Live Chat With Post Office Insurance Agent Online.

[Tilly2]

I have just had a nice online chat with Matthew about my Car insurance renewal. When the conversation ended, I requested a transcript of the conversation. On the transcript it said that our conversation had taken place at ...11:28:35 AM EST..

It was 16.28, not 11.28. What is this EST? Was Matthew not the UK? Where was he?

[Toorak]

Eastern seaboard time - the east of the usa

[Old_Geezer]

He was hiding under your stairs.

[Tilly2]

Really? Thank you, Toorak. Who would have thought that Post Office personnel would be based in America?

[Tilly2]

Thanks to you as well, 10C.

OG, he's not under my stairs. I've checked. :-)

[Islay]

They have probably outsourced their telecommunications to a large co who has a team of staff that work in contact centres managing several different companies

[Toorak]

It is eastern standard time rather than seaboard - it covers part of the USA and other countries -

https://www.timeanddate.com/time/zones/est

[Tilly2]

Thank you all, interesting isn't it?

[Toorak]

What kind of accent did he have?

[Tilly2]

White writing on a red background. ;-)

It was an online chat, Toorak, not a telephone chat.

[Toorak]

So it was ! I should read more carefully... :-)

[Tilly2]

Easily done, Toorak. :-)

[Buenchico]

I doubt that 'Matthew' was in the USA. It's far more likely that he's actually called Jayant, Rajiv, Krishnayya or something similar and he's working in an Indian call centre where many of their clients are US-based (which would explain why they're using EST).

In which case he'll be intelligent (with a minimum of a good honours degree) and good at his job, unlike some call centre workers in this country, but paid far, far less than if he was in either the UK or USA.

[melv16]

East Anglia's in another time zone :-)

[Buenchico]

^^^ Only Norfolk is, Melv. They're still in the 19th century up there!

Here in Suffolk we're happy to have moved on to the 20th century. Some of our houses have even got flush toilets in their back gardens, which is far better than having to use the communal dung heap at the end of the terrace like we used to. We'll be getting that new-fangled electricity next, just you see!

;-)

[Tilly2]

He was impressively literate, professional, helpful and courteous, Chris. I gave him a 5 star rating in my feedback. Charming fellow he was.

Plus, he was able to reduce my quote by £70.00.

Good evening, Melv.

[Buenchico]

I've also found the people at Post Office Insurance very helpful. My current car came with only one (electronic) key and it would have cost be about £400 to get another one (which I didn't want to pay). So, as I was worried about losing my only key, I phoned Post Office Insurance to add on 'KeyCare' cover. Without my asking him, the guy then found a way to reduce my main premium (by knocking down my declared annual mileage from 10,000 miles to 9,000), so that I ended up getting the key insurance without having to pay any more.

[Tilly2]

That was good of him, Chris. Key Care cover is essential, I think. I'm a bit dozy.

I rate the Post Office and all its departments, very highly.