Need to have a rant!!!!!

Oblivion

Just going off at a slight tangent, there is of course an underlying problem here, which is that the current taxation rules in the UK are so complex that even HMRC officials often fail to understand them and misapply them, so what chance has Joe Public got.

If the government would simplify the taxation system so that the man in the street could make sense of it, everyone would benefit.

Dave.

kitty1801

Cook_County wrote: »

I think the OP should look at recommendations 15, 16 & 17 of the Poynter Review: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/poynter_review/poynter_review_index.cfm

R15 HMRC should engage its staff by communicating the direction of travel detailed in this report. This communication needs to recognise how far removed from today’s reality this will seem and be alive to staff perception that HMRC’s priorities constantly change and that this may therefore be initially viewed with a degree of scepticism.

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R16 HMRC should commence the alignment of HR, Communications, Learning and change activities to ensure that information security policies and processes are embedded into day-to-day working life and behaviours.

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R17 HMRC should ensure that staff, at all levels, understand their responsibilities and accountabilities for information security and apply information security policies and principles in their day-to-day roles.

I don't think OP has breached any security policies or processes and has certainly not divulged any information on an individual. The post merely stated that call centres can sometimes have extremely rude people. To compare this to the data loss is a bit silly.

Also, if you have a look at a few other posters, there is a lot more secure information being given than 'someone called me whilst eating their lunch'. While security within HMRC does need to be tightened, I don't think this should mean that someone can't have a general moan about their job.

Sagz_2

Oh dear............ maybe Customer Service is not the job for you OP

dori2o

Don't get me wrong, I like the job. But I get sick and tired of people putting us down, when in reality, most people would be unable to do our job because of the things we have to put up with.

As has been said, not every call is like this, some people are really nice, and a few have written to me to express their gratitude for the help I have given them, which is always nice to hear, after all we are just a voice on the end of the phone.

I think I'd just had a really bad day, maybe it's because of the start of the school holidays?

I was always taught as a child, it costs nothing to be polite, and maybe I just expect that this is how everyone was brought up, maybe I'm wrong.

I now that people find our forms hard to understand, but it's really frustrating when they come on the phone, and you can tell, they just have not bothered at all to even read the form/notes, and even when you try guiding them through the forms, it's like they're saying, 'can't you just do it for me.'

Maybe I'm in the wrong, maybe I expect too much of people.

Anyhoo nevermind, t's Friday tomorrow, and come 2pm I'm finished for the weekend.

guppy

Cook_County wrote: »

Are you allowed to tell us these things? Doesn't the Official Secrets Act stop you?

Since when has widespread rudeness and ignorance within society been an Official Secret?

I imagine the OP's experience is replicated in call centres everywhere.

Tozer

Can I say something?

I pay tens of £ks in tax each year on self assessment. I have, once or twice, had to call HMRC. I have always ended up (whilst maintaing politeness and courtesy) being really hacked off with the lack of knowledge and sheer incompetence of the staff. Without exception.

I'm sure you are a decent person and not like the people I've spoke to. But they are civil servants paid to help me and not vice versa.

Would love people to sometimes say "Sorry, I don't know, but let me find someone who actually does know" instead of waffling away without a clue.

Point is, it cuts both ways.

zarazara

sorry your so upset. i've worked in a call centre and it can be trying. but i do have sympathy with the callers. we get child and working tax credits. the forms are not easy to complete and my DH cannot manage them at all as he is severly dyslexic. We have also been overpaid for several years and I have asked 4 times this year for MORE money to witheld from me to lessen the amount of overpayment, and all i get sent are letters saying they cannot REDUCE what they are clawing back. i want them to increase it but cannot get anyone to do this despite being told repeatedly that it will be done.

dori2o

Tozer wrote: »

Can I say something?

I pay tens of £ks in tax each year on self assessment. I have, once or twice, had to call HMRC. I have always ended up (whilst maintaing politeness and courtesy) being really hacked off with the lack of knowledge and sheer incompetence of the staff. Without exception.

I'm sure you are a decent person and not like the people I've spoke to. But they are civil servants paid to help me and not vice versa.

Would love people to sometimes say "Sorry, I don't know, but let me find someone who actually does know" instead of waffling away without a clue.

Point is, it cuts both ways.

It makes no difference what or how much tax you pay, that is not the point I was getting at. And for your information, we are not here to serve you, we are paid to ensure that the crown receives the correct amount of tax. But thats by the by.

The point I was making was that people who contact us can be very rude, some just don't want to take responsibility for anything, and some are just obnoxious beings.

The fact that you may have hasd a bad experience in the past with an advisor does not mean that we are all the same. there will always be one or two who don't fully understant certain aspects of tax, but it's not really surprising considering the complexities of the subject. And it is true that if the person does not know the answer, they should doi their best to find the answer, or pass the call to someone who does.

To say that the lack of knowledge and incompetence within the staff is without exeption, tells me that you are simply arrogant. There is another option, instead of contacting the tax office for free advice, speak to an accountant and pay their fees.

Losingthewilltolive_2

Whilst I agree that you should not be treated badly, I do think that you need to appreciate that we are all being shafted by the Government. This is due to excessive taxation on just about anything and everything resulting in worried and frustatrated people not knowing which way to turn. Sadly you are the one in the firing line as you are the voice of the Government. If Gordon Brown would actually listen to the people and act accordingly you might find people would be nicer.

margaretclare

sorry your so upset. i've worked in a call centre and it can be trying. but i do have sympathy with the callers. we get child and working tax credits. the forms are not easy to complete and my DH cannot manage them at all as he is severly dyslexic. We have also been overpaid for several years and I have asked 4 times this year for MORE money to witheld from me to lessen the amount of overpayment, and all i get sent are letters saying they cannot REDUCE what they are clawing back. i want them to increase it but cannot get anyone to do this despite being told repeatedly that it will be done.

No matter what difficulties someone is having there is no excuse for the kind of ill-mannered behaviour that the OP describes. Eating at the same time as asking questions, having loud music or TV in the background, these kinds of things, are absolutely inexcusable. I have done telephone-answering for a while at the CAB and I found similar things. Modern telephone equipment is very sensitive, picks up every little sound but unfortunately it is not 'intelligent' in that it can't discriminate between one sound and another. When we hear speech unmoderated by telephone equipment the brain has the ability to 'tune out' unwanted sound, so that we can hear our name spoken in a crowded room. By telephone, there is no distinction between the sound of chewing and the sound of speech.

I used to have a job that involved going into people's homes, and I always had difficulty when people insisted on keeping the TV going at the same time as asking questions to which they expected me to give answers.

Personally, whenever I have occasion to phone HMRC I do it at my desk in my own home with no extraneous noise in the background. I have always found the greatest helpfulness and courtesy, and usually managed to get my queries sorted out.

I wonder what is happening to people sometimes - there are fewer people about who have any notion of common courtesy, how to speak to people in order to get a helpful response. They all want their 'rights', but it is a two-way process after all.