We are currently experiencing a high volume of calls....

My favourite sentence! Well it must be as. I hear it every day ???

Why can’t they employ more staff? And what has happened to being able to email instead? Conspiracy to get rid of irritating customers

I just remembered I got a different one from Sky this week.

“Our staff are having a training day so you may have to wait longer to be answered”. I did not wait and eventually sorted the problem myself but took me 20 mins of faffing

Why can't they join a be honest.

"We only have two agents answering your calls today as we don't want to use our profits to employ more so you may have to wait 30 minutes to be answered."

Just*

It’s really frustrating isn’t it ? I was on hold with my energy company for over an hour yesterday and the excuse is still ‘because Covid’. And yet the double glazing firm I’m using to replace a couple of old windows were amazing. The initial phone call was answered promptly, a face to face video call was arranged, and everything was done simply and efficiently whilst socially distancing - most of their admin staff are still working from home.

I've been on hold for literally hours each day since I moved house, while struggling to contact the utility suppliers, banks and others re change of address, tariffs etc. I have discovered one trick to get through quickly to a real person, which is......

Phone the number given for closing your account. They will answer almost immediately and while telling you that you have phoned the wrong number, will usually switch you through direct to the department you need and no doubt record the call in their stats as one where they have been able to persuade the customer to remain rather than close the account.

Perhaps this is one way to find out if you are returning a scam call…..if it’s answered then it’s probably a scam! Your call is important to us you are 37 in the queue…..definitely a real company.

Agree, AGAA4.
What is extra maddening is that 'they' must know perfectly well that the same message is used by all utilities, banks etc all the time. And they must also know that the public knows this.

Most have some kind of regulatory bodies who should be holding them to account.

I am beginning to think this ubiquitous message plays automatically whenever a call is received by a big company.

I find email or live chat more efficient and there is a written record of what has been said.

Certainly (in my experience ) it's the big companies & services who have the "high volume of calls" recorded messages and keep you waiting forever. I find that the local, smaller places, are very much better. Today I phoned our local (small
& wonderful) repair garage (to book an MOT) and the phone was answered swiftly & courtesly.

I agree every time! Have had to do it a lot lately to update address on several accounts. I don’t know which is worse , the same message or similar constantly repeating or listening to truly dreadful music whilst you are waiting . Drives me mad

Drives me nuts. The worst offender in my life is Virgin Bank who took over from Yorkshire Bank. It’s the worst customer service I’ve experienced. I keep meaning to change banks to someone more friendly.

Octopus on the other hand is easy to contact and always very helpful.

I’m so fed up with being told to go online! I only phone if the answer is not available there.

Yes,I think that the message is on permanently. I heard of someone who contacted a 24 -hour line about a utility matter to hear " we are experiencing a high volume..." The person was abroad, and due to different time zones, was ringing at 4am BST..

Thanks for your responses. I'm glad to hear that it's not just me! I wonder whether anyone with any "power" within these big companies, ever reads Gransnet?

The other morning I had to make three calls to companies each time I was 38or 48 in the queue I spent hours holding on to the dreadful music in my ear and a 30sec message thanking me for holding on grrrrrrrrrrt

AGAA4

Why can't they join a be honest.

"We only have two agents answering your calls today as we don't want to use our profits to employ more so you may have to wait 30 minutes to be answered."

⬆️
This ???????

AGAA4

Why can't they join a be honest.

"We only have two agents answering your calls today as we don't want to use our profits to employ more so you may have to wait 30 minutes to be answered."

Yes, that's it!

In the case of Lloyd's Bank last week I was told it would be at least a 40 minute wait!

DH suggests calling the sales department of these companies because they will answer speedily. Some will put you through on another line.

Sales are far more important to them than service.

Yes it’s all so very annoying and the awful choice of music makes it much worse . What I do to make it less frustrating, I deliberately make the call when I know I’ll be busy doing something , like say baking a cake , then I put the phone on hands free and put in place nearby that I can still hear what’s happening . I find this method so much easier as then I can be getting on catching up on jobs rather than just sitting by the phone feeling frustrated &stressed out waiting for them to answer .

I am right now 10 minutes into what I have been advised will be a 90 minute wait to speak to somebody at Barclays.....sighs....

I was on hold for over 30mins or even longer to my broadband supplier today then during the call put on hold several times and transferred to two other people with of course more holding on. In total from q2noon until 13.34 and I'm still not sure my issue has been resolved!!!! I'm sure they do it deliberately.

Sorry 12noon till 13.45.

I always try to make these calls when I have tasks to do on the computer. I can put them on speakerphone and just get on with other work until they answer.

It is so annoying - so many companies are still using the covid excuse. Whilst not as bad as everyone else posting here, I tried to contact Green Flag this morning (not a breakdown), the usual recorded message about dealing with a large volume of calls and it could take 30 minutes to answer. I decided to hold on but after 10 minutes of the most excruciatingly awful music the phone went dead! Went onto their website and used their chat facility - even then there was a wait until one of their "agents" responded.