Have You Ever...

[KARL]

When phoning and wanting to speak to someone at companies, institutions, authorities, etc. in addition to seemingly interminable menus, one ends up in a queue waiting with some canned non-copyrighted music and occasional "busy/as soon as possible" messages. Nowadays, at the start one is told that wait times are longer than usual, up to X hours.

In my experience, something similar happens abroad although the wait time is distinctly longer here in the UK. However, there is something else different. I do not recall ever having been regularly told (by the recorded voice) where I am in the queue in the UK, although my wife thinks she may just possibly have once had that. Has anyone on AB called any entity, ended up in a queue and actually been told where they are in it during the wait ? If so, what company or other office was that ?

[chelle7272]

Most GP surgeries do, I can't think of any others. the number is probably too high to want to tell you!

[AuntPollyGrey]

Yes lots of times. BT; Doctors surgery; Paypal; to name a few.

[Ellipsis]

Yes, lots of times.

[Baldric]

Home and Garden Centres.

[bednobs]

I think BG boiler service people do it

[bednobs]

but its meaningless anyway as you might have a person in front of you taking 3/4 of an hour with their enquiry or 10 people taking 30 seconds

[jno]

it depends on the company. I used to ring a company that always told me where I was a queue, but that must have been at least 20 years ago; I've only occasionally had that since. Most of them just say "We are experiencing an exceptionally high number of calls", which tends to mean "we've sacked all our receptionists but the janitor will answer after 5.30".

[ummmm]

I think my doctors still do it.

[Canary42]

"Your call is important to us"

[KARL]

bednobs, I think it really important to know whether I am getting near being "seen" - to me having no idea at all is a real pain. Yes, sometime (queues abroad) I have leapt forward by two or three numbers in one go because there is more than one person taking the calls. If after 40 minutes waiting you have gone from 36th to 7th in the queue it helps to know - 40 minutes of "your call is important to us, very busy, as soon as possible" and no indication whatever is intensely irritating, I find.

[bednobs]

I think we'll have to agree to disagree then karl

[woofgang]

yes I have had this in phone queues...one was my share dealing service, another was my local council...some commercial ones but I can't remember which. I use live chat if I can now as I find it easier and you get a transcript...oh I think Apple did too.

[woofgang]

oh and I agree with Karl, the service tells you your place in the queue at timed intervals so its useful to know how fast (or not) the queue is moving.

[KARL]

Organisations where I have waited "in the dark" in the past 48 hours or so: Barclays Bank, Barclaycard, British Gas, TSB, DPD, Fire Angel, ....