Telephone Support
I’ve just had the most frustrating time. I had to call SBC about my DSL bill for the first time in over two years I might add. They pro
I first called the number and played the game of push this button, then push this button, and then enter my phone number. Something all of us do everyday it seem. I finally get to talk to a real person only to be told that my problem has to be handled at a different number. She rerouted the call and I spent almost twenty minutes listening to the worst music. Finally, I got feed up and hung up. I then called the number directly. Now it gets worse. The automated system was voice recognition, but it couldn’t recognize what I was saying. I was on a cell phone at the time. Finally, after pushing buttons and shouting into the phone I was placed on hold again with the same lousy music. After another twenty minutes on hold, I hung up and logged on to their web site. I finally found a chat help section, but wouldn’t you know, it was only for technical support and all she could suggest was calling the number I’d already called! I called again and of course, after the usual shouting into the phone to be recognized by the software and punching buttons I finally got through to … you guessed it that lousy music again. After another 15 minutes or so of that, a real person came on the line. He laughed when I told him about my opinion of the music, but when I explained my problem he solved it in only about five minutes.
Now all this has taken about an hour of cell phone airtime, shouting into a phone, punching buttons, and bad music all for talking to a real person to solve a minor problem that took 5 minutes. I have to ask is this progress!
This isn’t the only time I’ve become frustrated with those automated phone systems. I have only to think about calling the pharmacy to reorder a prescription or the doctor, government office, or large business. It makes you wonder just how much the consumer gets ripped off just because they can’t or won’t spend the time just getting through to a real person that can handle the problem they have.
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1 comment:
I find this messing around on the telephone iritating as well. It seems like there should be an easier way to do this. I think the worst thing that I have encountered is no music and a voice coming on every so often, saying, "your call will be taken when the next operator is available". In the meantime you wonder if you have been hung up on.
I, too, had to use this automated system today. But amazing, after I pushed a few buttons, a real live voice was on the line. I got my questions answered but not to my liking. Tomorrow, I have to call the state. I expect that not to go so easy. Never does when you call the government.
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