whatelseisnew: blog 
whatelseisnew's blog
outsourced to a machine
Published Aug. 22, 2008I am sure many of you have had to deal with the voice response units that answer most business phones these days. I find them both irritating and not particularly great for my blood pressure. I was once reduced to shouting "HUMAN" "HUMAN" at one of these particularly nasty machines when it kept saying it did not understand what I had said. I then shouted something inappropriate, hoping they had programmed it to respond it kind. But no, it just said it did not understand.
I just experienced something new with AT&T. I am one of a dwindling group of people that has a landline phone. Well it quit working on Wednesday - no dial tone. Called the repair number. It is a machine. The machine told me, a repairman would be in the area sometime on Friday (today). It also told me if the problem was inside my house it would send me a bill. I found myself staring into the phone receiver in disbelief. Well my phone did get fixed and it was in their switching unit down the block.
Ya know this is an 800 number, I can not believe that AT&T is no longer willing to have a few people on staff to answer calls. The only positive thing I can think of on this is, I did not have to listen to elevator music. The machine did answer immediately.
I am going to write to AT&T and still them that I really do not like this arrangement and that I prefer to talk to humans. Either that or they need to program their machines to respond to cussing.
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GOLO member since July 20, 2007
August 23, 2008 5:55 a.m.
Many systems will respond with “Before we connect you with an agent, we would like to ....”
Don't fall for it. The correct response is, once again, “agent”.
Most systems will connect you with a human at this point. Some may require you to once again say “agent”.
Don’t say anything else – that will only make the program think that you are really trying to communicate. If you value your time, don’t even think about playing along....
There’s not much to get past the waiting interval but at least you’re waiting for a human. Well, maybe ....
STS
GOLO member since June 7, 2008
August 22, 2008 10:16 p.m.
GOLO member since July 7, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:51 p.m.
GOLO member since December 7, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:47 p.m.
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:43 p.m.
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:40 p.m.
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:32 p.m.
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:32 p.m.
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:31 p.m.
Here big guy, you can keep it. I have a case of them in the garage.
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
August 22, 2008 8:31 p.m.
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