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Danielle Mays

What time does Washington ESD unemployment customer service open - can't get through

I've been trying to call Washington ESD for over a week now and I can never get through to anyone. Does anyone know what time their customer service actually opens? I've been calling at 8am but the lines seem to be jammed already. My weekly claim got flagged for some reason and I need to talk to someone before I miss another payment. This is so frustrating - I can't afford to keep missing work to sit on hold all day.

They open at 8am Monday through Friday but good luck getting through. I've been calling for 3 weeks straight about my adjudication issue.

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Three weeks?? That's insane. What happens if we can't reach them before our appeals deadline?

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You can still file appeals online through your SecureAccess Washington account, but yeah it's stressful not being able to talk to anyone

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The phone system is completely overwhelmed. I start calling at exactly 8:00 AM and usually get through around 10:30-11:00 AM if I'm lucky. You have to be persistent and keep redialing constantly.

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Do you just keep hitting redial or is there a trick to it?

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I literally hit redial every 30 seconds for hours. Sometimes I get the busy signal, sometimes it just hangs up on me. It's a numbers game.

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This is ridiculous that we have to spend half our day trying to reach them about our own benefits

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I actually found something that helped me get through faster. There's a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that handles the calling for you. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Basically they keep calling Washington ESD until they get you connected to an actual agent.

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Is this legit? How does it work exactly?

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Yeah it's real. You give them your info and they call Washington ESD repeatedly until they get through, then they conference you in with the agent. Saved me probably 20 hours of calling myself.

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Sounds too good to be true honestly. What's the catch?

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No catch really, they just charge a fee but honestly worth it to actually reach someone at Washington ESD instead of wasting entire days calling

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The 8am opening time is technically correct but everyone and their mother starts calling then. I've had better luck calling around 11am or 2pm when some people give up.

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Good tip! I'll try calling later in the day tomorrow

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I tried that but still couldn't get through. The whole system is just broken

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What's your claim issue about? Sometimes you can resolve things online without needing to call. If it's just a weekly claim certification issue, you might be able to fix it through your online account.

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It says I need to verify my identity or something. The online system just keeps telling me to call.

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Oh yeah, identity verification usually requires talking to someone. That's frustrating because those cases are pretty common right now.

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I work nights so I can call right when they open. Even then it takes me 2-3 hours of constant redialing to get through. The system is completely overwhelmed and they don't have enough staff.

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Same here. I'm up early anyway and it still takes forever. Makes you wonder how many people just give up

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I'm starting to think giving up might be easier at this point. This is so exhausting.

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Try calling the technical support line instead of the main customer service number. Sometimes they can transfer you and the wait is shorter.

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What's the tech support number? I didn't know there was a separate line

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It's for website issues mainly but they might be able to help with login problems that are blocking your claim

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They told me they can't help with claim issues when I tried that

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The Washington ESD phone system is honestly a joke. I've been trying to reach them about my standby status for two months. Two months!! How is this acceptable?

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Two months is crazy! Have you tried contacting your local WorkSource office?

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WorkSource can't help with claim issues, they just do job search stuff. Everything has to go through Washington ESD directly

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I used Claimyr last week and it actually worked. Got connected to a Washington ESD agent in about 45 minutes instead of spending all day calling myself. They helped me resolve my adjudication issue that had been pending for a month.

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How much does it cost? At this point I'm desperate enough to pay something if it actually works

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It's worth it considering how much time you save. Check out their website claimyr.com for details

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Pro tip: Don't hang up if you get the busy signal. Sometimes if you stay on the line it will eventually connect you to the hold music. Hanging up and redialing just puts you back at the end of the queue.

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Really? I've been hanging up every time I get the busy signal

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Yeah try staying on the line for a few minutes. Sometimes it takes a while but you might get through to hold instead of getting disconnected

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This doesn't work anymore. They changed the system and now it just disconnects you

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The whole Washington ESD phone situation is a nightmare. I spent 6 hours calling yesterday and never got through. My unemployment is about to be cut off because I can't reach anyone to fix a simple reporting error.

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Same boat here. It's like they don't want us to be able to reach them

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This is making me so stressed. I need this money to pay rent

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For what it's worth, Tuesday and Wednesday seem to be slightly less busy than Monday or Friday. I've had better luck getting through mid-week.

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Good to know! I'll try calling Tuesday instead of Monday

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I think it depends on your area too. Some regional offices might be less busy than others

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Just wanted to say I tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned and it worked great. Got connected to Washington ESD in under an hour and resolved my weekly claim issue. Finally feels like there's a solution to this calling nightmare.

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Ok I'm definitely going to try this. Anything is better than spending entire days on the phone

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Glad someone found something that works. The regular phone system is completely broken

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Make sure you have all your documents ready before you call. If you do get through you don't want to waste time looking for paperwork while the agent is waiting.

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Good point. What documents should I have ready for an identity verification issue?

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Usually they want your Social Security card, driver's license, and maybe some employment documents. Check your notices for specifics

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The Washington ESD customer service hours are Monday-Friday 8am-4pm but like everyone said, actually getting through is nearly impossible. The system just can't handle the call volume.

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4pm? I thought they were open later than that

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Nope, 4pm cutoff. And they stop taking new calls probably 30 minutes before that

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I'm curious about that Claimyr thing people mentioned. Has anyone had any issues with it or is it pretty reliable? I'm skeptical of giving my info to a third party but desperate times...

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I used it and had no problems. They just need basic info to get you connected, nothing sketchy

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At this point I'm willing to try anything. The normal way clearly isn't working

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Keep trying! I finally got through after calling for 2 weeks straight. The agent was super helpful once I actually reached someone. It's just the phone system that's the problem, not the staff.

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That gives me some hope. I'll keep trying but also look into that Claimyr service as backup

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Yeah the agents are usually pretty good if you can actually reach them. It's just impossible to get through

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Update: I tried Claimyr this morning and got connected to Washington ESD in 30 minutes! They fixed my identity verification issue right away. Definitely recommend if you're tired of the calling runaround.

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That's it, I'm signing up for Claimyr today. Thanks for the update!

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Glad you got it sorted out. The regular phone system is just broken at this point

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Just remember the Washington ESD offices are closed on state holidays too, so don't waste time calling on those days. Check their website for the holiday schedule.

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Good reminder. I probably would have tried calling on a holiday and gotten frustrated

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Final tip: if you do get through to hold music, DO NOT hang up even if you're on hold for hours. I've waited 3+ hours before but eventually got through to an agent who resolved everything.

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3 hours on hold is crazy but I guess better than never getting through at all

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Agreed. Once you're in the hold queue you're golden, even if it takes forever

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