Dial 'H' for 'Human' - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Brewmaniac · 01-21-2006, 01:04 PM

I absolutely hate the lack of customer service today. Press 1 for this 2 for that, and when you do get someone half the time you can't understand them!

Newsweek

Jan. 23, 2006 issue - These days, your chances of calling a big company and not having to talk to a computer are just about zilch. Unless you know a few tricks. A Winchester, Mass., man has compiled a cheat sheet on his blog at http://paulenglish.com/ivr/ listing more than 200 direct numbers and secrets to avoiding getting trapped in the computerized-voice maze.
The list includes all the worst offenders: government agencies, credit-card companies, big retailers, phone and technology companies, shipping services and cable TV. Trying to reach DHL? Dial the toll-free number (800-225-5345), then press 1, press 5, press 0.When calling Sears (800-4-MY-HOME), remain silent. If you don't press any numbers, your call gets placed right in the line. Some businesses catch on to the cheaters and reprogram their systems. But you can always try such common tactics as pressing 0, 0#, #0, *0 or 0* repeatedly; or connecting to sales and then asking them to transfer you; or saying "agent" or "representative." Then pray there aren't 100 callers ahead of you.

—Hilary Shenfeld

MSNBC link

troit · 01-23-2006, 12:36 PM

It is quite frustrating to call a company and then wait 10 minutes while the myiad of options are explained to you. That's why I like the current Citgroup ads on TV - simply dial "0" to talk to someone. Let's all hope they are the first of many larger companies to realize the value of Customer Service.

analog · 01-23-2006, 04:49 PM

When I worked for the cell phone company, people complained they couldn't "just talk to someone" when they called our store location. All you had to do was listen. It was press one for english, and then the third option was "to speak directly to a store representative, press 3". Can't tell you how many people swore up and down there was NO way of talking to us. So either they're lying and didn't even try and want me to bend over for them because i'm supposed to believe they're pissed off, they're too lazy to listen to the options (which is THEIR fault, not the company's), or just plain stupid. I think a vast majority were lazy and stupid.

But for everyone who complained, i called right there in front of them and played the options for them.

Many of the options in the automated systems are to weed out the people who DON'T NEED to talk to someone. There are many, many things that can more easily and quickly be done without having to talk to someone, and many people just don't know the option exists. If I call to do x, and find out I can do it myself without having to talk to someone, i'm all over that- it saves my time, and the company money (which is only important because if enough people weren't so lazy and ignorant, the cost savings would be substantial).

I don't know why everyone feels that they HAVE to "talk to a person". If it can be done without human interaction, then it SHOULD be done that way. It only makes sense. In my opinion, good "customer service" is giving a person options which make things easier- and automation of everyday tasks qualifies as "easier". This is why I do my bill payments online- and receive online bills rather than paper bills when possible. There's no waste of paper or money, or chance of loss like with mailing it, and it's a much faster way of doing things.

They bury the "operator" button because people are lazy, and EVERYONE will press the operator button if you give them the chance. This is neither cost effective, nor efficient. You know part of the reason that the call centers for US companies are outside the US? It's incredibly expensive to staff here in the US for the volume of calls companies get- because people demand to "talk to a real person". When the call centers are smaller, because more people can automate their everyday tasks, the cost-benefit is not quite so different, and they keep the jobs in America.

Bottom line is, if you get all flustered and pissed-off because you can't navigate a phone menu- is it really because the mean old menu is so difficult, or because your patience is for shit and don't want to be bothered? I've done the meny thing as much as anyone, and i've never had the phone system rape my mind like so many whine about.

SirLance · 01-23-2006, 05:26 PM

This post has been automatically generated by our post generating system. If you would like to read SirLance's opinion in English, press or say "1"....

Sgoilear · 01-23-2006, 07:30 PM

I can understand why automated systems are used and they do make sense in places. My beef comes from when I'm trying to sort a billing problem out and have entered all of the information asked for then get transferred to a CSR and have to give them all the information all over again.

People may be lazy and simply want to skip right to an operator but most people actually want to talk to a person who can at least empathize with them (or convincingly fake it at least).

01-21-2006, 01:04 PM	#1 (permalink)
Brewmaniac Searching for the perfect brew!	Dial 'H' for 'Human' I absolutely hate the lack of customer service today. Press 1 for this 2 for that, and when you do get someone half the time you can't understand them! Newsweek Jan. 23, 2006 issue - These days, your chances of calling a big company and not having to talk to a computer are just about zilch. Unless you know a few tricks. A Winchester, Mass., man has compiled a cheat sheet on his blog at http://paulenglish.com/ivr/ listing more than 200 direct numbers and secrets to avoiding getting trapped in the computerized-voice maze. The list includes all the worst offenders: government agencies, credit-card companies, big retailers, phone and technology companies, shipping services and cable TV. Trying to reach DHL? Dial the toll-free number (800-225-5345), then press 1, press 5, press 0.When calling Sears (800-4-MY-HOME), remain silent. If you don't press any numbers, your call gets placed right in the line. Some businesses catch on to the cheaters and reprogram their systems. But you can always try such common tactics as pressing 0, 0#, #0, 0 or 0 repeatedly; or connecting to sales and then asking them to transfer you; or saying "agent" or "representative." Then pray there aren't 100 callers ahead of you. —Hilary Shenfeld MSNBC link __________________ "That's a joke... I say, that's a joke, son"

01-23-2006, 12:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
troit Transfer Agent Location: NYC	It is quite frustrating to call a company and then wait 10 minutes while the myiad of options are explained to you. That's why I like the current Citgroup ads on TV - simply dial "0" to talk to someone. Let's all hope they are the first of many larger companies to realize the value of Customer Service. __________________ I've yet to dephile myself...

01-23-2006, 04:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
analog Banned	When I worked for the cell phone company, people complained they couldn't "just talk to someone" when they called our store location. All you had to do was listen. It was press one for english, and then the third option was "to speak directly to a store representative, press 3". Can't tell you how many people swore up and down there was NO way of talking to us. So either they're lying and didn't even try and want me to bend over for them because i'm supposed to believe they're pissed off, they're too lazy to listen to the options (which is THEIR fault, not the company's), or just plain stupid. I think a vast majority were lazy and stupid. But for everyone who complained, i called right there in front of them and played the options for them. Many of the options in the automated systems are to weed out the people who DON'T NEED to talk to someone. There are many, many things that can more easily and quickly be done without having to talk to someone, and many people just don't know the option exists. If I call to do x, and find out I can do it myself without having to talk to someone, i'm all over that- it saves my time, and the company money (which is only important because if enough people weren't so lazy and ignorant, the cost savings would be substantial). I don't know why everyone feels that they HAVE to "talk to a person". If it can be done without human interaction, then it SHOULD be done that way. It only makes sense. In my opinion, good "customer service" is giving a person options which make things easier- and automation of everyday tasks qualifies as "easier". This is why I do my bill payments online- and receive online bills rather than paper bills when possible. There's no waste of paper or money, or chance of loss like with mailing it, and it's a much faster way of doing things. They bury the "operator" button because people are lazy, and EVERYONE will press the operator button if you give them the chance. This is neither cost effective, nor efficient. You know part of the reason that the call centers for US companies are outside the US? It's incredibly expensive to staff here in the US for the volume of calls companies get- because people demand to "talk to a real person". When the call centers are smaller, because more people can automate their everyday tasks, the cost-benefit is not quite so different, and they keep the jobs in America. Bottom line is, if you get all flustered and pissed-off because you can't navigate a phone menu- is it really because the mean old menu is so difficult, or because your patience is for shit and don't want to be bothered? I've done the meny thing as much as anyone, and i've never had the phone system rape my mind like so many whine about. Last edited by analog; 01-23-2006 at 05:00 PM..

01-23-2006, 05:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
SirLance Junkie Location: In the middle of the desert.	This post has been automatically generated by our post generating system. If you would like to read SirLance's opinion in English, press or say "1".... __________________ DEMOCRACY is where your vote counts, FEUDALISM is where your count votes.

01-23-2006, 07:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
Sgoilear Tilted Location: Colorado	I can understand why automated systems are used and they do make sense in places. My beef comes from when I'm trying to sort a billing problem out and have entered all of the information asked for then get transferred to a CSR and have to give them all the information all over again. People may be lazy and simply want to skip right to an operator but most people actually want to talk to a person who can at least empathize with them (or convincingly fake it at least). __________________ "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." -George Bernard Shaw