No one has to tell me that I’m a little grumpy and like things done the old fashion way – like when I call up a company to ask a question or to get some information. When I make that call, I like to get a live voice. I don’t want to have to press buttons on my phone to get directed to the right person or department. I want it to be quick and easy.
Basically, I don’t like talking to machines. In my view, it slows down my world and it ain’t process.
As I’ve said more than a few times here on the blog, I do some consulting work for Elgin Office Equipment here in downtown Cincinnati. Guess what? They don’t have voice mail. Every time you call Elgin, you here a live voice. That’s the way it should be everywhere.
To read a column that I wrote back in December, 2003 about voice mail and all the shit that goes with it, click here.
How do you feel about talking to a tape – about talking to a machine? Does it piss you off? Does it anger you that you have to go through pressing a series of buttons on your phone just to talk to a live voice?
Larry Gross
(Graphic from hawkelectronics.com)
For me it depends on the situation. If I want customer service or something like that, yeah, I want a live voice right away. If I need to talk to someone about a past due bill I owe, I PRAY for a machine.
I surely agree with you. Pressing buttons and talking to machines is not progress. It really bugs me to call so called “customer service” and get a machine.
i hate people. i hate talking on the phone. i pray for voice mail. please, god, please.
I have never seen a guy so living in the past. Voice mail is here to say. Get over it.
Man, Larry, you are an old grump
I agree with you Larry-
The other thing that puts a bee in my bonnet is them dang horseless carriages. The young people driving hither and yon fit to beat the band- raising a ruckus hopped up on bathtub gin scarin’ my chickens and spookin’ the horses- and don’t even get me started on them moving picture shows.
Vote with your dollars brother. I know it’s a pain in the ass. I started doing it a few years ago. For example, skip the big bank and find a credit union, or a smaller bank (there are still a few) that have live tellers you can talk to. If a business pisses you off, don’t go there anymore, complain to management and tell all your friends. Hopefully if enough people do that, irresponsible f**k the consumer please the shareholder businesses will go away. It’s all about the $ to these twits. I haven’t set foot in a wal-mart for over 4 years and recently added Circuit City to the never again list http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/175800 they own carmax, and recently when shopping for a car, I skipped carmax.
I don’t mind a call menu, but it has to be short and concise, and hold time should be under 2 minutes. Don’t ask me for my account number, ssn, or anything else I shouldn’t be broadcasting over public comm lines, that’s irresponsible. It really pisses me off if after all that the first thing they ask me for is the same info I just entered.
Scott, accepting change is different than bending over for corporations. Be a more responsible consumer, or you’ll have to eventually “get over” being the sheep.
Here, here! Gus, you are my hero.
Larry, I’m ecstatic that I now have dsl internet instead of the pokey ole dial up.
HOWEVER, I’ve been in voicemail prompt hell with them for a week trying to straighten out my e-mail. I won’t bore you with the details. I do know that I’m going to call them today, lie and tell them it’s an installation problem so I can get a human on the phone to walk me through the fix.
I’ve played all their games, listened to many minutes of electronic “help” solutions, and I just need a human being on the other end.
Jackie, Aw shucks
Marilyn, hit me up at gusjohnson13@gmail.com maybe I can help. No promises though
Okeee, sent you an e-mail with one pertinent question. I’m generally pretty computer savvy (though it sometimes takes me a bit longer than the younger pc users!), and so this is really getting under my skin!
Customer service died in this country in the 80’s and voice mail has just made it worse. This is not what I would call progress.
If it were up to Gross, he would still be using carbon paper.
to be fair, larry hasn’t used carbon paper in weeks.
I don’t know how old Gross is but I’m a young guy and I happen to totally agree with him. Talking to machines, and punching numbers on your phone in an attempt to get to a live voice is a big turn off to me.
NEWS FLASHES!
1st: Thanks to Gus, I’m e-mailing happily.
2nd: Had to make several calls to my health insurance carrier (read as: Satan, fer real!). Got trapped in voice prompt hell (no number pushing here, just talking to a machine) and found out that in this type system, if I muttered some gibberish or simply said “customer representative”, lo and behold, I actually got through to a human!
Larry, you can call today’s blog a public service spot!
I have to agree that constantly talking to machines in the business world is a setback and it’s not progress. Talking to a live voice streamlines everything. In this regard, let’s go back to the 70’s.
Living in the past much?
The worst is dealing with credit card companies and screw. Last week, it took me 15 minutes just to get a real person.
i like this gus guy. how come he’s not writing posts here?