On the website was posted the number to call. Like so many other entities I was routed through a VRU with enter this and press that, all the while encouraging me to go to the website or get an automated response. Having been through the website, I need a human to answer my question. Finally after 6 minutes I hit the option for a person and what did I hear...
"All of our specialists are busy helping other customers, please call back later at another time". And then the phone hung up. They hung up on me. I'm their customer and they hung up?
A normal customer focused organization would post a message like "We are experiencing heavy call volume at this time, please remain on the line to retain your place in line" or "We are experiencing extended wait time in excess of 15 minutes, please remain on the line or call back during regular business hours". Something to give a customer a choice.
But no... in New York State's Department of Labor we just hang up on you. Automated like.
Here's the history of my attempt to reach a human:
- Called 1-888-209-8124
- Listened to welcome message
- Listened to Options
- Pressed 1 for English
- Extended benefits message played
- Listened to Options
- Pressed 9 for Main Menu
- Listened to Options
- Pressed 4 for question on claim already filed
- Website advertisement played
- Phone rings
- EEO message played
- Entered my SSN
- Pressed 1 to validate SSN
- Entered my PIN
- Claim status message played
- Website and call center advertisement played
- "Remain on line for additional options" message played
- Listened to Options
- Pressed 4 for other questions
- Listened to Options
- Pressed 2 for question on weekly benefits
- Website and call center advertisement played
- Processing claim message played
- Listened to Options
- Pressed 3 to ask a question
..... and then i heard something like .....
"Please hold. We're sorry we are experiencing a high volume of calls at this time and all specialists are helping other customers." Then the website and call center advertisement played once again (4th time on the call). Then it told me to call back later and the New York State Department of Labor hung up.
After listening to 10 messages/advertisements and 6 options of what numbers to press, they hung up.
The New York State Department of Labor Commissioner is M. Patricia Smith. Perhaps the M is in 'My People Won't Answer the Phone'.
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7 comments:
I am having the same issue and have been calling nonstop from 8am to 5pm to get through. My online unemployment says that "You may not claim your weekly benefits using this system until you call the Telephone Claims Center at 1-888-209-8124 and request credit for your waiting week."
In my endless hours of calling, I got through to a representative ONCE who "transferred" me to another agent (and I was told I had another 20 minute wait).
Did you find another way to get through to this frustrating Claims Center??
I am experience the same problem and am calling non-stop from 8am to 5pm. I wish I could do the claim online, but after filing online my account says "You may not claim your weekly benefits using this system until you call the Telephone Claims Center at 1-888-209-8124 and request credit for your waiting week."
The ONE time I got through, the operator was very unhelpful and transferred me to someone else for whom I had to wait another 20 minutes and was eventually disconnected.
Not only have I lost my job, but I can't even get my unemployment because this line is busy ALL DAY - nevermind even start looking for another job!
>Did you find another way to get through to this frustrating Claims Center??
Unfortunately, I could not. Took me 3 days of calling the first time to finally get a human. She was, by the way, helpful and had the answer to my question.
Once you get past the waiting week, file online each week and it's pretty quick.
With all the new unemployed, the NY Dept of Labor phone service can't be getting much better.
This is my third day in a row of calling and not getting a human. As a taxpayer who is waiting on funds to eat, this is an abomination. You would think they would help the process by 1. helping the unemployment problem by hiring some new people and 2. answering the phones so people have time to look for jobs instead of wasting valuable time listening to messages.
leave your # and have them call you back in 30 minutes
Yeah they offered to have someone call back within 6-9 minutes. 4 hours later I tried calling them again... and was hung up on.
just did this today and I got the exact same message. UNBELIEVABLE. No putting on hold. Just hang up on you and make you go through that ridiculous phone tree again.
can't believe this shitty system hasn't improved in 4 years.
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