Do you have trouble phoning the Inland Revenue?

Do you have trouble phoning the Inland Revenue?

Didn't find your answer?

Down here in Bournemouth we have lost our dear old 01202 585000 phone number, which always got answered, in exchange for 0845 302 1443 which is always engaged (not even a queuing facility) so in frustration I rang 0117 907 2362 to speak to the local major domo, who was in a meeting all day.

I hope he was ordering more telephones.

We in Bournemouth are apparently in Bristol and North Somerset these days (!), but the MD's colleague told me Bournemouth had been linked up with Portsmouth to increase phone answering capacity.

We then engaged in a conversation which got me laughing out loud at the 'officialspeak' answers. Apparently the reason the number is always engaged is that whilst call answering capacity has been increased, they are getting 'increased demand'. Curious I said that we always got answered before - you must have less staff. No, more staff but an increased area of coverage (as far as Portsmouth I suppose).

The short answer seems to be there are less people answering the phone per head of population, but they don't want to admit it.

Does anyone have any facts about these 'reforms' within the Revenue, and are there any direct line numbers accountants can use to cut through the call centres?
David Ross

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By phil_harland
02nd Aug 2004 18:20

I've tried everything
Paul

Your comments about leaving different messages is valid. I have tried various messages spoken in different ways, but to my amazement the same number of messages per day just kept being left! Seems a lot of people don't listen to the message ... As such, I went back to my original message, which I preferred from a business perspective.

I have come to accept that I will continue to receive calls, and some of the messages do raise a chuckle. It's amazing how many people:

- leave a phone number but with no STD code
- leave no contact details whatsoever
- are totally incomprehensible on the phone
- give their life story
- ring over and over again without bothering to check that the number they are calling is actually the right one

I'm sure this doesn't apply to any advisers though ;-)

Phil

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By martinfoley07
02nd Aug 2004 17:20

0845 = problems
When ringing the "old" STD numbers, you usually got to the right person with a promptish resolution of a query/mix-up or whatever.

As the Revenue switch to the 0845 regional/area call centres, matters rapidly deteriorate. My experiences when "forced" into calling their 0845 numbers have been so poor, that I no longer use them at all. Assuming the old number has been "obliterated" and can't be used, I simply phone the best guess STD IR number I have, which works much better (ie you get through to someone who is in position to help/act)than 0845.

I agree with posting which suggests 0845 may be useful to general enquiry from public but is not working at all for detailed/specific issues - it simply acts as a bureaucratic time-wasting "middle person" who can only act by passing you on, having wasted their time and yours by trying to deal with the query/issue initially.

Can we make representations to IR to think again on this?

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By User deleted
02nd Aug 2004 16:57

Poor Phil
Phil,

Perhaps you could start your answerphone message with something like "If you've phoned the Inland Revenue (etc) please note you have misdialled" - it might save some tape...or are the irate calls such a work of art that they make enjoyable listening.

You could start a website with audio files of some of the better calls...could be a challenge for the AccountingWeb team!!

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By User deleted
02nd Aug 2004 12:59

Answering quality
We use the 'prority number' to get through to the Inland Revenue but instead of getting somebody who actually knows who works in the building and how the system works we now get a telephone drone who doesn't know the difference between PAYE and Corporation Tax.

Progress eh?

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By User deleted
02nd Aug 2004 14:31

Problems here too
Can't help you I'm afraid - we've got the Cambridgeshire Area which has IRCC (Inland Revenue Contact Centre - note they don't call it a "call" centre) in Leicester.

Sadly I have found the staff to be incapable of handling the sort of call professional accountants make, they then refer the call to someone else and perhaps I'll get a call back from someone who knows something. These centres may be capable of handling calls from the general public, most of whom will be simple PAYE cases, the more "complex" cases usually have agents.

I've given up trying to phone the Revenue and now put an old fashioned letter in the post with the vain hope that it will be answered in 30 days (probably quicker than hanging on the phone?).

Have they re-organised their work down there in Somerset? Up here they have split the different taxes into different offices, so that the CT affairs are dealt with in one office and the directors PAYE affairs in another. Bl**dy nightmare is all I'll say!


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By phil_harland
02nd Aug 2004 14:49

You may be calling my number!
Since the IR started moving to 0845 numbers, some of these bear a close resemblance to my own company number. In particular the 0845 3021443 mentioned as well as the child benefit number of 0845 3021444. With a small mis-dial you will get through to my company. In many cases this will go to an answerphone. As this is the answerphone service for more than company, there is no company name in the message - if you leave a message chances are that you will not hear anything more as I don't have time to call back all the wrong calls. When the child benefit number changed over I was getting some 40 calls a day through people having been given the wrong number or mis-dialling! Even now, I now get about 10 a day, about 80% being for child benefit and 20% inland revenue.

I have raised the issue with the child benefit agency - although sympathetic there was nothing they could do. I told them this was causing irate customers (you should hear some of the abuse I have to listen to on the answerphone!). All in all though I just have to put up with it.

So, a word of caution - do double check you have dialled the right number - or you could have just left a message with me ...

Phil

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By Briar
02nd Aug 2004 15:43

Sunderland Call Centre is Womderful !
Paul should use the Sunderland call centre (0191 541 1010). You get through easily (after the long standard message) and the staff are absolutely wonderful - knowledgable and good humoured. I have never failed to achieve satisfaction. You southerners might have difficulty understanding the north-eastern accents but persevere ! Mackers and Geordies give good service where others fail (and I'm from Cumbria).
Ian

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David Ross
By davidross
03rd Aug 2004 11:04

Are Call Centre employees just there to fob us off?
Thanks everyone for your input.
I have various experiences with Tax Credits, Passport Office etc which suggests that untrained staff in these centres are just employed to 'deal with the volume'.
There was an admission last year (Passports I think) that the services of a commercial centre had been bought in just for this purpose.
So far my relations with our local IR centre have not supported this theory, but then I suppose if I had ever got through I would have some evidence to go on!

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By Piglett
04th Aug 2004 12:41

There is a number
Portsmouth does have an agent priority number. You need to send your details to the service manager at Lynx House and you will be issued with it within a few weeks.

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By AnonymousUser
27th Jul 2004 20:10

Had the same problem!
I've had the same problem - I operate from Bath, come under Bristol & N Somerset District but have to phone Bournemouth/Portsmouth using a national call rate rather than a local one - the local call rate numbers are for 'Joe Public' and are useless. Maybe try this number next time 01202 585008?

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David Ross
By davidross
27th Jul 2004 21:25

Thanks Kenneth and denise
That is a brilliant web link.

Not much good for poor old Joe Public though.

I just rang 01202 585008 and the message say the number is now 02392 703003 which is the one on Keith's weblink.

Various 585xxx extensions are available but they are on the desks of individual officers who do not take 'general enquiries'

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David Ross
By davidross
28th Jul 2004 15:23

A further note
I tried phoning other tax office numbers to see what would happen. It seems that if you phone the wrong 'traditional' Tax Office they cannot help, but I tried another 0845 and although they told me they did not deal with the client they were able to access the computer record and change it

So it seems that the Call Centres are in fact being given Revenue-wide access to the computer records. I suppose it is a matter of time before all telephone matters are handled centrally (or perhaps in India!)

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By User deleted
27th Jul 2004 16:28
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