[FireFly]

Well, working for a company that has one, I can assure you that they aren't going anywhere. We know they're frustrating, but from a business perspective, they're helpful. For example, there's a lot you can do through the automated system so you may not even need a person. Also, it directs your call properly an additional 10% of the time... which doesn't sound like a lot to you, but to us that's 1000 calls per day that we don't have to retransfer.

Generally, if you just say what you want, it knows. (At least ours does.) Likewise, you can say "agent" or "operator" and it'll only ask you a couple more questions to ensure you get to the right one. However, if you just swear at it when you need to make a payment arrangement, chances are I'll have to transfer you to the accounts department.