"Auto-menus (ARGH)" Topic

7 Posts

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What's the Worst Game Convention You Have Ever Attended?

Murphy	28 Apr 2020 11:57 a.m. PST
So, today I had to call a "State Government Support Organization"…Dialed the # they gave me… "Welcome to the Dept of XXXXX. Please press 1 for English, and Dos! for Spanish." Press 1. "Welcome to the Dept of XXXXX. Please listen closely as our menu has changed. If you need to file a claim, please press 1. If you need to know the status of your claim, please press 2. If you need to review, delete, preview, or extend your claim, please press 3. If you need to report an issue with your current claim or your card, please press 4." (Notice that there is NO "to speak with a representative"..) I press 4. "Welcome to the Dept of XXXXX. Please listen closely as our menu selections have changed. If you need to report and issue with your current claim, please press 1. If you need to report a stolen or lost card, please press 2. If you need to request a new card, please press 3." (Notice that there is NO "to speak with a representative"…) I press 3. "Please enter your nine digit social security number." I enter it. "Please enter your date of birth." I enter it. "Please enter your PIN." I have no pin so I do nothing. A moment later. "I did not receive a valid pin. Please try again." I have no pin so once again I do nothing. After approx 30 seconds. "You are being transferred to a customer service agent. Please not that due to the number of high volume calls, wait times are extended. Also please note that customer service agents cannot tell you , (insert yada yada yada yada here)." Automatic switchover clicking… CLICK CLICK CLICK…. BUZZZZZZZ! Dial tone as a result of being hung up on. Yes this was me for almost two hours today. The "fix" to this problem was to call the 1-800 # and speak after 20 mins to a CSA and tell her the issue. Her response was to literally read to me the instructions on how I was to proceed with this by going to the previous number and going through the menu again! When I explained to her the situation of the phone hanging up on me when transferring me over, she hemmed and hawed and handed my issue over to a supervisor who looked at it and said "We will be mailing you a new card. Look for it in the mail." Has it gotten this bad everywhere? Indiana is starting to be as dumb as El Paso was 20 years ago… Submitted grumpily Murphy
Parzival	28 Apr 2020 1:31 p.m. PST
Yes, it's bad everywhere. I was searching for information on the Apple support web site for help with an iPad issue. I got sent to a "Contact Apple Support" link. I filled in the form and was told I'd be called in two minutes. A half-hour later, I gave up and went out for an afternoon Sonic soda. Five hours later, my phone rings. It's Apple support. A little late, but at least they called. I answer, only to have an automated voice put me on hold! They called me, and I get put on hold?!? I waited for about 5 minutes (I'm a patient person), and then hung up. I'm willing to allow for craziness due to all the pandemic shutdown stuff, but seriously?!?
etotheipi	28 Apr 2020 1:49 p.m. PST
If Murphy hadn't started with the word "State", I would have chalked it up to a typical non-COVID-19 call to the Veteran's Administration. Parzival's too.
Memento Mori	28 Apr 2020 10:03 p.m. PST
Most Call systems have a fall back system where you may get to an actual person by not pushing any buttons If that doesn't work then sign into the language option and press O for operator
ZULUPAUL	29 Apr 2020 5:24 a.m. PST
When I get frustrated I just sound angry & yell "I want to speak to a person". They connect me. Most programs that use voice recognition I've been told respond to frustration in the voice. When I did insurance company calls for a hospital I ran into that "our menu has changed…" crap all the time, BTW they were the same as always.
willthepiper	29 Apr 2020 10:37 p.m. PST
What drives me especially bonkers are the ones where entering numbers on the key pad is NOT an option – they force you to speak and just hope that the voice recognition software is smart enough to route the call properly. I end up feeling like the two Scottish blokes in the voice-activated elevator: YouTube link
Ed Mohrmann	30 Apr 2020 7:21 a.m. PST
Same here. I've been trying to call our DMV for a week to get a minor correction made to the title of one of our vehicles. Every work-day for two weeks, same phone experience as Murph and (doubtless) others. Local register of deeds office is the same, but I've only been trying that since Monday.