NS&I "Helpline"

stu888

Has anyone had any trouble trying to get through to the NS&I 0500 007 007 helpline? I must have tried 50 times in the last 24 hrs, but keep on getting busy....can't get response from any opf their other numbers either. It says on their web site that this is an "award winning service" I would like to know who gave out the awards??

catfish50

stu888 wrote: »

Has anyone had any trouble trying to get through to the NS&I 0500 007 007 helpline? I must have tried 50 times in the last 24 hrs, but keep on getting busy....can't get response from any opf their other numbers either. It says on their web site that this is an "award winning service" I would like to know who gave out the awards??

It's just the very large demand. I finally got through Saturday afternoon. Maybe football.

stu888

Thanks, I was hoping that was the problem, just getting a bit worried, guess that I will have to persist, althought still cant see how thois is an "Award winning Service" lol

catfish50

stu888 wrote: »

Thanks, I was hoping that was the problem, just getting a bit worried, guess that I will have to persist, althought still cant see how thois is an "Award winning Service" lol

Well, it's not their fault the demand is so huge. They're just following orders in offering the certificates. And the number is free, whereas they could have been using a chargeable number and leaving people connected but in an long long queue. I don't see that there's any better way they could manage it. And their service is good as far as I've experienced -- I have an ISA with them and no complaints.

fluffnutter

catfish50 wrote: »

Well, it's not their fault the demand is so huge. They're just following orders in offering the certificates. And the number is free, whereas they could have been using a chargeable number and leaving people connected but in an long long queue. I don't see that there's any better way they could manage it. And their service is good as far as I've experienced -- I have an ISA with them and no complaints.

Not that I'm disagreeing with you per se... but any time a financial institution launches a new product, particularly one that's been much touted and feted, the implementation strategy should cater for the inevitable increase in demand for customer services. I do personally think there is a better way they could have managed it - by redirecting or temporarily employing extra staff to cater for this period of increased demand. If they're not preempted this, or identified it as a likely outcome of launching a new product, then someone's not done their job properly.

catfish50

fluffnutter wrote: »

Not that I'm disagreeing with you per se... but any time a financial institution launches a new product, particularly one that's been much touted and feted, the implementation strategy should cater for the inevitable increase in demand for customer services. I do personally think there is a better way they could have managed it - by redirecting or temporarily employing extra staff to cater for this period of increased demand. If they're not preempted this, or identified it as a likely outcome of launching a new product, then someone's not done their job properly.

<shrug> I don't have any problems with them, but if you do, give them a miss

fluffnutter

catfish50 wrote: »

<shrug> I don't have any problems with them, but if you do, give them a miss

That wasn't actually my point. I think they're probably fine, and I'm quite keen to look into their new savings plans.

My point is that increased demand can be anticipated. In a service industry any implementation of a new project should be well-managed, and that includes temporarily increasing staff numbers on any helpline you have set up. It's bad practice not to do this, whether you have easy-going customers (like yourself) or not.

murgatroid

What if you're already an NS&I customer, have been for years, and need to call them about an urgent matter which is unrelated to the fancy new product they have just launched? Oh, well I guess they would have another number to call them on for that sort of thing... oh wait, no, they don't.

I've also been trying their 0500 007 007 number, which appears to be the only number you can call them on, for ages with no luck. Yet another case of a financial services company who puts far more emphasis on reeling in new customers than on giving their existing customers a decent service. Thanks, NS&I.

soolin

I've been trying here for days and despite phoing at odd hours still can't get anything other than a busy tone.

MIKELSOK

It's all a massive Scam, it's also like being brainwashed with that continuous WWW.NS$I.COM, and your call WILL NEVER BE ANSWERED. I THOUGHT THE COUNTRY WAS BROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Laz123

Yes I had the same problem. They must have foretold the kind of demand they expected. They could have set up a system that answers your call and keeps you on hold and tells you how many are in the queue before you. It's not rocket science.