Fidelity’s poor customer phone service

[Sanbenito1]

Has anyone been on hold for over 30 minutes for Fidelity in the last year? Before the plague, this happened to me when I called their 800-number. Yesterday, my nephew said he was on hold for 30 minutes, then transferred, where he was again on hold for 30 minutes. I spoke to Vanguard last week and had no wait. My IRA accounts are in Fidelity, the others in Vanguard, but if this continues they’re all going to Vanguard.

 

[steelyman]

Has anyone been on hold for over 30 minutes for Fidelity in the last year? Before the plague, this happened to me when I called their 800-number. Yesterday, my nephew said he was on hold for 30 minutes, then transferred, where he was again on hold for 30 minutes. I spoke to Vanguard last week and had no wait. My IRA accounts are in Fidelity, the others in Vanguard, but if this continues they’re all going to Vanguard.

I placed a call to Fidelity last week and was on hold for over 30 minutes. While on hold I just switched the phone to speaker and did other things.

When I finally got a rep, he was very helpful and understood what I was trying to do. He also advised that if I asked him to set up the trade there would be a fee, but if I did it myself it would be free (so that’s what I did).

I rarely need to call Fidelity so I didn’t mind the wait.

 

[Animorph]

I was on hold with Fidelity for maybe 5 minutes a couple of days ago. Seemed OK to me, but I'm pessimistic about phone calls to companies. That was as long as I've ever waited for them, so the trend is not great.

At 30 minutes I'd reconsider the day and time of the call and try something different next time.

 

[Bruno]

I have had LONG hold times at both FIDO and VG.

 

[scrabbler1]

I remember hearing that if you have a large account balance with Fido you get bumped up toward the front of the queue when calling a live CS rep. That being said, I'd be pretty annoyed if I had to wait that long to speak with some.


What has annoyed me recently with Fido is how I've discovered some flaws with their website so I can't do some routine tasks with them that way any more and have to call a CS rep or talk with them via online chat, which at least allows me to more easily do other things if I have to wait.

 

[calmloki]

Think most places are having real problems with phone service - spent stupid time on hold Thursday for a credit card specious charge. We call it Covid-19. Mail didn't come? Covid-19. Pants don't fit? Covid-19. Slept/didn't sleep way too long? Covid-19.

 

[gauss]

It seems like if the holds are going to be more than 10 minutes, then they should have one of those "we will call you back in N minutes" type of queues.

I find these systems less objectionable.

-gauss

 

[gwraigty]

On Fidelity's customer service page it says:

Our call volumes are currently unusually high, and wait times may be long. Our Virtual Assistant may be able to help you with simple transactions and troubleshooting.

We've been with Fidelity for years (also Schwab) and have seldom needed to call for anything. On the rare occasion, I've not had to wait more than a few minutes. This is before Covid-19 though. Nothing is normal right now. They could have people out sick or in quarantine.

 

[nwsteve]

Ditto on the long hold time (30min) this last week. I had a tender offer on one of our bonds which require you to talk with a rep. as well as a need to change lot on a sale for a transaction that gone past their nominal date.
Rep addressed my lot issue but had to transfer me to the bond desk for the tender. Never did connect to anyone and gave up--decided "fate" did not want me to take the offer ;-)
We have been Fido customers for 40 years and are Private Client now. Never have I had to wait 30 min to talk to a rep,

 

[jollystomper]

I have to call Fidelity every time I need to do a tIRA to Roth IRA transaction (my account is so "old" I cannot do it online, and have been too lazy to actively pursue the matter). I have always gotten to a person within 10 minutes.



I do have a relatively large amount of finances in various Fidelity accounts, so perhaps I am getting "priority" service.

 

[Midpack]

I have to call Fidelity every time I need to do a tIRA to Roth IRA transaction (my account is so "old" I cannot do it online, and have been too lazy to actively pursue the matter). I have always gotten to a person within 10 minutes.

I do have a relatively large amount of finances in various Fidelity accounts, so perhaps I am getting "priority" service.

Wow, I’d be disappointed if I had to call to execute a conversion. I do mine online with VG, no harder than a bank transfer or routine buy/sell.

 

[JoeWras]

Nothing is normal right now. They could have people out sick or in quarantine.

I have no inside knowledge of the current situation at FIDO. I do know they have a call center in my area. We are currently undergoing a huge Covid spike. That could be a factor in the number of available agents.

This thread is interesting. A few months ago a thread was made and people were piling on Vanguard. Now it is FIDO's turn.

 

[Bamaman]

I've never had 30 minute hold times with Fidelity. And their phone reps are as knowledgeable as any I've ever experienced.

I would imagine they get really busy certain days and certain times of the year.

 

[MRG]

I have no inside knowledge of the current situation at FIDO. I do know they have a call center in my area. We are currently undergoing a huge Covid spike. That could be a factor in the number of available agents.

This thread is interesting. A few months ago a thread was made and people were piling on Vanguard. Now it is FIDO's turn.

Staffing phone shifts is a bit of data analysis and some black magic on top in normal times. Throw in a pandemic and good old fashioned sickness and it becomes something of a crap shoot.

 

[LakeRat1]

I have never had any issues with getting a CSR on the phone with Fidelity ..... Been with them for many years..... I normally call to discuss questions I have when setting up, automatic draws or needing information

 

[Andre1969]

It's been a few years since I've had to speak to a rep with Fidelity, but I don't remember having any issues. I think the last time was when I was settling my Dad's estate back in 2017. He had an IRA that I inherited. I had chose Fidelity based on the ease I had when my Grandom died a few years earlier. I had inherited an IRA from her, and initially wanted to set it up through Janus. But the people I spoke to at Janus flat out said they didn't have much experience with inherited IRAs. So, I went with Fidelity, and it was a breeze.

 

[OldShooter]

... I do have a relatively large amount of finances in various Fidelity accounts, so perhaps I am getting "priority" service.

Yeah. I am in some kind of heavy hitter category at Schwab and the number I have been given does not appear on their web page list of customer support. I rarely have to wait very long; the average is short enough that I haven't paid much attention. There is an annoying/moderate amount of screwing around making the robot happy with identification before I am passed to the rep line.

Maybe ask your rep if there is a phone number that you can use to get better service.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

Yeah. I am in some kind of heavy hitter category at Schwab and the number I have been given does not appear on their web page list of customer support. I rarely have to wait very long; the average is short enough that I haven't paid much attention. There is an annoying/moderate amount of screwing around making the robot happy with identification before I am passed to the rep line.

Maybe ask your rep if there is a phone number that you can use to get better service.

OS,
Do you have the Schwab voice ID service? It's so easy. It recognizes your voice after saying a phrase and your in. Your voice is your password when calling to speak with Schwab. Now to be clear this only works when calling on the phone. If I use my computer to access my accounts online I need my password.

I have found that using voice ID is so much better when I have to call Schwab.

 

[savory]

I've never had 30 minute hold times with Fidelity. And their phone reps are as knowledgeable as any I've ever experienced.

I would imagine they get really busy certain days and certain times of the year.

This has been my experience and it was true again earlier this week. The process of moving stock from a tIRA was incredibly simple. The rep guided me at first. Then I finished. It was a bit embarrassing it was so well laid out.

 

[Freedom56]

I rarely call Fidelity. It's usually the representative assigned to my account that calls me. I have a direct number to his cell phone. I never had any issues contacting him.

 

[DrRoy]

I only call a couple times a year but have never had a long wait.

 

[freedomatlast]

I've been trying to get my HSA transferred to Fidelity since October. Their website shows no updates. Called again last Friday. Was on hold about 20 minutes before the rep answered. Was on the call another half hour when the rep finally told me she couldn't get me any information because her internet went down and I would need to call back and start all over with another rep. She apologized but still that was 50 wasted minutes. I assume she was working from home since a dog barked in the background.

I've been thinking about eventually transferring my 401K to Fidelity but my experience with this HSA transfer has me thinking that's probably not going to happen.

 

[Montecfo]

Friend of mine who is Fidelity customer had multiple 30 min holds this week. Not sure if he ever got through.

 

[misanman]

As others have said, it's been years since there was any reason for me to call them - I haven't run into any issue that I can't just accomplish online.

 

[CRLLS]

I called Fidelity Customer Service a couple of weeks ago to make my annual Roth Conversion withholding transaction. They do not allow this type of trade based on dollars online, only share trades. I was on the phone maybe a minute before I got a live person. Maybe being part of the Private Client Group has some benefits, or maybe I was just lucky.

Anyway one looks at it, a 30 minute wait is too long for anyone. Getting to a live person, and having them actually capable of doing what one needs, instead of being transferred to "that department" or taking a name and number to have someone else higher up the chain call back, may be some small consolation.