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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Canned Response!

I have a pet peeve that I need to vent. I hate it when I call a 1-800 number in an effort to speak with a customer service representative and I am put through a series of automated answers that do NOT help me. It's not that I have a problem with automated service per se, but I do have a problem with it when the automation is certain there is an answer in their stupid line-up of cue prompts, and I am certain there is not. All I want to do is speak to a REAL HUMAN!!!!! The automated service cannot hear my questions, view my account and make a rational, informed decision about the problem. Believe me, after going through their list of a gazillion choices, by the time I do get a real person, if I wasn't upset before I'm pretty hot under the collar by this time. (side note: fortunately I truly HAVE learned that you catch more flies with honey, and so far I haven't bitten off one customer service dudes'/chicks' head :) I realize companies have these automated systems to save money and hopefully direct the customer to a canned response that will solve their problem, but at the very least they need to include, at the end of their ridiculously long list of options, the opportunity to press a specified number for customer service, aka....someone that breathes! Yes, some companies do this, however the USPS and Qwest do not and you have to beg, borrow, steal, plead, cajole, bribe and speak another language just to get to talk to someone with a heartbeat and a pulse. I'd be really happy if companies would get rid of these obnoxious automated systems and hire authentic people to direct our calls again. I guess it's true, 'good help is hard to find' and 'there's just no customer service anymore.' Thank you for taking the time to read my complaint. If this has resolved your reading needs, please press or say 1. If you need to read more, please press or say 2. If at any time you need to speak with a customer service representative........I'm sorry, this option has been removed. Please press or say 3 to hear your options again!

2 comments:

kim said...

1
et je ne parle pas anglais. Parlez vous français?

Clare said...

Something that has worked for me in the past is to hit the pound button repeatedly (sometimes it takes as many as 16 times I have read!) and that will bypass the automated system. It might not always work but at least beating the pound key might relieve some of your aggression. Trust me-trying being named Little-I have had plenty of customer service problems!:)