Lengthy wait frustrates public
Agency’s claimed service times ‘do not reflect reality’
TOOWOOMBA Centrelink clients are frustrated over lengthy wait times.
The agency’s annual report this week revealed telephone wait times had increased, with people who called the welfare agency waiting on average 15 minutes and 44 seconds to speak to someone.
So exasperated are some people with their experience at the Toowoomba’s Centrelink office on Bell St, they leave without seeing someone.
“The line’s way too long so I just left,” said Samantha Daly who was at Centrelink on Tuesday.
When The Chronicle spoke to people exiting Centrelink on Tuesday afternoon and yesterday morning, they unanimously believed wait times - both in person and on the phone - had ballooned.
“When I call, it takes at least 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes I’m on hold for an hour three times a day,” Ms Daly added.
All agreed that the agency’s 15 minutes and 44 second wait times did not reflect their experiences.
“It’s at least a 45-minute wait on the phone – usually an hour,” Scott Thompson said.
Leila Hartshorne agreed: “It takes a good hour to get through on the phone, half the time when you go in.”
Ms Hartshorne’s account mirrored that of a dozen other Centrelink users.
The Department of Human Services said it was upgrading technology but that calls were still answered within its 16-minute target.
‘‘We are making regular improvements to our technology so people don’t have to call in the first place,” a spokeswoman said.