Are your Centrelink calls taking forever? Here's why and what you can do!
The growing popularity of services like Centrelink has never been more apparent than when you try to call and ask a question.
Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.
Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.
The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!
Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.
Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.
Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.
The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.
If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.
The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.
Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.
Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.
They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.
Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.
Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.
To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.
Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.
He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’
They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.
To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.
The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.
‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.
To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.
However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.
‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.
For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.
All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.
Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?
Most of us have, at some point, had our patience prodded by their long call wait times, and it seems this queueing problem has become even more troubling as of late.
Madeleine Pizzuti, a pensioner, recently had a frustrating experience with Centrelink’s hold times when trying to handle matters relating to her pension.
The result? She was hung up on after holding for 75 minutes!
Madeleine's simple statement says it all, 'That's far too long', she exclaimed.
Madeleine is not the only one dealing with long wait times and on-hold difficulties.
Many others are also facing similar issues when trying to reach customer service.
The latest statistics from Services Australia show that the wait times have become excessively long.
If you need to call their Families and Parenting line, be prepared for a considerable wait time of approximately 31 minutes and 24 seconds.
The Employment line has its own lengthy wait time of 29 minutes.
Fortunately, the wait time for the senior's line is shorter, at around seven minutes.
Seems unbelievable, right? Well, A Current Affair thought so, too, and decided to put Centrelink to the test.
They tried different methods to reach a real person on the line, which resulted in frustrating hang-ups.
Finally, showing more persistence, they managed to connect to the Parenting line, with a wait time of 70 minutes.
Services Australia's General Manager, Hank Jongen, acknowledged that high demand could exceed capacity.
To his credit, Hank urges us not to give up on them just yet.
Despite being understaffed, the department is making significant efforts to recruit and train more personnel.
He said, ‘We're not sitting on our hands, we're currently understaffed, and we're doing everything we can to recruit and train additional staff.’
They are working tirelessly to address these challenges head-on and provide swift and efficient customer service.
To complicate matters further, Centrelink has been facing increased strain due to a recent surge in demand.
The cause? A modern-day detective would attribute it to the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in childcare subsidies, and improved access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
While these developments are beneficial, they have led to a notable increase in demand that the organisation grapples with.
‘The government has made a couple of announcements in relation to increases in childcare subsidies, (like) greater access to the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, which has also increased demand that we're facing at this time of the year.’ Jongen said.
To tackle the challenge of wait times, Hank offers a range of suggestions, with the first being to explore online options.
However, Madeleine rightly highlights that some seniors may prefer to rely on their phones instead of computers.
‘A lot of people my age are finding it difficult to use the computer, so they rely on their phones.’ she said.
For those who prefer a more traditional approach, Hank reassures that booking an appointment to visit a Centrelink office and engaging in a face-to-face conversation with the friendly in-house staff is still an option.
Key Takeaways
- Centrelink is experiencing increased call wait times, with claims some customers can't even reach the hold line.
- The longest average wait is on the families and parenting line at 31 minutes and 24 seconds, up from 24 minutes.
- Services Australia General Manager, Hank Jongen, cited increased demand due to recent government subsidies and the cost-of-living crisis as reasons for the delays.
- Jongen suggested utilising online options but acknowledged this might pose difficulties for those not confident with technology.
All that to say, Centrelink is actively working to reduce these prolonged wait times, but until improvements are in place, it's advisable to equip ourselves with a healthy dose of patience.
Have you experienced long call wait times or difficulties reaching Centrelink's customer service? What are your thoughts on the recent surge in demand for Centrelink services and the resulting delays in response times?