I HATE Automated telephone services - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

the_only_turek_fan · 11-28-2006, 01:34 PM

If I ever met the person that invented this, I swear I would try to hurt them.

This has to be the most annoying POS thing ever. All I want to do is to talk to someone and I keep hearing this stupid voice recording asking me how they can help me or direct my call.

Direct my call to a person, jackasses.

Cheese · 11-28-2006, 01:36 PM

sorry...cant understabnd your post. Please speak clearly and in English!

Funny thing is...the other day as I was following an automated person on the phone...I sneezed....it automatically switched to French instructions. Funny.

Ford Prefect · 11-28-2006, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

If I ever met the person that invented this

I'm thinking it was probably Lucifer.

FireFly · 11-28-2006, 01:41 PM

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.

Dion · 11-28-2006, 01:41 PM

A good friend of mine designs those automated messages. He works for Telus and does mostly the banks

Frank the Tank · 11-28-2006, 01:41 PM

I just keep hitting zero and eventually I get a person. Most of the time. I don't even listen to the automated crap, just start hitting zero.

redforever · 11-28-2006, 01:41 PM

This has gotta be one of my pet peeves, and one of the worst is Telus!!!

No use for automated telephone assistance at all, and the worst part, being corrected by the darned computer. If you happen to say yeah, you are reminded that your answer is incorrect and your responses are yes or no, and then they start all over and say, now ....

Usually I have dialed for something that requires a yes or no answer, which if you reached an actual live person, you could be done and out of there in 1 minute. With the computer voice mail etc, lucky if you get off the phone in 5 minutes, and usually after you have listened to their whole directory of departments, you have to stay on the line for the assistance of an actual live person anyhow!!!

fredr123 · 11-28-2006, 01:42 PM

American group who feels your pain: http://gethuman.com/

I like swearing at it or talking dirty to see how it responds. Of course, that's when I'm not in hurry to get service... which is like, never.

redforever · 11-28-2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I just keep hitting zero and eventually I get a person. Most of the time. I don't even listen to the automated crap, just start hitting zero.

I have started to resort to this too.

Bobblehead · 11-28-2006, 01:44 PM

I don't mind them as long as there is an "Other" possibility. I hate sitting through the list of options only to find what I need isn't an option.

fredr123 · 11-28-2006, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

From a business perspective they are great. You can weed out impatient callers who just slam the receiver down out of frustration. Plus, if you can stall other callers for long enough you won't have to hire any additional workers for your call centre in Mumbai.

the_only_turek_fan · 11-28-2006, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

The most frustrating thing FF is that most of the time what ever I want to do is not an option. And you are asked like 50 questions that you don't care about, before you finally speak to someone. Then at that point, it is not even the person you want to talk to.

PC Mastercard, and Rogers are the two worst. This is the most un-userfriendly invention ever made.

FireFly · 11-28-2006, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredr123

From a business perspective they are great. You can weed out impatient callers who just slam the receiver down out of frustration. Plus, if you can stall other callers for long enough you won't have to hire any additional workers for your call centre in Mumbai.

Yeah cause I work in Mumbai, and that will help our fast client service promise...

Ford Prefect · 11-28-2006, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Who in the hell is in your avatar? I recognize him.

He's the British Actor who plays Ford Prefect on a Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy TV series in the UK.

FireFly · 11-28-2006, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

The most frustrating thing FF is that most of the time what ever I want to do is not an option. And you are asked like 50 questions that you don't care about, before you finally speak to someone. Then at that point, it is not even the person you want to talk to.

PC Mastercard, and Rogers are the two worst. This is the most un-userfriendly invention ever made.

That's why you say "agent" first.

the_only_turek_fan · 11-28-2006, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireFly

That's why you say "agent" first.

Not working.......

Mccree · 11-28-2006, 02:06 PM

I hate them too but for a small business that does not want to hire a full time receptionist it is a cheaper option

ken0042 · 11-28-2006, 02:07 PM

I don't mind the "press 1, press 2" types, but the voice interface ones are brutal. Especially if you are calling from work. Everybody in the cubicles next to me thinks that I am talking to the voices in my head.

(again)

FireFly · 11-28-2006, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

Not working.......

Well there has to be a key word for them too... swear at it. That usually works.

@theCBE · 11-28-2006, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

PC Mastercard, and Rogers are the two worst. This is the most un-userfriendly invention ever made.

I don't know about Rogers, but I had an account with PC banking and I needed to talk to someone, I couldn't get a real person on the phone for 3 weeks. I tried every single day during that span. Finally realized that it wasn't worth the hassle and closed my account.