is it surprising that trying to get my ni number (National Insurance Number) in person was ultimately fruitless (except for the fact that i now know how to get to the social security building?
there are about 9 different numbers to ring to set up an appointment. can’t make an appointment in person (which i didn’t know until this morning), although the ni interview takes place at the social security office, which i just visited.
calling isn’t a problem… except… the lines are always busy, and the few times the phone picks up, the person at the other end hung up on me three times. making the calls from work seems to be the only way to make this happen since i’m charged 20p every time the person picks up and hangs up — or the line picks up an an automated voice tells me the line is busy and i can’t leave a message and please call back.
since i know the address to the place i need to eventually visit, my logic goes like this: i’ll stand in line and visit the folks who answer the phone, and then i’ll have priority over the callers. cost: one half-day of work.
web site says the place opens at 8:30 on mon, wed, fri. the reality is that they open at 10 am on fridays. then once i get in and see a real person, the conversation goes like this:
me: “hello i’m here to make an appointment for a ni number”
him: “sorry mate can’t make an appointment in person but you have to call first.”
me: “i understand i can’t apply at the moment but i’d like to make an appointment for an interview.”
him: “sorry mate the people who make the appointments can only be reached by the telephone. you can fax your details or mail it in”
me: “the postal address you just gave to me is this address. where are the people who get my letter? can i just go in and see them in person?”
him: “sorry mate it doen’t work like that. you mail or fax your details in and we forward the information to the chaps who make the appointments. when you get your appointment details you come back here for the interview.”
me: “let me make this clear. i have to call telephone numbers that no one answers or mail my details to you here in the office so i can make an appointment here in your office, but i can’t make the appointment here?”
him: “yes, i’m sorry mate that is what has to happen.”
me: “can i just leave my details with you since mailing them would make them appear here anyway?”
him: “sorry mate you can’t make an appointment here. you have to contact the people who make the appointments by ringing them or faxing or mailing your details to the numbers i just gave to you.”
seeing the circle of conversation starting to come round to the beginning again, i gave up and left.
funny enough, on my way back the the office i was able to get through to a real person on the phone who didn’t hang up on me, and even arranged to make an appointment. won’t it be funny if i ended up visiting with the polite yet simple gentleman with whom i visited this morning.