Department of Social Protection Terrible Reception Service

Sounds

Is it just Waterford or is the answering service this bad all over the country?
Rang them at 9am, no answer for 10 mins, rang them at 9.30 no answer.
Rang them at 9.45, no answer for 15 mins, rang at 11 no answer.
Rang back at 3pm no answer for 10 mins, rang back at 3.30 no answer still.

I know 3 people that were in there this morning, the place is not busy.

Is someone actually being paid to do this job?
They should be fired if they are.

They really need to look at their customer service. reception service.
If some has an emergency and can't get in there, this is just disgraceful for a public service.

aziz

you have to go in yourself as they very seldom answer the phones and if they did, it's very hard to make sense out of them.
Talking to some people it would seem its the same around the country.

jezko

aziz wrote: »

you have to go in yourself as they very seldom answer the phones and if they did, it's very hard to make sense out of them.
Talking to some people it would seem its the same around the country.

My own experience most Departments are like this... Including the CC.
I have a feeling they are using an Instruction Manual printed in the 18th centary. Carrier Pigeons for communication. As for being "helpful"

Taxburden carrier

jezko wrote: »

My own experience most Departments are like this... Including the CC.
I have a feeling they are using an Instruction Manual printed in the 18th centary. Carrier Pigeons for communication. As for being "helpful"

It's their culture.......boss !

my3cents

Some of those departments only answer the phone on certain days of the week.

fiachr_a

It's all women in that Department, they're either work sharing, on sick leave, or maternity leave. How about an organised protest outside the office? Would be great seeing that on the TV news.

johndoe99

as my3cents said. They don't answer on a signing day 'Tuesday'.

michellie

I haven't been in there in ages, but the last time I was they had this ridiculous reception window too, it's mostly covered over so you have to bend down to look in, what was the story with that??

shockwave

michellie wrote: »

I haven't been in there in ages, but the last time I was they had this ridiculous reception window too, it's mostly covered over so you have to bend down to look in, what was the story with that??

Theres no reception desk there anymore, you have to take a number and wait for your turn to talk to someone.

Sounds

And this service is paid for by the public's taxes?
Who are those zombies they have auto answering phone calls, in an city that doesn't even speak Irish.
Please press 1 if you want to hear this is Irish, obviously nobody presses 1. but they still go ahead and speak in Irish.
Sounds like a bit of a piss take service to me, no respect for other people, especially the the people they serve.
Nobody has the right to make you feel like a piece of dirt just because you're out of work, degrading.

I don't care who's paying for those people to be in employment, it's pure ignorance.
If everyone was working those clowns would be out of work, you don;t treat people like that.
Went in there one morning and the reception desk was covered in posters, blocked up, like you said.
I walked down the hall to a crowd of people waiting to talk to reception, ignorant bunch of cu**s treating people like this.
I said to one of the people there, what if I just want to ask a question, they said get a ticket like everyone else, omg piss takers.
I'm too sick right now to let myself get stressed about this, but it's not a decent public service, you'd treat animals better.

Why hasn't anyone done anything already? would it make a difference.. never met one of them who looked like they like their job.

wmpdd3

I'm sure I read that as part of some industrial despute they stopped answering the phones about 5 years ago.

In comparison, I always get through to the health center [yellow building] within about 4 rings .

Sounds

I might sound a bit hasty, but it makes me sick to see a service that's provided for the public, for unemployed persons,
And they have no respect for anyone that comes in the door, I'm sure there's nice people working there, but they don't show it.
They're a breed of their own.

Digital Society

Sounds wrote: »

I might sound a bit hasty, but it makes me sick to see a service that's provided for the public, for unemployed persons,
And they have no respect for anyone that comes in the door, I'm sure there's nice people working there, but they don't show it.
They're a breed of their own.

Who the Travellers? What do you mean by the people that come in the door.

burkey85

johndoe99 wrote: »

as my3cents said. They don't answer on a signing day 'Tuesday'.

Complete waste of time ringing there on any day, rarely get an answer an if you do, you'll be on hold a long time waiting for it!

Sounds

I rang them last Thursday, I honestly am sick as a dog still, then Friday, Monday, Tuesday and today, I ended up going in there.
It took the life out of me to walk in there, I'm sicker now than earlier, left the phone ring out for at least 15 minutes each time.
And that same place is going to be hosteling me to go to the job employment office after I've just spent the last year in college.

It's obvious to me someone is not doing their job, or someone is not using their job skills to motivate the DSP staff to do their job there.

It doesn't cost much to have someone representing your business, "reception desk"
I would have thought that is one of the most important aspects of any business, including DSP. It's not the easiest job i know some people go nuts.
Maybe they need to train their staff better in how to deal with some people, if that's a concern or reasons behind making people herd like sheep.
It's not right to have people cue up to get a little help for whatever reason, even a cue would work better, no tickets needed.

They're not the worst when you talk to the nicely... but that's no excuse for the lack of support to the general public.
There was nobody in reception and nobody in that room where you have to get a ticket just to talk to them.

@ digital I meant the whole city in general, as a lot of people are out of work.

fiachr_a

Why don't you complain about these jokers? https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/OfficeCommentCard.aspx

BuffyBot

Surprise: massively reduced budgets and staffing in the DSP + massive rise in customers = not able to cope.

It's sad, really, but hardly unfathomable. The DSP (never the most resourced government department) has suffered some pretty severe cuts at the same time it's workload in the last few years has increased exponentially. Put two and two together..

Hoffmans

There should be a seperate reception for for in nationals then they would only need 1 or 2 on the desk , as they get so much extra benefits than the rest their claims take longer to process.....

Digital Society

Hoffmans wrote: »

There should be a seperate reception for for in nationals then they would only need 1 or 2 on the desk , as they get so much extra benefits than the rest their claims take longer to process.....

Its hard to understand with all the grammar mistakes but i think you're trying to say that non-nationals get special benefits that no one else does? Is this correct?

fiachr_a

They'll be less busy next month when those crystal pension payments come through. That should disqualify a few from welfare payments!

johnsparkexile

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Unite have been given a commitment from The Dept of Social Protection that any monies received by the ex Waterford Crystal workers involved in the pension case won't be counted when assessing their entitlements.

taytobreath

johnsparkexile wrote: »

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Unite have been given a commitment from The Dept of Social Protection that any monies received by the ex Waterford Crystal workers involved in the pension case won't be counted when assessing their entitlements.

so if a fella becomes entitled to a 600 a week pension, he can keep his dole on top of it

johnsparkexile

None of the former workers will be getting anything near that amount of money. At the moment any of them who are already receiving a pension would be receiving in the region of 140-150 euro per month, which was classed as income for social welfare purposes, which meant a deduction to their weekly social welfare payment. the workers that I'm referring too are those that lost their jobs in 2008/2009.

Cabaal

Hoffmans wrote: »

There should be a seperate reception for for in nationals then they would only need 1 or 2 on the desk , as they get so much extra benefits than the rest their claims take longer to process.....

I don't recommend posting in this manner again as it will result in your receiving a break from the forum.

ILoveShoez

I have a direct number for casuals/part timers.

if anyone needs it, pm me

fiachr_a

Send in an FOI request to get EVERY phone number in the ground office. Then dial each one until they answer.