Centrelink Phone Contact Waiting Times

Duh · Guru

Centrelink Phone Contact Waiting Times

jimbo · Guru

Interesting! I would not have had your Patience

Happywanderer · The Master

Last week I rang Centrelink to cancel a couple of payments. The automated said a wait of 40min or leave a number and they will ring back in the same order.
The next day I rang again staying on the line 40 - 45 minutes. Finally got through and did what I had to.
I told her about the day before, shesaid I would still get that call as there was a backlog they were trying to catch up on.
I'm still waiting.

Duh · Guru

I didn't even get the "we'll call you back - leave your number option" Marj........How do people who only have a prepaid mobile while travelling get on???? confuse

No wonder people don't bother ringing them at all! furious

rockylizard · Guru

Duh wrote:
~~SNIP~~.How do people who only have a prepaid mobile while travelling get on????

Gday...

I don't ring them ... I always visit a Centrelink office - at least I can sit in their office, fairly comfortable. I don't necessarily get "served" any more quickly than on the phone. I do 95% of my activity with Centrelink online, but if I have to lodge a form etc I go to the next office I travel near, or past.

Don't turn this into a political thread - but I have a close friend who works for Centrelink (middle management). She heads the team that was set up 18 months ago to handle the growing number of inquiries from customers - a team of six TEMPORARY positions filled by TEMPORARY employees. These temporary positions were discontinued mid-Sept by the incoming Minister, and the temporary employees have not had their contracts renewed.

One can expect there will be further public service 'savings' as the year progresses given the openness in this regard by the incoming government during the election campaign.

Cheers - John

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Yep, sounds right Vic, I now have it all set up so I can do as much as possible on-line, what I can't will be done in the office closest to me when needed as Rocky said. I prefer the face to face contact if not done on-line. It will all get tested in December.

Grams · Guru

I do everything I can online, if I absolutely have to, I go to their office...as a last resort I ring them. Always in that order.

Grams

hako · Guru

With the reduced staffing, imagine how much more easy it will be now for dishonest people to defraud CentreLink.

Duh · Guru

Thanks for the replies, I just hope that eventually they may have a 24/7 helpline, even the Centrelink staff member agreed it would be help ease the pressure of the numbers of calls they receive in a smaller time frame.

He also pointed out that there are many older or handicapped people who cannot get to an office or are not online who have to use the phone.

He also said that an after normal business hours helpline would assist those working who do not have access to a phone at work during the day or cannot afford the long wait times in a work environment.

dorian · Guru

I have a document from CentreLink which I've mounted in a photo frame. Some idiot added an extra zero to my mother's assets and turned her into a millionaire. As a result, her pension, and that of my father, were terminated.

When I went to sort things out, I was assured that everything would be corrected. Sure enough, my mother's records were amended, and her pension was reinstated, but my father's was not. Since their pensions were calculated on the basis of a combined incomes and assets test, I'm wondering why both pensions were not reinstated at the same time. Anyway, I had to visit the CentreLink office a second time and ask them to correct my father's records.

I had numerous other problems with CentreLink over the years. These included data matching errors (theirs, not mine), falsely removing my parents' entitlements to rebates on their water bills, incorrect financial data, and a plethora of other mistakes. I eventually stopped reporting any and all changes to their assets and incomes. On one occasion I informed them that my parents had closed one bank account and transferred their funds to a higher interest bearing account. CentreLink recorded the opening of the new account, but did not record the closure of the old account, resulting in a doubling of their assets.

If CentreLink ever ask why I no longer inform them of changes, all I would need to do would be to refer them to a file full of their own mistakes.

-- Edited by dorian on Friday 18th of October 2013 11:37:05 AM

Grams · Guru

The only thing is, they have to train everyone to give the same answers...I think that may be just too much for a government agency.

Grams

Duh · Guru

Thanks everyone for your comments. I just can't understand why they don't do something which is a service sadly lacking in management and personpower.

They must have the largest "customer base" in Australia compared to other call centres so why can't they have a 24/7 call centre in some form.

I also feel for the staff who are under the pump in their call centres, most do their very best.

Dorian, I can remember about 1980 when they had CES (Commonwealth Employment Service), I had applied for several jobs there and put my name down for anything that came up. This was in the days before equal opportunity (age etc) came into being.

I got a letter from CES (wish I had kept and framed it) which said they were having trouble placing me because I was 40 and most employers did not want people that old so they could not help me. Anyway, I ended up finding my own job, but looking back I could not believe the attitude towards age at the time. furious

-- Edited by Duh on Friday 18th of October 2013 06:53:24 PM

shekon · Guru

This is a topic of conversation amongst friends of mine and not just about Centrelink, it seems the words customer service no longer exist in the language. Only conclusion is that the computer world has taken over and those younger than about 40 have no idea how to relate to a human, other than to speak as if they were texting or on FB. And do not ask them to do something that is not on the script because they seem to have no idea about thinking out of the box.
I had the same issue trying to cancel my land line, poor guy kept trying to save me money with different plans, in the end I told him I would love to have one of his plans but I did not think the telephone cord would be long enough. Had to end up explaining to him in detail for the 3rd or 4th time I was going to travel and not be in one spot, so therefore THE TELEPHONE CORD WOULD NO BE LONG ENOUGH. Ended up hanging up on him and going to a Telstra shop, which while not as bad still took some explaining that I would no longer require a landline or ADSL.
As a call centre trainer and supervisor for Wotif.com in a previous life my first lesson was to teach my newbies to listen, actually listen and then try to help.
Ok that is my rant to this topic. Understand your frustration Vic.

herbie · Guru

Agree in what you posted Vic,re phn service or lack of it,after giving up and going into the office and making a appointment face to face...Really think it is a cunning way for people to just give up and maybe in there view just go away.Can understand why so many people come unstuck re not changing personal details or change in circumstances.

kandagal · Guru

Because we only have a mobile phone & therefore calls to Centrelink would be timed I always go into nearest office But I always remember to take a book or a crossword puzzle with me.

valnrob · Guru

Hubby rang C.Link and as usual told x amount of minutes waiting time, then was told to leave his number and they would ring back. Left mobile number only to be told they won't ring back mobile numbers? ?? It's the only phone we have!

dorian · Guru

On a monthly basis I need to complete an IAS for my now dormant business. I do this via the Tax Office's automated phone service. For reasons that I haven't managed to determine, this service only operates during normal business hours. One would think that a machine would have no objection to working 24/7 ...

neilnruth · Guru

Maybe they have to have a person to turn it on and off. Hehehe

Happywanderer · The Master

I only have a mobile. I don't get charged as it's a 13 number.
Also I have been rung back on my mobile in the past.

Duh · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
I only have a mobile. I don't get charged as it's a 13 number.
Also I have been rung back on my mobile in the past.

I thought 13 numbers were charged like normal calls and only 1800 numbers were free? confuse

http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310037/charges%20for%20calls%20to%2013%201300%20numbers%20-%20fs15.pdf

-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 19th of October 2013 02:43:58 PM

Clare46 · Senior Member

Centrelink Phone Contalloweact Waiting Times

dorian · Guru

RE: Centrelink Phone Contact Waiting Times

Clare46 · Senior Member

After hanging on for 45mins on Thursday to update my assets a very nice young man told me he could not do it as their system was down. No good getting upset as that is what happens with modern technology smile

Duh · Guru

As far as I am aware, online you cannot update your income and assets (ie; update bank account balance or add or remove assets (eg; sold or purchased RV, home etc) online and need to do this by phone. You can view them, but not update them, see;

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/centrelink/centrelink-online-services/update-advise-view-and-print-your-details

-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 19th of October 2013 10:13:17 PM

Murraman · Senior Member

dorian wrote:
On a monthly basis I need to complete an IAS for my now dormant business. I do this via the Tax Office's automated phone service. For reasons that I haven't managed to determine, this service only operates during normal business hours. One would think that a machine would have no objection to working 24/7 ...

I have found the online Centrelink service didn't work outside of Business hours and definitely didn't work on weekends, Haven't logged on for a while as it may have changed.

I found the best approach to Centrelink was tell them nothing has changed all the time for when I did tell them something changed it took a month for them to get it right again. So in the end I told them zero.

Baz421 · Guru

Here's a good story,

went to C/Link Thurs PM,,, Dad lost pension card and medicare card.

Welcoming woman late 30's,,,, very friendly,,, ordered new pension card on on her tablet as I was being welcolmed. TheN booked me into the medicare que. Short wait there and actioned.

OUT THE DOOR WITHIN 20 MINUTES ---- WELL DONE CENTRELINK MARION SA

-- Edited by Baz421 on Saturday 19th of October 2013 10:24:27 PM

-- Edited by Baz421 on Saturday 19th of October 2013 10:24:46 PM

Duh · Guru

Clare46 wrote:
Duh wrote:
Happywanderer wrote:
I only have a mobile. I don't get charged as it's a 13 number.
Also I have been rung back on my mobile in the past.
I thought 13 numbers were charged like normal calls and only 1800 numbers were free?
http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310037/charges%20for%20calls%20to%2013%201300%20numbers%20-%20fs15.pdf

1300 numbers are free in my included no's on my plan
................................................................................
Thanks Clare, I only have prepaid mobile, so not sure about that.
I'm pretty sure we get charged for them on our home phone last time I checked our bill.

Clare46 · Senior Member

Murraman wrote:
dorian wrote:
On a monthly basis I need to complete an IAS for my now dormant business. I do this via the Tax Office's automated phone service. For reasons that I haven't managed to determine, this service only operates during normal business hours. One would think that a machine would have no objection to working 24/7 ...
I have found the online Centrelink service didn't work outside of Business hours and definitely didn't work on weekends, Haven't logged on for a while as it may have changed.

I found the best approach to Centrelink was tell them nothing has changed all the time for when I did tell them something changed it took a month for them to get it right again. So in the end I told them zero.

I have never had any trouble logging on to Centrelink regardless of the day or time.

Any time I've made changes they have showed up online within about and hour with no trouble. Maybe I've just been lucky.

Clare46 · Senior Member

Duh wrote:
As far as I am aware, online you cannot update your income and assets (ie; update bank account balance or add or remove assets (eg; sold or purchased RV, home etc) and need to do this by phone. You can view them, but not update them, see;
http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/centrelink/centrelink-online-services/update-advise-view-and-print-your-details

That's right Vic, hence the phone call.

Duh · Guru

No worries Clare......I hope they make it so you can do those particular tasks online, it certainly would take some of the pressure off the number of phone calls etc.