Here we can all be heard for a little while. Part 2

calleyw

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

It is easy to think when you feel down that things would be better if you had a supportive family, you know the type the media loves to represent at Christmas with everyone laughing and eating around a table, full of happiness and love. Families are rarely like that, they can come with their own sets of problems that can be very painful, it isn't always better. You do have people who care for you Faerie, they including us are your family now, friends can sometimes be far more supportive than family ever can. Please let us know how you get on today.

WaS,

You are so right. They reckon the 1st working day after christmas there are record amount of phone calls to solicitors as people want to split.

People think that everything has to be perfect and wonderful and everyone happy and smiley. I would rather enjoy myself than expecting it to be perfect.

Yours

Calley

Waves_and_Smiles

I totally agree, calley. A lot of the problems for people with families and without is there is huge pressure that if you have a family everything is ok and wonderful. It hardly ever is. It is lovely to have a family you get on with but it is a still a group of people all made up of individuals and no one is going to get on with everyone. Both positions have their positives and negatives.

Things you don't want to hear when you call about your ESA form - "I have no idea what's happening with it to be honest!"

I just called to check on the progression of my form and it is apparently is exactly where it was when it arrived. I spoke to a lovely man called Steve who told me that even for them this is very slow, it has been 3 weeks and it hasn't made it anywhere yet! He is going to contact his manager and get them to call me back and hopefully they can at least get it moved it to someone's desk! It cheered up my day actually because Steve started the phone call sounding very grumpy and tired, we were both laughing by the end of it. I suggested I drive there and hunt it down and move it myself, he said it would be much faster than waiting for them. There will be a wait at the assessment department and then another wait when it is sent back to the DWP so he said even if it moved today I am probably looking at at least another 6 weeks before anything is decided. This might be resolved by the summer if I'm lucky...

calleyw

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

I totally agree, calley. A lot of the problems for people with families and without is there is huge pressure that if you have a family everything is ok and wonderful. It hardly ever is. It is lovely to have a family you get on with but it is a still a group of people all made up of individuals and no one is going to get on with everyone. Both positions have their positives and negatives.

Exactly. Why people play happy families I never know. There is way to much pressure for you to like your family. Can't stand my elder brother. And doubt I ever will.

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

It cheered up my day actually because Steve started the phone call sounding very grumpy and tired, we were both laughing by the end of it. I suggested I drive there and hunt it down and move it myself, he said it would be much faster than waiting for them.

I always try and make call centre staff life easy and try and make it light and easy for them. And if I get them to laugh all the better. And I always say at the end thanks so much hope you have a good day.

The other day I had to call my energy supplier about something. And he apologised for the computer taking its time. I said thats fine take as long as you need. I said I bet he does not hear that very often and he laughed and said no.

Yours

Calley

Waves_and_Smiles

I always do the same, Calley. Poor Steve started the phone call sounding like he wished he was back in bed but was laughing with me by the end of it and he told me to have a great week. It is no fun being on the frontline at call centres, so many times their hands are tied and they can't do a thing to help yet they are the ones who get yelled at. I always try to be pleasant and say thank you a lot.

calleyw

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

I always do the same, Calley. Poor Steve started the phone call sounding like he wished he was back in bed but was laughing with me by the end of it and he told me to have a great week. It is no fun being on the frontline at call centres, so many times their hands are tied and they can't do a thing to help yet they are the ones who get yelled at. I always try to be pleasant and say thank you a lot.

I have theory that everyone should spend a few weeks working in a call center and that might change the way some people talk to call center workers.

Yours

Calley

Waves_and_Smiles

I agree totally. I always figure that DWP staff as an example must really suffer at their job. It is such an emotive subject and there are so many desperate and angry people chasing their benefits that they must be bombarded with negativity the whole time. I always try to treat them with respect and be as kind as I can be, a lot of the time the call centre staff in companies are as much controlled by the system as the users are.

jobbingmusician

I know you are really suffering waiting for your DWP decision (a done deal, in my mind ). But what I can't get over is this WaS who picks up the phone to chase progress, and jokes around with the DWP staff, compared with the WaS of a year ago who was completely terrified at the idea of picking up the phone. To anyone at all. :beer:

tea_lover

I know JM! I need to call my boss but have been putting it off since 8am.... but WaS is straight to business, calling the DWP, cheering up the staff, encouraging the process along. You're putting us all to shame WaS!

Waves_and_Smiles

Aw, JM and tea! Thank you. That is true actually, phone calls are easier than they were a year ago. I still don't like them but I do tend to remind myself that there is a human on the end with likely similar worries and fears to me and in the case of DWP employees they may have just been yelled at for the previous few phone calls so could do with someone being pleasant that they can laugh with. If I think I have the chance to brighten their day it isn't so scary somehow.

Waves_and_Smiles

Aw, Rachel from the DWP was so nice. She is going to attempt to fast-track my form to the assessment centre to make up for lost time. At that point it is in the hands of Maximus who are nothing to do with the DWP department so she gave me their phone number so that I can contact them if I hear nothing for weeks. She was optimistic and said I should know within a month because Maximus are faster than Atos but by all means once they send it back to the DWP call them again and see where it is. She also apologised that it has taken so long to be sent to Maximus. I did say it's fine, you probably have a backlog and she said we don't actually, this is our fault. She gets full marks for honesty!