TELEPHONE helpline operators are being told to "get their house in order" after a Manchester Evening News survey showed how fed-up callers are being forced to endure long waits.
An investigation into everyday customer service calls to companies including banks, utility companies and internet providers revealed patience-trying waiting times of up to 18 minutes to speak to an operator. But anecdotal evidence suggests many people face much longer delays.
In most cases callers were forced to pay national rates while they waited.
Now, a consumer watchdog has called for action to improve the helplines which have become a necessity for many people who want to check their bank account, pay an electricity bill or sign-up to the internet.
A spokeswoman for The National Consumer Council (NCC) said: "These figures show how some major companies need to get their house in order. We hope this survey will act as a lever to make the worst offenders re-think their customers service."
Average
Communications company NTL performed worst in our survey, taking 18 minutes and 14 seconds before an operator came on the line. Customers also had to endure a recorded message reeling off sales offers on a 30-second loop.
Other poor performers in the 11 firms tested included BT Yahoo Broadband customer support and British Airways (BA) baggage reclaim at Manchester Airport.
An NTL spokeswoman said: "Our `average speed of answer', which is the time it takes for us to answer customer calls has been running consistently at around two minutes. Your reporter clearly did not have that experience on the day they called.
"Like most businesses there are peak calling times, which vary and we've recently introduced a number of other ways of customers contacting us, other than using the telephone."
Similarly, BT claimed it had been called at a busy time and the 15-minute wait was unusual, with a typical wait of between 20 to 40 seconds for most customers. BA said its average response time is normally five minutes.
A call to electricity and gas supplier United Utilities, between 9am-5pm, took seven minutes and 16 seconds to get through to an operator.
Automated
HSBC scored the worst of the four banks tested with six minutes and 41 seconds.
A United Utilities spokeswoman said: "Last year we reported to our regulatory body, Ofwat, that 93 per cent of calls were answered within 30 seconds. The call was made at one of our peak times - Monday morning. It is particularly busy at the moment due to follow-up calls for customers who have not paid their water charges.
"We have set up an automated call back facility for customers who do not wish to stay on the line and the caller will be phoned back, on average, in two minutes."
HSBC said its research found that 95 per cent of calls were answered within 20 to 40 seconds.
The M.E.N survey follows a recent report by consumer watchdog Which?
Of the 2,000 banking customers questioned by Which? 29 per cent found it hard to get someone to answer the phone at either the Halifax or HSBC.
The Woolwich was rated the poorest performer among 13 tested, with 38 per cent of their customers reporting it was "very difficult or quite difficult to speak to a real person when they rang their branch."
Yet in the M.E.N test, the Woolwich fared well, but was beaten by Barclays and Abbey National.
What do you think of call centres? Have your say.
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Anyone tested Tiscali? I was on there helpline for nearly 30 minutes before being told that all their staff were busy and to please try later.... that was on a national rate number too. The next time I called them was to cancel my order for broadband.
You neglected to mention how hopeless NTL are when they finally do answer the phone
Im not suprised at this report at all.
NTL are abysmal, and will keep you hanging on for what seems like hours.
Intelligent Finance seem to have little or no training and I am often frustated at being given two or three different answers to the same question.
But there is a beacon of light! First Direct with their first class service.
Helpful, friendly, knowledgeble,
no buttons to press before you speak to a human being and the very most you are kept waiting (which is rare) is about 3 minutes.
Superb!
from bitter experience i detest call centres. to work in these places people must of had their brains removed.
worst offenders -
halifax 40 minutes, without the issue resolved. carphonewarehouse, if you ask them to speak up they cut you off, ring back non-existent.
united utilities, could not get anyone to discuss their latest sky high price rises - result cut off.
we have no chance now of regulating standards as nearly all are based outside the uk. this should be banned.
chairmen and shareholders are laughing at consumers all the way to the bank.
call centres should be made to use standard land line numbers NOT 0870 etc. numbers.
as customers we are charged high prices to start with.
Why not say NO to 0870? This website tells you the normal numbers to call, and sometimes freephone, so you're not left paying 10p a minute.
http://www.saynoto0870.com
NTL should be asked to proove that claim.
My experience is a 20 wait every time.
I currently work in a call center that is based outside of the UK and I can tell you we havenB4t had our brains removed! Granted that it is a nightmare sitting and waiting for someone to pick up the phone and that 0870 numbers are expensive but what would you prefer, an 0870 number or an international number?? Just because we are outside the UK doesnB4t make our service any less adequate we are all native speakers and are fully trained in the job that we do. We also make sure that we get it right the first time so that will take a few minutes longer it doesnB4t help when customers call up just to sound off at about how long they have had to wait, the quicker we have the information we need the quicker we can help the customer and the others that are sitting in the queue behind the one complaining. Remember we are only human.
Sky is just as bad I have had up to 45 minute telephone calls with them tyring to sort my sky out.
.....and they have sent out the wrong engineers on at least 5 occassions although it was them who made me aware that I needed the specialist home team who could fit my sky dish on a long pole in order to get a good reception as my area has lots of trees. How embarressing it was that Sky told me this was free of charge on all five occassions only to be told by the engineers that I had to pay them B#40 installation because that B#40 comes out of their pocket and not Sky - how embarressing.
Instead of complaining of the inefficient standard of call centres why do people not think of working conditions and low pay endured by people here and abroad which is the root problem.What will happen when the people in India are no longer prepared to work in the middle of night dealing with these calls for a pittance is it going to be hello China.?
I have never been in a call centre but I,ve seen photographs of the inside of victorian mills and I imagine there is a similarity.
NTL - 2 mins?
the last FIVE times i've tried have all been at least 30 mins...and i've tried at different times of the day. In contrast, Egg insurance have (to date) answered within 3 rings!
Only waited 20 minutes Frank? That was quick for NTL, I have been on hold for almost an hour in the past, the engineers are worst - one came with no screwdrivers, der... Anyone had the unfortunate of phoning 3, the mobile comany? I was transferred to a call centre in India who hung up on me 5 times cos they couldn't understand me! All I wanted to do was send back a phone and cancel a contract I NEVER asked (or signed) for, in my book, 3 are worst than NTL if you can believe that.
Clearly noone is writing good things here, has anybody heard of an internet company called total web solutions they are based in manchester, i get my adsl internet from them. They answer the phone in minutes last time i rang them i was only waiting for 2 mins and spoke to somebody called andy who help me and had my internet connection in seconds.
The longest queue I've ever experienced was phoning the Inland Revenue call centres. It took me 3 days and several hundred attempts to get through to someone who could help me. Gordon Brown wishes to slash 1 in 5 Civil Service jobs, I wonder how much more difficult it can get in the future.
Maybe I'm missing something here but havn't you folks heard of IVR or IWR these initals stand for Interactive Voice Response and Interactive Web Response.
Customer satisfaction increases when you can use and intellegent computer to answer your questions probably 85% of all calls can be answered this way. Seems like Britain needs to look into this!
They are all absolute carp (anagram(!))
There is no way in which I can clearly display my contempt at nearly all call centres. As Call centres are now an increasing part of our daily lives, it seems a shame that big companies (and big money) are constantly hammering customer service in favour of trimming the expenditure and taking the cheapest possible option.
Ring HSBC Call Centres. You get music for at least 45 minutes before anyone answers. It saves the batteries in your walkman, but costs a lot of money on your phone bill!