17 Fun Things To Do While Waiting On Hold With 211 Texas Helpline

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Texas 211 helpline provides lots of good resources like Medicaid, CHIP, food stamps, welfare, and more.

The only barrier to receiving these resources is the wait time. This can be as long as 1 hour. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

If you need to speak to someone via phone the wait time for 211 Texas is what it is. You can kick, scream, and complain, or you can make the best of your time on hold by doing these things while you wait for an operator.

1. First Off Just Relax And Place Your Phone On Speaker

Waiting on hold is annoying, but it’s not the worst thing in the world so just take it easy, relax, brew some coffee or tea and place your phone on speaker.

While you are waiting for an answer from 211 with your phone on speaker you can multitask and catch up on all types of errands inside the house or outside. It’s completely up to you how you spend this next 1-2 hours.

But seriously, your wait won’t be as bad as you think, so pick a few activities to do below and don’t let this ruin your day.

2. Visit The 211 Texas Website To See If You Can Find Your Answer Online.

You can find the answers to many questions on either the 211 Texas website or Your Texas Benefits.

Below is a video I made of how you visit the Your Texas Benefits website and mail a Medicaid or SNAP application to yourself in less than 1 minute!

There is a whole Q&A section on the Your Texas Benefits website, so definitely check it out because you may save some time.

3. Write Down What You Want To Say When The Operator Picks Up

Many times I have been on hold with 211 Texas that I completely forgot what I was going to ask them!

To avoid a similar situation, write your question down on a piece of paper or type it into your phone. Then when you are on hold, read it off or refer to your phone so that nothing will be missed during your conversation with the operator.

4. Make A Social Media Post, Someone Could Respond To You That Way

More and more organizations are designating a team of employees to follow their company mentions on social media and respond accordingly.

If you are not getting through to someone with 211 consider posting a comment to their social media account. You never know, someone could respond and help you out that way.

You can message someone on the Texas Health and Human Services Facebook page.

For Twitter, you can tweet messages to @TexasHHSC or visit the Texas Health and Human Services Twitter page.

If you decide to go this route, just be kind!

5. Fold Your Laundry

There are always clothes to fold around the house so if you are waiting on hold with 211, there is no better time to do it.

Put the laundry in a basket, pile it up on your couch or bed, and go to work!

6. Consider Washing The Dishes While You Wait On Hold For 211 Texas

If you don’t have any clothes to fold then consider washing the dishes.

It is always a good idea to get in some kitchen time, but this might be an especially important task if you are on hold with 211 Texas!

In that case, go ahead and put your dishwashing gloves on because it’s about time for those pots and pans from dinner last night to see some soap suds again.

7. Netflix Chill While You Wait…Like For Watch Netflix An Chill While You Wait For 211 Helpline

Another fun activity is watching Netflix while you wait on hold for 211. You can enjoy a marathon of your favorite TV show, or find something new to watch.

For those that are waiting on hold with 211 Texas and want to keep learning about important topics like education, there is no better way than watching documentaries!

There are so many different categories you can choose from: human interest, thriller/mystery, and documentary series. You will have plenty of things to watch while you wait for someone at 211 Texas!

8. Do Exercises While You Wait For 211 To Answer

You are likely contacting 211 about something health-related, so why not GET healthy while you wait for someone to answer your call?

Here are a few fun exercises ideas you can do from the comfort of your home are:

• Couch assisted sit-ups
• Try yoga for the first time
• Stretch your legs
• Do push-ups
• Meditate
• Zumba
• Swing a kettlebell
• Do the Cha-Cha Slide

9. Go For A Walk While You Wait On Hold

If you live in a community with a nice walking trail, put your earbuds in and take a walk while you wait. If you know that it may take the 211 Texas helpline operator more than an hour to answer your call, a walk might be in order for some exercise.

10. Have A Feast For Breakfast

Good food puts you in a good mood, so consider coordinating your call to 211 around a nice country-style breakfast. Put it on your calendar and make it a whole event!

11. Listen For A Call Back Feature

I’m not sure there is a “call back” feature when you wait on hold for 211 Texas, but if there is provide them with your call back number and wait for the follow-up.

I know that Harris Health and Houston Housing Authority offer the option to call you back, but I’m not sure about 211.

12. Use Our How To Speak To A Live Person With 211 Flow Chart To See If You Can Reach Somone

It took me about 25 consecutive calls to 211, but this is the flow chart I came up with. It is a visual guide to getting on the phone with someone at 211.

I don’t think this works anymore, but at one point you could simply bang the 0 button and bypass the phone tree, straight to an operator. Again I don’t think this works, because the last time I did this the call was disconnected. Try it if you are desperate though.

13. Listen To A Podcast While Waiting For 211

Listening to your favorite podcast is a great way to pass the time.

Podcasts are available in different lengths and styles, so you can find one that is perfect for your waiting needs. Podcasts like How Stuff Works, Radio Lab, In Voorhees We Trust With Gourley and Rust, and Brilliant Idiots are some of my favorites.

Even if those aren’t your taste find a podcast that you like and make the best of your hold time with 211.

14. Clean Up Your Computer Files

If you are like me you have lots of junk on your computer that needs organizing. My home screen is filled with documents that simply need to be sorted or trashed.

If this sounds like something you’ve been meaning to take care of also, now’s your chance.

15. Play Games On Your Phone

You can pass time on hold with 211 by playing games on your phone.

Aside from playing Lumosity back in the day, I don’t have any suggestions, but if you have games play them because you have time.

16. Search For A New Job

If you have been meaning to search for a new job, do so while on hold. You can visit sites like Indeed.com or Flexjobs.com to search for positions.

In addition, I created a massive guide to staffing agencies in Houston that you can use to find even more job leads. The guide separates over 100+ staffing agencies according to industry. There are staffing agencies to help you find a job in customer service, admin, chemical plants, the medical field, and more.

17. Just Scroll Social Media

If all else fails, simply scroll your social media feed. For most people, this will be a never-ending task because we are all so addicted to our phones these days.

Conclusion

Waiting for 211 Texas doesn’t have to be a pain. Instead, have fun with the situation. Think of productive things to do, or do something fun while you wait on hold, it’s completely up to you.

Now that you have 17 ways to occupy your time on hold it’s time to call 211 Texas at 211 or you can dial 877.541.7905.

Best of luck my friend and be kind to those operators!

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• 211 Texas Helpline: How To Speak To A Live Person On The Phone
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