If you are calling about a technical problem, press . . .

Paul English, a blogger and entrepreneur, has great tips on his Web site about how to quickly circumvent corporate automated telephone systems and talk to a real person. Typically, you ignore what the machine is telling you to do and enter certain numbers. This confuses the system, which kicks you to a customer service representative. NPR interviewed him this week and tried out his “steps to find a human.” They worked.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

8 Comments

  1. Falcone
    Posted November 26, 2005 at 2:04 am | Permalink

    Big deal! you defeat the system and get to talk to an Indian or someone in the Philippines.

  2. Sum1
    Posted November 26, 2005 at 6:57 am | Permalink

    I’ve found when trying to resolve a problem, if you go to cancel my service you always get a human.

  3. Joe Williams
    Posted November 26, 2005 at 9:42 am | Permalink

    I heard about that guy on NPR. It was pretty good. They did several test, on air, to see how fast they can get through with the secrets they have.

    They were able to get to a live person within a half a minute. It was great. :)

  4. J M Wlaker
    Posted November 26, 2005 at 9:43 am | Permalink

    I remember trying to get an AT&T rep on the phone, only to be told it’s a twenty minute wait. AT&T? The company that supposedly invented telephone service? No wonder they were bought out by Cellular.

    That is one of the main things I dislike about big business: it is so impersonal. Kind of like our Government.

  5. Gertie
    Posted November 26, 2005 at 12:24 pm | Permalink

    There is nothing more frustrating than being sent into phone-hell when all you need is to speak to a live person! Whatever happened to real “customer service?”

  6. Ray Thomas
    Posted November 26, 2005 at 1:40 pm | Permalink

    Whatever happened to live people answering? Simple…cost. People demand lower prices for everything all the time, and businesses must cut costs to be able to do so. Live phone answering people are expensive, so when/where they can be replaced by machines that don’t take breaks/vacations/holidays, don’t go on strike, don’t demand raises and benefits…you get the idea.

    I used to work for AT&T, the company that DID (not supposedly) invent telephone service…and it is sad what happened to it. When you are in battles over pennies a minute billing, you have to cut your costs everywhere you can. Especially when you are in a battle for business with a company that committed the largest fraud in the history of this country, MCI. MCI cooked their books to show a profit all the while they were undercutting AT&T in price…so AT&T did everything they could to cut prices.

    People demand lower prices, lower taxes, lower costs…then scream when services decline with the lower prices. You can’t have it both ways.

  7. J M Walker
    Posted November 26, 2005 at 4:34 pm | Permalink

    Ray,”You can’t have it both ways.”

    I beg to differ. I worked with a global company, Allen Bradley, who were known for lousy service and deservedly so. They found themselves losing customers, and revamped their customer service department. It is now second to none.

    You can have cost accounting AND excellent customer service. All it takes is the mindset that without the customer, you’re out of business. There are many other areas cost can be cut: Less auspicious advertising, CEO, COO, CIO salaries held to a reasonable level. I’m sure you get the picture.

  8. Dale
    Posted November 27, 2005 at 5:57 pm | Permalink

    I like live people on the phone. They are nice most of the time.