The phone goes on with all sorts of a talkfest. Then asked for my number. Then explained it was also know as another name. Half way through reading it out, I got interrupted asking to try again. Then got another oneway talkfest which gave me an option of an operator. Another talkfest. This took 2m45sec. I've now been waiting for 25mins listening to the most diabolical screeching violin.
Part of the introduction on the phone is "be kind to our staff" and then Centrelink wonder why they get angry customers. They set customers up to be angry.
I did the whole routine earlier this morning and gave up after 18 minutes.
Don't ring Centrelink unless I really, really have too. It usually takes over an hour to get a real person on the line and sometimes all I need is a Yes or No answer. Wish they'd take a few people off unemployment and give them a job at Centrelink. I'm sure that would help decrease this country's unemployment rate and make for happy customers who wouldn't need to wait more than 10 minutes. Wouldn't that be a win/win situation.
I had to ring 'cos I really, really had to. Normally I'd go to the local office but I'm not allowed to drive at the moment. Doing almost everything on-line thru MyGov is brilliant.
Luckily that last couple of times I've been to the office, I got served quick. Once the person with the iPad as you walk in the door even solved my issue. U-turn and straight out. Another time I just had to hand in my Pension Application and verify who I was. Got sent direct to the Medicare desk and out within a minute.
I also think that the person with the iPad can sort out the real unemployed, lazy unemployed, unemployable, and who is easy to deal with and who isn't and then get into an appropriate queue & handler. Mabye only perception on my behalf but perception can be more important than reality.
A Centrelink staffer told me if you have to call them, go to a Centrelink Office and use their phones. I was told I'd have to wait about 1 hour but if I used my home phone,it's about 2 hours. She also mentioned that the best time to call is around 8 a.m. as only the eastern states are online. As it gets later, South Australia and finally Western Australia come online because of the time difference. In other words around 8.a.m the phone lines are catering only to the eastern states. By 10.a.m. the phone lines cater for the whole country...
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
apparently Centrelink are currently or soon to cut back their Call Centre staff to force people onto their online "My Gov". And that's a nightmare to navigate as they keep changing the format and layout - that's when its working.
I reckon the long waits and horrible violin music is an attempt to discourage people to use Centrelink. I'm entitled to a Federal Aged Care Health Care Card now (I still work part-time and don't want an aged pension), but despite spending hours on My Gov, cant find the portal to access it. Our local Centrelink Office is the 2nd busiest in Aust (Mandurah, where unemployment is also the 2nd highest in the country) and you can sit there for hours waiting to be served.
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
I'm sure that violin music is to force people to hang up.
I'm liking MyGov but when you strike an issue that's not solvable and needs phone or mail, it's not easy. Even mail turns out bad. If you manage to send something by snail-mail to a wrong department (which is easy), they just bin it. Had that happen several times although one person did finally ring me and told me the correct address to resend it. They wouldn't forward on my original. I've also failed in the on-line complaint/query form on all 3 occasions that I've used it.
