NationStates Jolt Archive

Do tou think businesses and government departments using automated phone menus instead of live operators is a goof thing? Does it speed up your enquiries, or do they take longer? Is it OK that it has cost jobs?

(Sorry, no teacosy option this time) :)

P.S. Sorry about the typo in the title...

Well, you left "Neither" out as an option, which is what I'd like to select.

I've actually called phone services in which it starts out automated in order to hook you up exactly with who you need to talk to. (Asks for your area code, your problem, etc.)

Anyway, it does speed up the process, but sometimes it is a lot better to talk to humans and sometimes it is necessary.

They tend to make me furious and frustrated. I hate them. I would take a person and a more expensive product over those freaking automated menus anyday.

Talking to real live people freaks me out. I don't know why. I prefer the automatic telephone menus because you don't have to worry about sounding stupid or whatever.

Spawn of the devil, but probably a necessary one considering the amount of calls most businesses have to process.

Do tou think businesses and government departments using automated phone menus instead of live operators is a goof thing? Does it speed up your enquiries, or do they take longer? Is it OK that it has cost jobs?

(Sorry, no teacosy option this time) :)
This has got to be one of the most frustrating advancements in technology.

How much time and money is wasted on a day to day basis by these idiotic message centres? I bet it is millions of dollars. Instead of wasting those dollars in hang time, hire more people, at least they pay taxes?

I guess since i work in a call centre i should vote yes.

They're meant to speed things up, but they very rarely do. The ones that want you to actually speak into the phone can't understand much and the others can never possibly have all the options you need. When there isn't a specified "talk to the operator" option and none of the options fit, I usually start pressing whatever I think sounds the most urgent until I manage to get a real person.

They're meant to speed things up, but they very rarely do. The ones that want you to actually speak into the phone can't understand much and the others can never possibly have all the options you need. When there isn't a specified "talk to the operator" option and none of the options fit, I usually start pressing whatever I think sounds the most urgent until I manage to get a real person.

yeah, we hate people like you.

I think they do speed things up but like some of the others say it can be alot eaiser to talk to a real live human. It seems like every time I call sprint they have a hard time understanding what I am saying even though I speak clearly. AOL on the other hand gets you where you want and how you want it. So if these things are there to make things go faster these things need better voice recognition software. They also need to be thorough in what there trying to assist you with. Sprint takes to long.. while AOL gets you there... So as you can see there can be a down the middle with todays technology. Only the future can tell if we will have machines that will read your mind over the phone... that will give us what we need even before we call them.

On Behalf of Che Moria
President Christopher Miller

yeah, we hate people like you.

::shrug:: If your machine doesn't have an option that meets my needs, it's about the only thing I can do. Besides, I figure it gets back at the people who call me when I'm still asleep in the morning to try and sell me stuff.