Talk To A Real Person

[GreatOwl]

I have no idea how up to date all of this is, but I found the site interesting

http://gethuman.com/

[LouiseVargas]

GreatOwl,

Great Post! I loved it and it is so timely.

Over the past two years, it seems the credit card companies, as well as other companies, have changed their telephone response systems from a human to a computerized voice. And the voice gives options that do not address the reason I'm calling. Often I have to go through the menu many times before I'm switched to customer service.

Other companies do not have customer service. They say 'go to our website.' If I wanted to contact them online, I would not be calling them via a telephone.

The first time I called my car payment company, I could not reach a human. I listened to the menu over and over and wrote down all the numbers I pressed. I finally got the code to reach a human.

If I want to make an electronic payment over the phone, the voice says "We are ready to process your online payment for your minimum payment of $46." I wanted to pay more but could not find a way to access the voice to pay more than the minimum due. No human available.

Once I followed a menu down to a connection with an electronic customer service rep. They gave me the option to speak to speak to an electronic rep for $12.95 or speak to a human for $15.95.  I chose the human. The human asked if I wanted to do an electronic payment. I said yes. Then the human transferred me back to the electronic rep. That was a tricky move, eh?

[klaasend]

I hate those automated customer service calls.  What I do is dial "0" while the automated attendant is talking and often it will put you through to a live person. 

[2NJSons_Mom]

I hate those automated customer service calls.  What I do is dial "0" while the automated attendant is talking and often it will put you through to a live person. 

I've done the same, but it doesn't always work.  Most recently, I found that the company that administers the few shares of stock my Dad had has changed their menu and does exactly what Louise described.  A year ago, I was able to speak to a real person.  Another thing I noticed was when I had to call a bank and found no one available to help me.  I ended up calling a number that offered a 'banker' to assist (got it from their website).  The worman who eventually spoke to me was no more a banker than I am, and needless to say, she couldn't help me.....I came to the conclusion that she was just a customer service rep, working remotely.  At one point, she asked me to hold while she spoke to her supervisor....I could hear her texting before she came back on the line with me.  She said to keep trying the original number until I could make contact with someone. 

Sadly, I know too well how this all works because I've worked with this type of product in the past.  Even the phone & cable company replaced operators for the most part with computer response...tax rebate applications are done the same way, using the phone.....I realized in the past several years how senior citizens or the disabled may not be getting what is due to them because these systems are used. 

Yes, this is where some jobs have fallen off the radar.