Automated Phone Systems

[CNF2002]

Well surprise surprise...just got a bill from my cable company. Instead of the 'one month free' they offered me, they gave me a credit of $15 for the month of december (thats the cable bill, not the internet bill, and I didnt even have it hooked up until around Dec. 25th so it would have been a prorated bill for about $2.50). What do they tell me when I call? Oh, this is how the rep noted it on the system so there's nothing I can do. Can't even talk to a supervisor anymore, they have to 'call you back'...LOL, they are so ridiculous these days its just pointless to argue with these crooks.

Big companies walk all over their customers and there's nothing we can do about it.

[Nibblet99]

Always talk to sales. They'll solve your problem for you.

Failing that hit 0 and it'll send you to a real person.

If you want to talk to a real person, don't press any buttons.... after 30 secs or so, the system (usually) assumes your phone is incompatible with the system and diverts you to an operator

[Chris8187]

I should try that next time I have to call a company. If it works, I would love it. I hate "your on hold" music, and whenever they transfer you to another operator, you go through the process again

[sv-wolf]

The whole concept of automation was to make life easier . For whom , I can't figure out . It raises my stress levels as well as my blood pressure .
And the worse part of it all is that it dehumanizes , not only the companies employees but , we the consumers , as well .
The reality is that living outside the box is equally important to thinking outside the box .
Kind regards , Wizzard

In my experience, most of this stuff is driven by a demand to make cost savings. In local government, which is the area I work in, this is amost always the case. The Borough Council I work for installed a new 'Customer Call Centre' a couple of years ago. The council produced glossy brochures and gave pep talks telling us that this was all in the interests of providing better 'customer care'. But when you traced it all back, it originated as a high level decision to cut costs. A call centre, it was decided, was the best way to do this. The details were all worked out later. Now 'customer care' is a speedy, dehumanised, regulated, pre-programmed, time limited, operation which gives information and advice slickly so long as you are asking one of the pre-programmed questions. If your problem is messy, then you're bashing your head against a brick wall. But of course, if that happens you can always fall back on the speedy, dehumanised, regulated, pre-programmed, time limited complaints procedure.

I prefer the personal touch myself. There was a time when human beings were able to use their own initiative. That is strictly forbidden in the new system.

[9000white]

"your call is very important to us"

ranks right up there with second hand toilet paper.

[sv-wolf]

"your call is very important to us"

ranks right up there with second hand toilet paper.

AAAAAARGH! Kill!!!!!!!

Does anyone fall for this crap?

I work with roomfuls of peope who take this kind of language seriously.

I don't understand it.