IRS Practitioner Line question

Has anyone been able to reach the Practitioner Priority Line? I have a couple of clients I need to make calls for, but each time I call I get a message to call back the next business day due to high call volume...has anyone been able to get through?

Usually best to try early in the day.
I haven't called since 11/4 and 11/5, but I was able to get through.
Not even that long on hold. (Come to think of it, that might have been the collections line, I might have last called PPL in October.)

I've gotten through a couple of times. Sometimes I get that message. Just keep trying.

Agree, call first thing in the morning and the wait isn't too bad. I usually get through in under 5 mins.

If you get a difficult representative, hang up and try again. Some of them are just plain difficult to talk to. They won't abate penalties over the phone, they analyze a POA to invalidate it, etc. Hang up and hope for a better one.

After - 4/5 hours I finally got thru to the PPL (Individual) I selected option #5 (correspondence audits) I didn't have
an ongoing Correspondence Audit, but got a live human being to answer the phone. All prior attempts I got a recording,
"due to heavy call volume, please call back later" and line goes dead (disconnected).
The Agent answered and I told my story of woe, "CAF Unit not processing signed Form(s) 2848, filed 2-weeks ago" she said," "Oh I can get those for you - fax me a copy of the signed Power of Attorney" so I did, when back on after the POAs come thru to her, she ordered the Wage & Income and Account Review transcripts I needed and deposited them into my Mailbox.
Mailbox opened (no password time outs or blocks) and got to view and print the transcripts I needed to prepare the returns I need.
But I needed "Business Transcripts", as well.
More calls - selected option - Businesses not in audit - and got a live human to answer, a stroke of luck. My mood improved and my blood pressure returned to normal.
Got what I needed deposited to my Mailbox and got the transcripts.
What I learned - 1st Agent said "CAF Unit is taking 25 days to process a POA".
When calling the PPL the 1st 4-options are useless (except for Business matters), those calls will hold and hold and get cut off, wasting mega time and will frustrate the caller.
The clog seems to be - student loan borrowers and bankers seeking transcripts who do file POAs and seek transcripts but are not enrolled Practitioners and do not have a tax matter at issue.

My experience has been:

Recently: Can't get through at all

A year ago: Got through every time I called

Agents: Awesome or terrible. Very polar.

Where a client presents with unfiled tax returns, I require a fresh set of transcripts. I'm not preparing a set of returns "guessing" at income or deductions. Telling the client, "if we missed something the IRS will send you a CP2000 Notice" in a few years, along with Penalties and Interest.
Have you looked at the input (order form) on e-services, most ambiguous form I've ever seen, e-services is useless.
Worse, POAs are not processed for 25-days (per Agent on PPL) because, "we have a global pandemic" nobody is showing up at work. When I drive thru downtown DC it looks like a ghost town (except for the Riotors).

Was able to get through at 9AM this morning.


PTL

Although, they didn't really help much. Client had credit that eliminated the ability to efile.
Mailed end of February. PPL told me this morning it was input August 13, 2020. She is going to request inquiry about status.
Filed almost a year ago, no refund, no letter, no communication whatsoever. I imagine we all have similar stories.

On Friday morning, I called and got the message requesting me to leave my number for a callback. They said they'd call back in about 30 minutes - and they did. Was able to resolve the issue efficiently. I really don't have any reason to complain. One of the better experiences that I've had with the IRS in a while.