the SENCO and Head today as I just feel so let down by the system.

Try HMRC. I sent them a direct debit form a year ago and so far they have taken no money.

Ds was eligible for vaccine in early March. GP insisted they can do nothing despite him qualifying in multiple ways and to call back next week on repeat. Every time I call they are rude and talk me through how difficult things are for them, then ask me to call next week.. Finally sorted for next week, I expect we will have to hear how difficult it has been.......

@Motorheadmum

I totally agree, worked all through in my place of work and if I need to call about something I spend hours holding on SSE are abysmal, then told me they are running at about 4 weeks to answer a complaint email. I know some people who are WFH but do the school runs and dont use wrap around care as they can have their kids at home - these arent older kids. I phoned the bank and got through but could hear children in the background.

I had huge problems with SSE too, I had to phone them to request a refund, I was holding for 3 hrs! And then had to go out so all wasted! So then spent another 2 hrs on the phone the next day, and the next. Until I sent emails to every email address I could find and moaned on Twitter. Then I got a response