Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Parking permits - don't go in person!
My online application to renew my parking permit failed to complete as the payment wouldn't go through, and my credit card subsequently froze. So I had to go into the Customer Service Centre in Wood Green to sort it out. I got there at the advertised opening time of 8.45 and was given a numbered ticket - I was only fourth in the queue so assumed it would not be a long wait.
At first there was only one parking desk open, and as each customer seemed to be taking absolutely ages, things were moving pretty slowly - finally at 9.15 another desk opened but after seeing her first customer the woman on the desk had a nice long chat with a friend before calling my number at 9.45.
I found myself sitting on a low chair in front of a high counter, like a child at table - the woman told me her desk had been especially raised. Pity they didn't think to raise the customer's chair.
Since I had waited so long, I thought I might as well buy some more visitors' permits while I was there. I had to fill in a form, and was then told I could not pay there and then, but "someone would call me to collect payment" and the permits would then be posted to me. This seemed weird because I had just paid by credit card for my resident permit, but apparently you can only get visitor permits by post or online. Except for the man ahead of me, who had been handed a huge pile of the things, which I presume he had paid for... I was given one sheet of 8 permits to take away and have heard nothing more.
The whole atmosphere was unhurried and unhelpful, and the process took almost an hour and a half, for which I had to pay the car park - I won't be going back in a hurry if I can help it.
Tags for Forum Posts: parking permits
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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I've been to the Hostage Customer Service Centre myself and experience a huge wait, but did receive efficient attention when there. Your own experience sounds like Maddy in Wonderland!
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Permalink Reply by Julia on
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I believe they outsourced the running of this service to Franz Kafka several months back
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Permalink Reply by Katy Mendes on
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I've tried to get visitor permits twice now, never got the call - feel very unloved.....hanging at the end of the phone, jumping every time it rings - but is was never them :(
Got to go down tomorrow to get a residents permit - not looking forward to it but no choice really, bought the car last night and can't keep avoiding the area between 8 and 6.30 until they send it to me.
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Permalink Reply by Paul on
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same thing happened to me last year - its awful in there, and I bet their staff who live in Haringey don't have to wait that long. I got there 9ish, and waited for just under an hour and a half, so I called Haringey's chief exec's office and gave them an ear-bashing - I got called to the front of the queue within 2 minutes. Still, you can only walk away with 4 visitor permits - absolutely pathetic.
Importantly, when you go, make sure they give you an applicant ID, AND the voucher reference number - if you have these, you can buy the vouchers online.
For others, I think you might be able to phone up for these 2 reference numbers.
Good luck whoever goes to that excuse of a customer "service" office.
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Permalink Reply by Andy H on
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... i sat waiting to get parking permits for some builders i had coming round for over two and a half hours last week.
As i sat there clutching my turn number ticket i watched a scrolling message at the bottom of their TV screens telling me that the average waiting time to be seen was 'zero' minutes.
So, to hit waiting time targets i assume they only count the time it takes to go to the first desk to be issued with your turn number, not how long you actually wait to be seen.... hence the ticket dispensing receptionist.
back in the day you went in and got your own ticket from the machine and waited to be seen, but then they would have to count your real waiting time, and we wouldnt want that would we?
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