Dear LPG,

There is no doubt about it, the streets beyond our front doors are gradually waking up, and the government continues to change the details regarding what we can do and what we can’t.  I still think that, pensioners who don’t actually need to get out there, are better off staying at home for a while longer if they can, but I am now talking on the phone to friends who are coming to the conclusion that after being locked down for so long and promising themselves that they would do so many tasks while they had the opportunity, they had better get serious now while there is a bit of time left.

I think that the thing that many people, young or old, resolved to do while at home for so long was to have a bit of a sort–out and tidy up, and so many items that we forgot that we had have come to the surface.  I found a premium bond or two that are really old and thought I would spend some time checking their value and how many I actually have.   So I found their number and gave them a call.

I have called quite a few other official agencies recently and anyone who has, will by now, expect the Corona virus element that has been incorporated into nearly all of their initial recordings. 

They nearly all start by telling you that they have limited staff and that you should only hold on if you cannot access their website.  They all go on to tell you that you should only hold on if your enquiry is urgent.  But the thing that really made me smile when I rang NS&I was just how long that recording continued while it tried to persuade you to put the phone down. 

I want to remind everyone that their enquiry is urgent and that it is worth waiting for the doctor, bank or any other government or corporate agency because even if you have to wait for over half an hour you will eventually get through.  The only problem might occur if your telephone runs out of charge during the waiting time.

I thought this would be a time when it is worth re-reading an earlier LPG post on the subject where TF of Lee gives us a lesson on how to make waiting time less frustrating (►►►).   I suspect that the post in question was written with a degree of the writer’s tongue-in-cheek, but the solution offered is quite effective.

I just want to remind readers that, no matter how long these calls take to be answered, how much of the same irritating music you have to listen to and how many times you need to hear the annoying ‘you will be here for ages if you choose to hang on, but your call is important to us’ recording, persistence is the way forwards and… Your call IS important!

DC, Camberwell