automated telephone systems

[soberbyker]

This is from a daily newsletter I get "Kim Komando Cool Site of the Day"

Hello, operator?

Few things annoy me as much as automated telephone systems.

I know they save companies money. But I think it is bad customer service to make callers jump through hoops to speak to someone.

That’s why I’m such a big fan of Gethuman. This site lists telephone numbers for a wide variety of companies. The companies are divided into categories for ease of use.

You’ll find the customer service number for the company. Then, you’ll find out how to get through to an operator. No more voice prompts!

http://www.gethuman.com:80/us/

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[dnar]

Hey soberbyker, several companies that I currently patronize, are listed there on the Gethuman data base.

Thanks for the tip,

Rand

[OneLungMcClung]

Great post byker! Thanks. I will use this. So far the only thing I have done is to make a sport out of jamming the system.

-SOME machines will short out if you keep hitting 0 (sometimes it's 8 or the # key, varies by system). They just transfer you to a human because they think you aren't capable of interfacing with the machine.
-SOME won't, theyll just put in the same loop and you have to be a good customer and jump through the hoops.
-SOME will hang up on you (RUDE! )


Voice activated ones are lots of fun: Next time you get frustrated try some funny profanity. I got into a yelling match with a machine that kept asking where I wanted to go to (Italics = automated response)

-Which department would you like?

-Operater

-I'm sorry, I didn't understand you, which depar-

-OPERATOR

-Allright, let me do that for you [=>10seconds pass<=] I'm sorry, that is not a valid response. Where would you like to go?

-OPERATOR YOU WORTHLESS PILE OF SILICON!!

-I'm sorry, I didn't und-

-I hate you you fascist bch! Why are you doing thi-

-I'm sorry, that is not a valid response. Which department would you like?

-OPERATOR! OPERAAATOOORR!STOP BEING CRUEL TO ME YOU INFERNAL MACHINE!!

-Apparantly you are having trouble. Let me transfer you to an operater.

The best part of this whole thing was that my responses were recorded and the operator who got me was American (too bad she wasnt from India - they're real polite when they think they have a psychotic American on the other end!! ) My US operator was somewhere between mildly embarassed and trying not to giggle. I could hear it in her voice. She was very helpful!