I often needed help with their online Tax Return (my husband did a little self-employed cleaning and we wanted to declare his earnings in order to be legal.) The wretched page wouldn't load and go on to the next one. I used to call them and it was sheer hell trying to get through.
But you're right David, I (eventually) got a pleasant person who explained with great patience what to do. It was the ridiculous lack of call centre staff, for the volume of calls, that annoyed us. Obviously, every January people are submitting their Tax returns and they should realise that.
I was never so pleased in my life when my husband was offered full-time employment as a school cleaner. He loves the job, loves all the staff, it's only ten minutes from our house and....I'll never again have to deal with his Tax returns. Long live PAYE!!