A long wait to speak to a human

TOO many telephone “helplines” are a hindrance instead of a help if our survey of 110 consumer hotlines is anything to go by.

Ill thought-out with too few staff and too many delays, it’s a fair bet that anyone who has had to ring one won’t be ringing back in a hurry.

Last week, I spent two days ringing 110 public helplines, consumer hotlines and switchboards to find out just how long callers had to wait to speak to a human being.