phone calls
 

I was reading the thread about telemarketing (http://www.quiltingboard.com/general...d-t221499.html).

It got me thinking about my calls to various companies and the government.
I get so frustrated when I have to deal with them..."if you want .....please press 1: ....please press 2" etc.

Then when you press the proper key..there's another lot of the same..."press 1 for... "etc.

Sometimes you are there pressing keys until finally they say..."all our lines are busy, your call is important to us...please hold for a customer representative."
Likely as not, you have to hold for a long time.

I can see the advantage for the company but it drives me crazy. If the feature is available, I'll now press the pound key and wait for someone to answer. This works for some companies but not all.

Or when they dont give you the option you want. I just press "0" and see if it takes me to on operator.

I, too, press "0", hoping to get a real person.

I too keep pressing "O" until it connects me to a live person. It is maddening.

Sometimes if you scream obscenities into the phone, it will connect you to a real person. No kidding, they really have systems to tell when a customer is getting irate.

I hate those disembodied computer voices. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand you." The worst ones are the voice-activated, you can't cough, say anything to another person in the room with you, or listen to the TV or radio, they pick it up and...

"I'm sorry, I didn't understand you."

I was told once (by the responder) to just speak over the recording and ask for REPRESENTATIVE! It always has worked for me. I's so frustrating when they go thru the catalog and none of the suggestions apply. I WANT A REAL PERSON! WAH!!! :-(

Pressing "0" works most of the time for me, if not, then I hang up. If I need to get through to someone, I will try to find a website with an email address.

The company I worked for just changed over to automated answering - prior to that we got so many compliments about having a real person answer the phone. Now you go through the automated jungle. I really dislike that process.

They never have the option that I want.

If the company does the press 1, press 2, I keep hitting 0. If they have the disembodied zombies, I keep asking for a human being. If they don't want to hire receptionists, they can put up with irate customers. When I worked at one company, most departments had people who 'covered' for t he receptionist for lunch and breaks. I enjoyed doing it when it was my turn and I could run a 20 line board. I found people calling were much friendlier than the previous place of employment when a none human answered. By the time, they got to your department, they were rattled and took it out on WHOEVER answered. (I didn't stay there long)