government work

[gilana]

Wow.

So I filled out my unemployment form online yesterday, and got a message saying Call the Telephone Claims Center. Additional information is required to determine your eligibility for benefits.

OK, I dig through the paperwork and find the number, but the line is no open. Fine. Call back this morning, get a message saying that call volume is higher than usual and people are waiting in excess of ten minutes. Great. Push some buttons, get through some menus, get asked to input to SSN. OK. Wait through the slow voice verifying my SSN. Great.

And then there's a message saying that because call volume is so high, they're scheduling callers according to their SSN. And because of the number mine ends with -- I'm supposed to call back Thursday.

Thursday.

OK, at least they're not keeping me on hold until then, but still.

Comments

[desireearmfeldt]

Yup, that seems to be the way it typically works. Everyone calls Monday, so they have this system for dealing wiht that by assigning people to days, but then they don't tell you that up-front.

[zendzian.livejournal.com]

interesting....i filed for unemployment two days after cheng & shmucks let me go, and i got through just fine. i was only waiting for about 7 minutes, if that.

might it have something to do with the fact that you filed online?

[gilana]

No, I opened the original claim on the phone and got through fine. I think this was because it was about an existing claim.

[imlad.livejournal.com]

Yeeps! I had no idea you were out of a job. I just went through the experience, including applying for unemployment. There is a very good employment resource center right here in Cambridge. I can get your their info if you are interested. Also, shoot me your CV and I will forward it around - no promises, naturally, but you never know.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks! Do you think the resource center would know about specialized fields like graphic design? I've found in general they're not usually all that helpful. I don't think I actually have an email address for you -- if you let me know what it is, I'd love to send you my CV. You never know who knows someone who knows someone... thanks!

[gilana]

Sigh. That was me, of course, not logged in (using two browsers at once, gmail is suddenly not working on FireFox for me.)

[imlad.livejournal.com]

Sure - e-mail to my LJ e-mail and it will get to me, and then I will reply to you. It strikes me that the resource center is good for general research rather than specific markets.

[awhyzip.livejournal.com]

yup, this what what I'd wanted to warn you about. Stupid phone diffuser. I take it you are waiting until tomorrow to call back? On the other hand once you get thru to an actual person, they are very nice, helpful, and seem well-informed.

One time I was speaking with an unemployment staffer on the phone, trying to identify an unknown employer that was showing up on my record (yeah, bizzare), the chinatown bus I was on (from NYC, just like you!) went thru a deadzone and I lost the call. She called me right back, so I wouldn't have to wait in the incoming hold-queue! I was very impressed.

[gilana]

That is nice! I managed to get through after I got back today, and they had no idea why I called. Couldn't find any record of anything that they needed to talk to me about. Sigh... Oh well, that's better than there being a real problem!