Hi everyone. Having quietly waited for January to finish to speak with someone about my client's SA queries, I thought I would try to embrace new technology.
I therefore tried getting a query resolved via the online chat facility and the Agent Dedicated Line simultaneously. I had 3 queries so thought it would be interesting to try both methods to see which bought the best conclussion.
Firstly, the ADL give the message that there was a long wait time (surprise, surprise) which averaged at 30 minutes yesterday. The chat also said it was busy but was answered unusually quickly, after about 5 minutes' wait.
On getting through to the chat, it took ages for the HMRC agent to come up with the answers to my questions, I managed to clear up two queries in 32 minutes so 16 minutes each.
While the second query was being answered, the ADL was answered and the member of staff was very helpful. Fully resolved the query in about 5 minutes.
There was however one thing I prefered about the chat facility. I was able to print a copy of the whole conversation quite easily and save this to my client's file with a Chat ID and all. I am beginning to wonder if:
A. This may turn our opinion of the new facility on its head as it is a quite useful feature when relaying things back to the client and presumably will be useful if HMRC investigate the client in future.
B. I also wonder if HMRC may come to regret this feature and whether it will be removed in the future
I would be interested to get others' views on their experiences of both systems now that HMRC seem determined to force this change upon us all.
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Replies (14)
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Had the client use the chat function to check on progress of a UTR number during the course of which the agent stated that they couldn't help with the UTR number, the client absolutely would be fined for missing 31st January filing date (regardless of when return was issued if at all) and there was no way in which they could pay the tax due without the UTR number.
I'm not going to bother risking it but wonder what the chances of an appeal for late payment surcharges would be after sending of the transcript PDF?
It's interesting that this functionality is so readily available given the lack of consistency and quality of advice HMRC staff give these days.
I think HMRC may have providing something useful for a change, albeit unwittingly. It would be hard to make a "careless" error penalties to stick when bad advice has been given.
Your late payment surcharge argument is another good case in point.
The "functionality is so readily available" because it's not under the control of HMRC - it's a standard feature of all Chatbot software.
But I wouldn't get too excited. It *is* useful for demonstrating to clients both the effort you've expended and the ineptitude of HMRC, but clients aren't really that interested in anything beyond getting the answer (preferably with reduced tax).
And, judging from the experience of other corporations' trials of chatbot services, it doesn't take long for people to work out how easy it is to 'edit' the transcripts!
We (or at least I) are not seeking an 'audit' service for our queries - we know that HMRC can & will always fall back on the mantra of 'responsibility remains with the taxpayer' - but it would be nice to get through quickly, with at least a chance of receiving an answer that can be referenced to a cited source.
I’d like to comment on my experience of it (when it’s actually available) but most words would be filtered out
There's another thread here https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/any-answers/hmrc-webchat-frustration where I gave my reply.
I used the online chat for Employers yesterday and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The advisor was helpful and efficient and was able to help with two different queries on different clients. One I was chasing a CIS refund where there had been queries and the other was to reclaim a PAYE credit for SMP. The ability to print the chat out is also a really easy way to keep a record. To be honest I think in future I will start with the chat option rather than phone. Of course, I may have been lucky and got a good advisor (his name was Fraser)
Thanks Lucy. I'm going to carry on ringing the ADL & trying the chat facility at the same time to see which, over a period of time, works best. I don't like to heap praise on HMRC (nobody does) but what we have here is an additional way to contact them to solve queries. At least we do until they permanently close the ADL which I suspect will happen soon unfortunately.
I was pleasantly surprised with how well the member of staff answered my two queries last week although it does take slightly longer (the process of explaining complicated issues in writing takes longer than giving a verbal explanation). I think, as ever, it is a case of developing your strategy to find which communication methods HMRC react to fastest.
My experience of the chat facility has not been too bad so far, there have been one or two instances where I get a 'stupid' reply, it also happens on the ADL but rarely. However, my gripe is that chat does not deal with other tax issues, I have to call in for Trust self-assessment as the chat adviser can't see the data (as it is for individuals only although they are both self-assessment), and for IHT related queries for trusts as well. There is no agent-dedicated line for trusts, so yesterday I has to call in, 40 mins wait and another 40 mins to resolve 2 trust issues. The amazing thing was that the person dealing with it gave me a really bull-sxxt reply for the issue, and then she said she will ask the manager, and the manager gave an even bigger further bull-sxxt reply. But in the end, I reasoned with her, and then she spotted the issue in the system.. and resolved it.
I asked a similar question yesterday - the recorded voice is saying it takes about 20 minutes to get to speak to someone, I then tried the online chat and was told I might have to wait 15 days for an answer. The system is broken.
The problem with the webchat/chatbot is everyone starts with the chatbot which is only capable of giving the equivalent of Google links. The first battle is getting the chatbot to hand the agent over to a human webchat. Once I've persuaded the chatbot to transfer me, I then join a queue for a human webchat. During January I would usually join the queue in position >150. It took about 20 minutes to get to the front of the queue, so a bit quicker than then ADL. You then have to clear security. It takes a lot more time to type security information than to speak it. I usually type it whilst I'm still in the queue, but invariably the human webchat person doesn't look at it. It would be so much better if we agents had our own webchat that was launched from within our agent portal after we have loaded the client. That way there would be no need to clear security because we've cleared security by logging in. Also, no need to input the client details because we will have launched from the client.
The next problem with the existing webchat is that the HMRC human can't always deal with agents and has to transfer us. So we're put in another queue and when it's answered, they want to go through security again. I tell them to look at the chat. But it takes time because HMRC has to manually type our manual typing into HMRC's systems to clear security. Crazy.
We're now 40 minutes into the process. This is about the same time as the ADL.
I've generally been able to get most tasks done on the webchat, but it is definitely slower. It would be a better process if we could launch from within the agent account and go direct to a HMRC human who can deal with agents. Better still, give us the tools so we can carry out the task without needing webchat at all eg the tools to change PAYE tax codes.
Literally, as I'm reading this:
*Thank you for your patience, your estimated wait time is 3 minutes 21 seconds.*
*You're now talking to J**** *
Them: "Hi, welcome to HMRC webchat. You're through to J****, sorry for the wait. How can I help?"
Me: "We submitted my client's tax return in October, he is due a refund which he still hasn't received. What's going on?"
Them: "Thank you for getting in touch with our Self-Assessment Webchat Service. As you are an agent contacting us on behalf of your client, we will be passing you over to a dedicated team who will respond to your query."
*J**** has left the chat Please wait, you'll be connected to the next available adviser*
*Thank you for your patience, your estimated wait time is 9 minutes 14 seconds.*
I have had this as well. Does anyone know if there is a direct link to the Agent Dedicated Chat? I can't find one. It would help to cut out the time wasted waiting for the SA chat to reply only to then pass you through to the Agent Team.
Just been on a chat, so asked the question if there was a direct link, this is the response i got:-
"It is not yet set up, it was estimated to be set up this month some time but that timescale may change."
