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

I am awaiting the answer which says "As usual, there is a very long queue of callers waiting to be served, but we are offering a choice of music while you wait. For contemporary pop dial 1, for jazz dial 2, for the Great American songbook dial 3, for classical up to 1750 dial 4, for post 1750 classical dial 5," etc.

I was 162 in the queue last week when I tried to ask British Gas why my fixed tariff bill was going up by £50 a month when I had used less energy than this quarter last year and was £56 in credit! I gave up so will have to try again in a week or so. I did try using Chat online but the robot said it did not have the answer!

And PS, Barclays was playing the most bloody awful music while you were waiting. I did ask the woman whether it was on purpose, so that we’d hang up and go away!

I’ve often been utterly sick of the Four Seasons (poor Vivaldi would be turning in his grave, I’m sure) but it would have been bliss compared to the racket I had blaring out on the speakerphone for an hour and a half.

The message on our GPS phone says they are receiving 800 calls a day. We think it’s the same 50 people calling over and over again

Oh, Gawd yes! I had a problem with a credit card a few days ago - a website rejecting it for no apparent reason - so we called Barclays - it was an hour and a half with the speakerphone on before they replied! And then - after several minutes of all the usual rigmarole, the woman told me she couldn’t do anything since I wasn’t the main account holder - she’d need to speak to dh!
By which time he’d got fed up and gone for a walk.

Before he came back, though, I tried it on another site where I usually buy my knitting yarn (so more for the already colossal stash) and it worked fine, phew.

I did have a good moan at the Barclays woman (nicely, while saying I knew it wasn’t her fault) and asked whether the delay in answering was down to COVID staff shortages.

‘No, it’s because so many branches have closed and so many more people are doing everything online.’
Bloody Barclays! ??

Calendargirl

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

Obviously all available staff are otherwise engaged, either feeding, mucking out or exercising the herds of black horses that are always galloping about madly in the adverts,

??????

Calendargirl

Luckily we still have a branch here - although the bank clerk couldn't sort it she got through to someone who sounded very far away who did manage it.
She may have been galloping along the seashore at the time.
???

Hurray - I was able to order groceries online!!

Getting through to the GP surgery can be as bad.
All the rigmarole first (Welsh and/or English) then find you are tenth in the queue.
30 minutes later a receptionist might answer.

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

Obviously all available staff are otherwise engaged, either feeding, mucking out or exercising the herds of black horses that are always galloping about madly in the adverts,

??????

Also “your call is important to us.” Yes right, so important you don’t employ enough staff to answer the calls.

Sales are far more important to them than service.

Agree. Service doesn't matter much to a lot of companies.

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.

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.

Sorry 12noon till 13.45.

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.

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....

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 .

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.

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 ???????

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

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?

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..

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.

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

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