Raise your hand if you’ve ever been frustrated by this.
How many times have you called only to be told by a machine the phones are staffed between certain hours — and those hours make it almost impossible for you to reach them? I then love it when they hang on up you and don’t even give you an option to leave a message. “I’m sorry we’re closed, call back later.” Clunk.
Have you experienced the automated attendant who for some reason just doesn’t understand anything you say or any number you press as a response? “I am sorry we did not get a response, please push 1 to continue.” And you are yelling into the phone… “I am pushing one, you stupid machine.” Clunk.
Gone through the entire menu system and never being able to pick any number or option that gets you where you need to go? And no other way to contact them?
Have you finally found how to get to a real representative, only to find out they are busy and your expected wait time is more than you can spend waiting for them?
How about when you find out there isn’t any real person to take any calls? Have you been directed to customer service on line 3 and then been told you “are important” but we are “busy” and you need to leave your message. And you do, and they NEVER get un-busy enough to call you back.
Yesterday, I had to cancel one of my credit cards. I lost it. I asked my husband for the number to the credit card company on the back of his card (same account) and there wasn’t one. I went online to my account and went to the tab marked “contact us”. There in big lettering it says, if it’s about a lost or stolen card, please call us immediately at 1-800-XXX-XXXX. I pick up the phone and dial. Then, I have to fight the automated attendant because she wants my 16 digit credit card number before I can get to talk to someone, and duh, I don’t have it. After I yelled “representative” into the phone about 27 times, I get transferred to a real person (Frank). His very first question, what is your 16 digit credit card number? UG.
This is happening more and more. The actual products and services industry in America just isn’t what it used to be. People used to care, customers were king and satisfaction was something the customers demanded and the businesses supplied. I will admit some questions can be answered by pressing 1 for locations, or 2 for operating hours, etc., but seriously many cannot. Why do they make it so hard to get a real person? Was it because people used to just “call to chat about their day” with their credit card company, trash removal service, or their cable company? I doubt it. Did they do it to annoy anyone bold enough to have a real issue they needed to call about? Yes, I am of the opinion they did.
My personal experience is probably not 100% the same as yours, but I’ll bet most of you can identify with these issues. I use my personal experiences to write these columns because well, they are indeed things that really happen to annoy me!
But whatever your situation – my advice is keep saying – “representative”, “representative”, “representative” and hope by some miracle they can direct you to a real person who can fix your issue. Good luck, you’re likely going to need it.
This piece was a lifejacket that saved me from dorwning.