Thursday, 11 March 2010
Hanging On The Telephone - Post Industrial Action
One of my loyal readers sent me this message today:
"Now that the industrial action is over I have this morning tried to telephone HMRC.
I have tried 2 agent priority numbers in addition to the usual number for those same offices. On each try, and I have tried all 4 numbers at least twice each, I get through, get the usual recorded message, and then an engaged tone!!
Is their way of catching up after the industrial action?!"
Anyone else having problems getting through?
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I think you will find the industrial action is still going on. There is an overtime ban in place. This will mean that if the department you are calling has reduced it's staff level to the point that overtime is required to operate it then you will still have poblems getting through.
ReplyDeleteIf this is not the case then you can expect the problem to increase once the staff numbers are cut even further in the future.
When i left today there were over 400 calls in the queue and i'd worked flat out all day.
ReplyDeleteDont worry we cant afford any more strike action after a ridiculous 2 days already....
You need your head examined going out on strike on the 19th for PCS.
ReplyDeleteThey did fuck all for me and a friend when we were in HMRC, even though we lost pay on strike and attended meetings regularly.
And the scary thing is the issues included back dated pay-real bread and butter Union issue and they were shit scared to confront the management about it.
The announcement today about the start of the Enquiry Centre reduced opening hours (58 from March 22 and the next 118 in the summer)shows HMRC has no idea what to do, the amount of unanswered calls and the appointments diary full for three days in advance and they still are going ahead with this plan.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of calls coming through can be restricted, however the department doesn't have an infinite number of lines from its service provider, also the telephone equipment can only handle a number of lines.
ReplyDeleteThere is no company that I know of, public or private, that can handle an unlimited number of telephone calls before some meet an engaged tone. If you know of one, post it here, along with a case study from the telco that provided it. No doubt most big businesses would love to benefit from this amazing nonexistent technology.
the enquiry centre comment is rubbish. being a current employee i know that diaries are not full and the sites in the 58 are very quiet seeing less than 100 people a week. it is more a waste of money that they are open at all
ReplyDeleteExcuse me my ec diary had no free appointments today, tomorrow or Monday so the comment is not rubbish
ReplyDeleteNot able to get through on the phone? How long have you had those telephone numbers? If they are more than two weeks old then they are probably out of date, the non agents ones anyway.
ReplyDeleteThey are closing offices & moving staff around at quite a rate of knots, on at least three occasions I know of the phones have just been cut off, sometimes just leaving an engaged signal on the phone & fax for quite a while to add to the confusion.
Nearly everything is dealt with by contact centres & the few offices that do still take calls are only allowed very limited lines open, so that staff can get on with their work. Management think customer service is a dirty word.
Getting lots of complaints from customers who cant get through to the contact centres both at home and in the EC and guess what April and May aren't even here yet oh what joy is to come.
ReplyDeleteYour informer is a cabbage. If he'd have tried the ADL numbers he'd be through straight away regardless. On the 2 strike days and all following there were never any ADL calls which didn't come STRAIGHT through.
ReplyDeletePlus when the workforce is dramatically reduced but the same number of calls are attempted of course there going to be waits trying to get through on the days and those following. Grow up and stop moaning.