Scourge of the western world. Pease bring back people
Mar 14th 2004, 4:01 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Far away from canned Oz
Posts: 1,833
Scourge of the western world. Please bring back people
Automated answering systems ("press 1 for account info, 2 for a nubile lovely etc...") are endemic.
Am I alone in wanting to detonate the patient, automated voice at the other end of the phone? Bring back real people.
No doubt the UK, USA, Canada etc are as bad.
My recent Oz experiences have gone something like this:
Machine says: Your call is important to us...
Why do they say this? When a real person used to answer the phone, were they just taking the piss?
Machine says: Press 1 to get account info, press 2 for name and address details....press 2145 to find out your star sign or hold to speak to a real, live person.
They put this bit at the end, to force you to listen to all the options.
My 'favourite' is BT funds management; by the time you've pressed the various options you've forgotten why you've called in the first place!
Telstra: now here we have a bit of high tech.
A calm, automated female voice that says it understands what you say (clever, huh?).
And, this is the bit I like, it says "And I don't mind being interrupted" (sexist comment time: first time I've ever heard that from a female).
So, the idea is once you know what you want to do, you just say it and the system takes you to the correct area. Cool.
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
Please, please bring back real people. At least you can lose your temper with them!
Anybody else had maddening experiences with technology?
Am I alone in wanting to detonate the patient, automated voice at the other end of the phone? Bring back real people.
No doubt the UK, USA, Canada etc are as bad.
My recent Oz experiences have gone something like this:
Machine says: Your call is important to us...
Why do they say this? When a real person used to answer the phone, were they just taking the piss?
Machine says: Press 1 to get account info, press 2 for name and address details....press 2145 to find out your star sign or hold to speak to a real, live person.
They put this bit at the end, to force you to listen to all the options.
My 'favourite' is BT funds management; by the time you've pressed the various options you've forgotten why you've called in the first place!
Telstra: now here we have a bit of high tech.
A calm, automated female voice that says it understands what you say (clever, huh?).
And, this is the bit I like, it says "And I don't mind being interrupted" (sexist comment time: first time I've ever heard that from a female).
So, the idea is once you know what you want to do, you just say it and the system takes you to the correct area. Cool.
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
Please, please bring back real people. At least you can lose your temper with them!
Anybody else had maddening experiences with technology?
Mar 14th 2004, 4:13 pm
#2
Karma Comedian
Joined: Feb 2003
Location: Brisvegas
Posts: 3,506
Re: Scourge of the western world. Please bring back people
Originally posted by MikeStanton
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
Anybody else had maddening experiences with technology?
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
Anybody else had maddening experiences with technology?
At least it didn't hang up on you when you said disconnections!
I do like how place like Pizza companies maintian your telephone, address etc. on file so that when you ring they jsut confirm these details back to you. Much better than having to spell out t=your name and address every time.
Taxi firms are good for this too and ask me if I going to the airport too (my usual run).
The Energex storm report message thing though is frustrating - it recognises where you are calling from, tells you they know you have no power and then says phone back to listen to another recorded message in about three hours
Mar 14th 2004, 4:32 pm
#3
Born to be ignored
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Anstead, Brisbane
Posts: 1,138
Re: Scourge of the western world. Please bring back people
Originally posted by jayr
I do like how place like Pizza companies maintian your telephone, address etc. on file so that when you ring they jsut confirm these details back to you. Much better than having to spell out t=your name and address every time.
I do like how place like Pizza companies maintian your telephone, address etc. on file so that when you ring they jsut confirm these details back to you. Much better than having to spell out t=your name and address every time.
Jane
Mar 14th 2004, 7:19 pm
#4
Keeping Busy
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: East of Eden?
Posts: 1,215
I agree that it would be great to actually have a person answering the phone, as long as they had a brain and actually knew something about the company they worked for and its products.. but then I'm a whingy git who lives in a dream world!
Funny how internet sites (the good ones like Amazon, Ebay) actually feel a lot more personal and friendly than when dealing on the phone (or face to face!) with some companies.
A2O
Funny how internet sites (the good ones like Amazon, Ebay) actually feel a lot more personal and friendly than when dealing on the phone (or face to face!) with some companies.
A2O
Mar 14th 2004, 9:25 pm
#5
Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Brisbane and loving it!!!!
Posts: 632
Re: Scourge of the western world. Please bring back people
[QUOTE]Originally posted by jayr
At least it didn't hang up on you when you said disconnections!
nikki x
At least it didn't hang up on you when you said disconnections!
nikki x
Mar 15th 2004, 11:36 am
#6
(It's not my real name)
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Ilukapool. WA
Posts: 12,468
Re: Scourge of the western world. Please bring back people
Originally posted by MikeStanton
Automated answering systems ("press 1 for account info, 2 for a nubile lovely etc...") are endemic.
Am I alone in wanting to detonate the patient, automated voice at the other end of the phone? Bring back real people.
No doubt the UK, USA, Canada etc are as bad.
My recent Oz experiences have gone something like this:
Machine says: Your call is important to us...
Why do they say this? When a real person used to answer the phone, were they just taking the piss?
Machine says: Press 1 to get account info, press 2 for name and address details....press 2145 to find out your star sign or hold to speak to a real, live person.
They put this bit at the end, to force you to listen to all the options.
My 'favourite' is BT funds management; by the time you've pressed the various options you've forgotten why you've called in the first place!
Telstra: now here we have a bit of high tech.
A calm, automated female voice that says it understands what you say (clever, huh?).
And, this is the bit I like, it says "And I don't mind being interrupted" (sexist comment time: first time I've ever heard that from a female).
So, the idea is once you know what you want to do, you just say it and the system takes you to the correct area. Cool.
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
Please, please bring back real people. At least you can lose your temper with them!
Anybody else had maddening experiences with technology?
Automated answering systems ("press 1 for account info, 2 for a nubile lovely etc...") are endemic.
Am I alone in wanting to detonate the patient, automated voice at the other end of the phone? Bring back real people.
No doubt the UK, USA, Canada etc are as bad.
My recent Oz experiences have gone something like this:
Machine says: Your call is important to us...
Why do they say this? When a real person used to answer the phone, were they just taking the piss?
Machine says: Press 1 to get account info, press 2 for name and address details....press 2145 to find out your star sign or hold to speak to a real, live person.
They put this bit at the end, to force you to listen to all the options.
My 'favourite' is BT funds management; by the time you've pressed the various options you've forgotten why you've called in the first place!
Telstra: now here we have a bit of high tech.
A calm, automated female voice that says it understands what you say (clever, huh?).
And, this is the bit I like, it says "And I don't mind being interrupted" (sexist comment time: first time I've ever heard that from a female).
So, the idea is once you know what you want to do, you just say it and the system takes you to the correct area. Cool.
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
Please, please bring back real people. At least you can lose your temper with them!
Anybody else had maddening experiences with technology?
Nothing against Indians only in my experience they get it wrong every time and if I have a difficult question they put me on hold whilst they transfer me to the UK.
They introduce themselves as "Shane" and at the end of the conversation they have the audacity to read "no worries mate" off a cue card because they know they are talking to someone in Australia.
Mar 15th 2004, 2:39 pm
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Worcester, England
Posts: 41
Re: Scourge of the western world. Please bring back people
[QUOTE]Originally posted by MikeStanton
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
The same thing happened to me! Must be the accent it can't understand.
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
The same thing happened to me! Must be the accent it can't understand.
Mar 15th 2004, 3:18 pm
#8
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Far away from canned Oz
Posts: 1,833
No doubt it is the design of the question/answer sessions that I find really frustrating. They are designed for the company's convenience, not the customer's.
Why don't most begin with:
"Press 1 to used the automated service, 2 to speak to an operator"
That would be a hell of an improvement - at least the suffering would be self-administered.
NatWest does this - and I'm no fan of NatWest!!
I know that a lot of overseas call centres cop a lot of flak. I've only dealt with one Bombay-based operator and found the person to be very helpful and knowledgeable. Mind you, she didn't say "Blinder!" at the end, or whatever they're taught about cultural differences.
Why don't most begin with:
"Press 1 to used the automated service, 2 to speak to an operator"
That would be a hell of an improvement - at least the suffering would be self-administered.
NatWest does this - and I'm no fan of NatWest!!
I know that a lot of overseas call centres cop a lot of flak. I've only dealt with one Bombay-based operator and found the person to be very helpful and knowledgeable. Mind you, she didn't say "Blinder!" at the end, or whatever they're taught about cultural differences.
Mar 15th 2004, 3:20 pm
#9
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Worcester, England
Posts: 41
Re: Scourge of the western world. Please bring back people
[QUOTE]Originally posted by MikeStanton
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
The same thing happened to me! Must be the accent it can't understand.
So I said "Disconnections" and, of course, it switched me through to "Connections"...
The same thing happened to me! Must be the accent it can't understand.
Mar 15th 2004, 7:56 pm
#10
Banned
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,467
Worked in a call centre once for 4 months it was mentally very tiring ... when you were helping one customer you could see by these little lights next to you how many peeps where waiting to talk to you. The abuse you got from some customers was not worth the wage either and also got a lot of perverts on the phone .. which was funny to a point !
Automated answer service lines really are the pitts though
Automated answer service lines really are the pitts though
