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Why do the social welfare offices not have a voicemail?

  • 17-11-2008 4:55pm
    #1
    LolaDub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭


    Bit of a rant moreso here i was given an appointment for a time for a welfare officer to call out to me for their usual checks it also said i need to have my birth cert which i have already given and not received back. I rang and asked for a different time no problem they said we'll send you out another and asked when was more suitable. I gave them a choice of three days now they've sent the exact same one back. Each time i call it rings out i know they're busy but why can't they use voicemail like any other office????


Comments

  • #2
    uoluol
    Closed Accounts Posts: 318 ✭✭uoluol


    Good question Lola - the staff who work in Social Welfare I'm sure would like that answered too. For some reason DSFA is so underfunded - many offices only got PCs in the last two years! The last office I worked in, I had to share a phone with 4 others. Which brings me to another rant - one of these staff may be on a call, and a client is trying to get through, but the client won't hear an engaged tone, it appears as if the phone is ringing out.

    If you can't get through to the Inspector Office, you might be better calling in, in person. Might speed up the whole process for you. Also try ringing around ten o'clock - always a good time...


  • #3
    LolaDub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭LolaDub


    Surely a voicemail would be a fairly cheap facility that would make things a lot easier. I only want to tell them they sent me the exact same appointment again. The office is about a half hour away from me. I'll just keep calling. It really seems ridiculous to me that if the phones are only open from 10-1 and 2-4.30 that they wouldn't have a voicemail facility.


  • #4
    uoluol
    Closed Accounts Posts: 318 ✭✭uoluol


    Lola, not arguing with you - one hundred per cent agree with you - so much money is wasted on stupidity, and necessities that would make every one's life simpler are ignored. But that's government inefficiencies for you...


  • #5
    LolaDub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭LolaDub


    I realise you aren't, i'm not trying to disagree with you either. Apologies if it comes across like that, i'm just having a bit of a rant!


  • #6
    Bally8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,144 ✭✭✭Bally8


    I totally sympathise with you loladub. I my area the social welfare officer is only available Tues, Wed and Thurs 11 to 12. You cannot ring them, you have to queue in a crowded room just to ask a simple question that could be dealt with in 30 seconds on the phone. For a town with a population of 15,000 its crazy. Drives me mental:mad:


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  • #7
    dresden8
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,290 ✭✭✭dresden8


    Public Service numbers are due to be cut you will get less service from now on. CWO's go out to visit homes. They have no office staff.


  • #8
    eth0_
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭eth0_


    Bally8 wrote: »
    you have to queue in a crowded room just to ask a simple question that could be dealt with in 30 seconds on the phone. For a town with a population of 15,000 its crazy. Drives me mental:mad:

    Can you imagine how long the queues would be if the officers were called away to deal with a '30 second question' on the phone 20 times a day?

    I would imagine the lack of voicemail is a logistical thing, the dole officers are so overworked at the moment i'm sure they can barely keep up with the paperwork they get from people who call in, never mind attending to a load of voicemails..


  • #9
    snubbleste
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 31,117 ✭✭✭✭snubbleste


    I think the SW offices do a fantastic job considering how swamped they are. I had to go in to my local office recently and it was full of people waiting, but the fella at the counter was very polite, which i think is some acheivement!
    In fact, I think i'll send them a nice card!


  • #10
    LolaDub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,181 ✭✭✭LolaDub


    eth0_ wrote: »

    I would imagine the lack of voicemail is a logistical thing, the dole officers are so overworked at the moment i'm sure they can barely keep up with the paperwork they get from people who call in, never mind attending to a load of voicemails..

    I do understand your point eth0 but the phones are open for a very short period of time, i have found it impossible to get through to them during the times i can call. I got through to someone once who nobody on the team i was looking for was there and they couldn't take a message for me. So if the person calls out to my house while i'm at work then my application gets put to the back of the queue. I tried emailing as well, no response. I feel that in this case a voicemail would have saved me quite a few calls, would save the welfare officer a wasted trip if i can't get through and would sav my claim getting shoved back a few months.


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