Any tips on reaching the IRS?

[mrtax]

Here I am still on hold with the "practitioner PRIORITY line" for one hour and 28 minutes although the recording estimated "30-60 minutes". Am I alone in my frustration?

[geekgirldany]

Call at 7 am or 7:30 in the morning.

[DaveO]

Sadly, that is becoming the norm. I encourage my clients with run of the mill problems and inquiries such as extending an installment agreement to make the call themselves. Some do but others respond with "I don't have time to set on hold for an hour, you make the call". As long as they pay their bill, I'll set on hold.

[Corduroy Frog]

$50 an hour

I too have customers who "don't have the time". (Like I do).

$50/hr. is less than my appointment rate, but I'll gladly stay on the line with them for $50/hr. As soon as I propose this, clients
suddenly "find" the time that they didn't have.

I have the luxury of a speakerphone which allows me hands-free to work on something else while they play their classical music,
and interrupt it occasionally telling me how important my call is to them.

[Roberts]

[QUOTE=Corduroy Frog;166763
I have the luxury of a speakerphone which allows me hands-free to work on something else while they play their classical music,
and interrupt it occasionally telling me how important my call is to them.[/QUOTE]

or buy a wireless headset and you can likely go anywhere in the building while on hold.

[mscash]

IRS is providing World Class Service to its "customers." Unfortunately the service is third world. They used to provide terrible service but things have deteriorated in the past few years. You can live with it or write your congress critter and complain.