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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if any call centre is not "busier than normal at the moment"??

155 replies

CollieFIower · 09/03/2023 16:35

Or "experiencing a higher number of calls" or whatever chirpy message they play on repeat. I actually cannot remember the last time I had to ring any customer helpline for any business or govt department and didn't get told some version of the above!

If you're always that busy then no you're not busier than fucking normal, this IS YOUR NORMAL and you might as well just stop trying to gaslight your customers into thinking otherwise.

And breeeeeeaaathe. May as well settle in for some yoga with Adrienne while I wait for Royal Mail to answer Grin

OP posts:
ReadersD1gest · 09/03/2023 16:37

They're very likely experiencing the exact same volume of calls, but have decreased the number of call handlers. Nobody cares about the customer anymore.

Ttwinkletoes · 09/03/2023 16:38

I agree

MasterCherry · 09/03/2023 16:41

I was just thinking this the other day. Yanbu!

whynotwhatknot · 09/03/2023 16:43

Youre not wrong i get that message whatever call centre it is

SlightlyJaded · 09/03/2023 16:43

Agree

You cannot permanently being experiencing a 'Higher than average number of calls' - Primary school maths tells you this.

There is zero customer service any more. It is soul destroying spending hours on phones talking to fucking bots and lobotomized, script-reading zombies. Noone cares. They are greedy, corporate pigs. can you tell this is my pet hate?

SleepingisanArt · 09/03/2023 16:43

'Your call is important to us'........... Not important enough for you to answer it though...

SlightlyJaded · 09/03/2023 16:46

Yep

To wonder if any call centre is not "busier than normal at the moment"??
Farmageddon · 09/03/2023 16:54

They don't want to pay actual humans to answer the calls.
I used to work in a call centre for a bank 15 or so years ago, we had call targets and most calls had to be answered within 4 rings or something. If there was a queue waiting our manager would freak out. Now you're luck if anyone actually answers at all.

CheeseCakeSunflowers · 09/03/2023 16:57

Your call is important to us........aaaah! If its that important then answer.

JellyBabiesSaveLives · 09/03/2023 16:58

The one I hate is where they spend the first 10 minutes playing a message telling you it's much quicker to use the app. If the app could answer my query I'd be bloody using it.

Octopus Energy let you choose what song you listen to, so thats nice 😆

Original poster
CollieFIower · 09/03/2023 17:00

They don't even say "your call is important to us" most of the time these days.

More like "fuck off the phone and do it online you pleb" as if I hadn't tried that already before bothering to pick up the phone "did you know you can visit our website blah blah"

OP posts:
AuntieJoyce · 09/03/2023 17:01

“we are experiencing a higher number of calls …. than our severely depleted call handling team numbers can cope with.”

BrioNotBiro · 09/03/2023 17:02

Several times now - too many times for it to be a coincidence- I finally get though to a human after 40 minutes of Greensleeves on a glockenspiel, then almost immediately get cut off.

senua · 09/03/2023 17:04

The vote is 100% YANBU so far.Grin

2023forme · 09/03/2023 17:05

Sky are one of the worst offenders. When you do manage to get through, an automated recording tells you to try the online Sky community ie Sky customers!!! Then you get reminded they are not Sky employees so Sky don’t take responsibility for what they might tell you. I bloody hate Sky!

BowlofNothing · 09/03/2023 17:05

Maybe if the vast majority of customers didn't treat call centre agents appallingly and treat them like something disgusting they had stepped in more agents would stay in the role for a longer period.

Honestly no-one has patience or empathy these days.

Fairyliz · 09/03/2023 17:06

This worries me more and more.
Companies are pushing us to do things online but if there is a problem you can’t speak to anyone to sort it out. (Looking at you Nat West fraud line and my three hour wait).

Fandangoes · 09/03/2023 17:06

I was trying book a room at a well known chain of hotels today. The online system could not process my payment, I just kept getting the message that they couldn't take my payment just now, try again later. I phoned the hotel to book directly only to be told they don't take bookings over the phone any more, I should try the website later. I told him I had been doing that for 2 days. He then suggested I could contact customer services to report it! Super customer service!!

Nixbox · 09/03/2023 17:07

I had one that said “our call centre is now open 24hrs a day so that you can call at a time that’s convenient to you.”
NOW! Now is convenient to me, that’s why I phoned!

phobiaofsocialmedia · 09/03/2023 17:09

I have to renew my car insurance soon. Such a feeling of dread. Hours of wasted time on the phone as the app/internet doesn't appear to have the correct information.

ReadersD1gest · 09/03/2023 17:10

Nixbox · 09/03/2023 17:07

I had one that said “our call centre is now open 24hrs a day so that you can call at a time that’s convenient to you.”
NOW! Now is convenient to me, that’s why I phoned!

"Our call centre is now open 24hrs a day so that you can call at a time that’s convenient to you"
But we'll only answer when it's convenient to us.

RestingMurderousFace · 09/03/2023 17:11

24 fucking minutes trying to speak to Royal bloody Mail this morning. Do better, all of you!

Jux · 09/03/2023 17:12

For "busier than normal at the moment" read "understaffed, underpaid and undervalued".

SlightlyJaded · 09/03/2023 17:16

Honestly, if I was ever going to join an uprising about anything, it would be this.

Hours and hours of wasted time.

I

Noonesperfect · 09/03/2023 17:16

🤣🤣🤣 Yes this is exactly what I think. Some lines make you go through several questions to get through to the correct person only to say there is no one free to take your call at the moment and then the line goes dead! 🤬😡