Phone menu hell. It effectively isolates a company from their customers.
I do not mind it when I have a specific issue in mind and it is one of the 16 things that a robot can handle – I prefer not to deal with a human on routine issues, However there are times when you have an issue NOT anticipated by the company and you do need to talk to a human being who often doesn’t know how to handle the problem either.
AT&T is good about answering the phone and their support people are trained to be polite. But they are poorly organized and don’t have a concept of levels of support. Also their computer systems (yes plural) suck. The agent has to go to several systems to get an answer and the response time is usually minutes. I fell sorry for those folks who are essentially abandoned by their management.
It almost always seems the menu choice you want is 8th or 9th on the list, then you are directed to another menu where your choice is 4th or 5th, then you are directed again to yet another menu. I prefer to talk to a real person and have discovered that if you want to avoid all the run around, as soon as you get the choice menu, press “0”. You will be surprised how many automated systems have this function.
If you press the “0” or OPER enough times, it will usually send you to a “real” person. The problem is that when you get to the “real” person, he or she doesn’t know what the hell your talking about. Even after you explain it a number of times. Oh well, keep the faith.
The folks who commit choice trees on their public are effectively monopolies, or we would all choose some other company to call… or some other way to communicate (email!). My internet provider (a smallish local one) has a person answering the phone. Weekdays during business hours I usually get a person who knows who I need to talk to. Early, late or weekends I usually get the (tech support) person I do want to talk with. Ditto the company where I buy my land-line long-distance service. (You can too: https://longdistance.pioneertelephone.com )
PS: They don’t sneakily add a few dollars to their bill every month like Xfinity/Comcast does: We’ve been paying the same flat rate for more than 4 years now. (And really: I have seldom needed to call.)
TXD2 almost 5 years ago
Sure seems that way! :) :) :)
Watcher almost 5 years ago
Press 1 to get to 2, press 2 to get to 3, press 3 to get back to 1. Hang up, call back and repeat, then send them an email and do a post on Yelp.
HappyDog/ᵀʳʸ ᴮᵒᶻᵒ ⁴ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘⁿ ᵒᶠ ᶦᵗ Premium Member almost 5 years ago
It’s better than telling me to say “one” or “two”. I don’t do that. Give me a person to talk to.
derdave969 almost 5 years ago
I hate the ones with the “sounds” of typing on a keyboard. I mean how dumb do they think we are?
donwalter almost 5 years ago
Press two. It automatically cancels your call, and then hangs up.
DanFlak almost 5 years ago
Phone menu hell. It effectively isolates a company from their customers.
I do not mind it when I have a specific issue in mind and it is one of the 16 things that a robot can handle – I prefer not to deal with a human on routine issues, However there are times when you have an issue NOT anticipated by the company and you do need to talk to a human being who often doesn’t know how to handle the problem either.
AT&T is good about answering the phone and their support people are trained to be polite. But they are poorly organized and don’t have a concept of levels of support. Also their computer systems (yes plural) suck. The agent has to go to several systems to get an answer and the response time is usually minutes. I fell sorry for those folks who are essentially abandoned by their management.
William Bednar Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Press OFF and be done with it.
Doug Taylor Premium Member almost 5 years ago
It almost always seems the menu choice you want is 8th or 9th on the list, then you are directed to another menu where your choice is 4th or 5th, then you are directed again to yet another menu. I prefer to talk to a real person and have discovered that if you want to avoid all the run around, as soon as you get the choice menu, press “0”. You will be surprised how many automated systems have this function.
the lost wizard almost 5 years ago
Do they have a countdown so I can launch the phone?
darthnul almost 5 years ago
If you want to find out what pressing one does, press one. If you want to find out what pressing two does…
ElGato almost 5 years ago
If you press the “0” or OPER enough times, it will usually send you to a “real” person. The problem is that when you get to the “real” person, he or she doesn’t know what the hell your talking about. Even after you explain it a number of times. Oh well, keep the faith.
Concretionist almost 5 years ago
The folks who commit choice trees on their public are effectively monopolies, or we would all choose some other company to call… or some other way to communicate (email!). My internet provider (a smallish local one) has a person answering the phone. Weekdays during business hours I usually get a person who knows who I need to talk to. Early, late or weekends I usually get the (tech support) person I do want to talk with. Ditto the company where I buy my land-line long-distance service. (You can too: https://longdistance.pioneertelephone.com )
PS: They don’t sneakily add a few dollars to their bill every month like Xfinity/Comcast does: We’ve been paying the same flat rate for more than 4 years now. (And really: I have seldom needed to call.)
WCraft Premium Member almost 5 years ago
…but don’t bother pressing “0” because it doesn’t work anymore.