Krissy

Please hold for the next available customer service operator

So for the past few days I have been trying to call the Australian Tax Office to get some information about paying off my HECS debt. (For those non-Australian readers, basically the government pays for your degree, then you pay them back once you start earning above a certain amount). I only have a small amount left, and will be paying it off when I lodge my tax return. All I want to know is if I have to do anything else or if that’s it and I am free of this debt.

Since Monday I have been trying to call them to find out this information. Each time, I get “we are currently experiencing a high volume of calls” and tells me to go look at their website or call another number which is an automated system. I’ve already looked on their website, and I doubt the automated system can answer my question. Instead of giving you the option to hold on the line IT JUST DISCONNECTS YOU. I don’t even understand how they can have a high volume of calls, if they won’t even let anyone hold on the line!

As I type this, I have finally gotten through, but of course I am on hold. I vaguely remember ringing them in the past and being on hold for ages as well. I swear they have two people in their call centre.

So in a nutshell, the ATO call centre sucks. Hire more staff, just don’t disconnect people so they have to waste money calling back every few hours.