Englishmum

I've just heard on the radio about a website which lists popular phone nos. (eg. Aetna, United Healthcare, airlines, US Immigration, banks and credit card companies etc.).

It shows you the steps of how to speak directly with a real person instead of having to press all the numbers on those annoying computerised 'prompts' which never seem to relate to ones query:

It's called 'Get Human':

http://www.gethuman.com

(There are some British phone numbers listed too).

Poppy girl

I have found that normally if not on the 1st attempt then the 2nd if you push 0 you get through to the operator, sometimes you have to get over the 1st question but then thats it.

tonrob

Believe me - this is far from universal. The menu systems have to be set up to allow that to happen - usually so that 'confused' callers (i.e. ones that don't follow the prompts) can get to a live person more easily. Problem is that many companies don't actually give a hoot. Their systems are designed to syphon callers into automated systems that don't require human contact, and marshall calls into queues that can be handled more efficiently (cheaply). With these set-ups the knowledge of which combination of responses will get you to an agent most quickly can be valuable to your sanity...

Ray

But I can call my Bank in the UK (First Direct) and get a live person usually within 3 rings ... so it can be done ...


But of course they speak with a Leeds accent ..so I have no idea what they are saying ...

Poppy girl

I would gladly pay more to be associated with companies that charged a little bit more to go directly to an operator.

ian1976

If you just don't press anything the automated system thinks you don't have a functional touch tone phone and usually transfers you to a human.

tonrob

Or disconnects you!

lapin_windstar

I prefer the systems where I don't have to speak to a human, or where I am automatically shuffled to the right dept.

The exception to this is the BA phone line, which is unspeakably awful. If you want to check arrival/departure times of a flight (i.e. on the way to an airport) you have to listen to two minutes of garbage, make four menu choices and then the speech recognition can't handle "funny" accents. Spankers! (I always use Google text now).

chicagojlo

Anyone have the problem with the systems where you have to say what you want to do and it can't understand you so you find yourself saying it in an American accent!

Poppy girl

Oh yes very oftenand the come back from the automated system is not even close to what you said

Bob

That doesn't work, get punted to the spanish desk, so I let the missus do the phone calling these days

SagenOnion

I was on the phone with United Airlines last week, listening to the options, and I coughed....it transferred me to a human immediately.

Tracym

If it's any consolation to you, the UK automated systems have the exact same reaction to me - and I can't fake an English accent!

Thydney

LOL I have that problem I usually end up speaking like one of those Disney channel brats to make myself understood

Thydney

What did you say?