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Name: XpUser4Real
Are you like me and hate listening to all the prompts you get when calling certain companies, tech support, etc.? All I do is keep pressing '0' and the message will finally connect you to a live operator.
LOL....I used to just say operator many times using the voice prompt but then later discovered pressing '0' was much easier and not so hard on the vocal cords orthe nerves...LOL
The most frustrating thing about prompts is that if you key in all the information on the keypad, then you get insult to injury when the live person asks you the EXACT same questions. Makes no sense to me!
Some HELP in posting on Computing.net plus free progs and instructions Cheers
no issues with the press 1 .2.3 its the reverse ie the 'cold caller' sales pitch, & the redirect to the outsource call center usually in a 'overseas' country that raises the laughs ( i know they have a hard job at the best of times) theres a comedy prog on tv here UK called 'fonejacker' 'the broadband sketch', http://www.fonejacker.tv/broadbandi...
Cold call operators must have gone out of business overnight ( not a bad thing.)not for the humour by-pass people out there
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As part of my job I call lots of companies.
re: pressing '0'
Unfortunately, there are some (few, but some) where pressing 0 will not get you to a person. Repeating "Operator" or "Representative" doesn't always work either. I have run into instances where you absolutely have to follow the prompts or it will eventually say "Thank you for calling" and hang up.
Now that's annoying!
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re: you key in all the information on the keypad, then...the live person asks you the EXACT same questions
I get this with my cable company. I recently asked them about it and was told that keying in the information gets you to the "correct" rep - e.g. the next available rep who handles residential accounts with your specific package - but that the information is not passed along to the rep. In order for them to actually see your account, they have to key the information in themselves.
In other words, the call center's routing software is not integrated with the billing or service department's software. It just rings the next available rep in the (hopefully) correct department.
I can see this happening when a company buys a pre-packaged routing system. They get a database that allows for certain information to be entered for routing purposes only.
For example, they create a list of phone numbers that belong to the group that gets routed to "residential accounts with the 3-tier package" and put that list in the database. You key in your number, the routing software looks it up and routes the call to the next available line in the 1000-1050 extension group.
No info is passed to the rep, the light just comes on at the rep's workstation and (s)he answers the phone.
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Absolutely wonderful site and almost, almost works every time: http://www.gethuman.com/
Who in their right mind would ever need more than 640K of RAM!?
Bill Gates, 1981
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hey seawatch, thanks for the awesome page!!!
Some HELP in posting on Computing.net plus free progs and instructions Cheers
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Agreed, very cool site, it even has Canadian phone numbers!
LOL
4 years ago I took a position as a network technician. Subsequent to that the number of support lines I have to call has dropped to two. One for each of our external providers (two for redundancy). Luckily, in the past 4 years, I've only had to call the one 4 or 5 times and the other, not a single solitairy time!
Prior to that I spent about 11 years supporting desktops, laptops, servers and laser printers. Needless to say, I spent many an unhappy hour trying to get through to tech support.
The worst by far in my own experience was always HP.
Most of the time I would call them and end up connected to the US support line and end up hearing, "I'm sorry I can't help you, you need to contact the Canadian support. Please stay on the line while I connect you." only to hear a click and dead air.
Time to redial and go through that painful 15 min's of BS to get a human on the phone. If you're lucky, the second time through, the menu actually connects you to the Canadian support. If you're only a little unlucky, you get the US support, again, but this time the call isn't dropped, it actually makes it through to the Canadian support.
I recall two specific incidents I will never forget when calling HP's support. The one time, the menu was messed up. No matter what I said, or how carefully and clearly I said it, I ended up in the wrong place. Finally, I lost my cool and swore rather thoroughly and lengthily and lo and behold, ended up connected to where I wished to connect to. Personally, I hate the voice actuated menus a whole lot more than the button press ones.
me: "LaserJet printer support"
HP menu: "Did you say HP proliant server support?"
me: "LaserJet printer support"
HP menu: "Oh, I'm sorry, did you say HP ProCurve support?"
me: "LASERJET PRINTER SUPPORT!"
HP menu: "Did you say proliant server support?"
me: *pounding head on desk while shoving loaded pistol against my temple* "No you STUPID MORONIC POORLY PROGRAMMED POS NOW FOAD!"
HP menu "Oh, you want laserjet printer support, please hang on while I connect you....."The second incident I can't forget is when I called their toll free support number and some insurance company in eastern Canada answered the phone. I hung up and carefully redialled.....same thing again. In the end, that one turned out to be the phone companies fault....but it was no less aggravating for me.
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You're welcome.
It's saved me so much time.
Enjoy.
Larry
Who in their right mind would ever need more than 640K of RAM!?
Bill Gates, 1981
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THIS is the technology that empowered prompts on telephones. On one hand I dislike it. On another I like it when I just wanted some information without having to hassle with human.
i_Xp/VistaUser
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We have one here that you can do either voice or key it in doesn't matter. Whatever you want it takes at least ten minutes to get through each menu when it says it will trandfer you to a rep to handle that you get music for a moment and then a voice says they are experiencing unusually high call volume, you should try back later, good bye.
Practice makes perfect but only if you practice perfectly!
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A differnt call center set-up:
Our company is going through a technology upgrade which includes the replacement of all desktops - worldwide.
When they upgraded our office (~50 desktops), they replaced them all over one weekend and then dealt with user issues on Monday mornng. I had the pleasure of witnessing the "call center" they used to handle installation issues.
In one of our conference rooms there was a speaker phone constantly connected to what they called "The Bridge". If an install tech had a problem he would unmute the phone and announce "Bridge - this is (location name)". Once the tech was acknowledged by the Bridge, the tech would give a brief overview of the problem. The Bridge would then find a specialist for that issue and tell the tech something like "I'm transferring you to Joe in Room 3. You are 3rd in the queue".
When Joe came on, he would either solve the problem, or if he couldn't, he would transfer the tech back to the Bridge. If Joe didn't come on the line after a reasonable amount of time, the Tech could punch a few keys and transfer himself back to the Bridge for an update.
It seemed to provide a pretty good flow for problems in the field so that the techs weren't stuck on hold in one long queue.
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On post 6 with the comcast one will not work. If you want a live person first without any prompts, what dept. do you want? Internet, phone, cable tv, billing, sales, retention? Your so called quick live person is probably not the person who can help you and will put you back in the que, waisting more time for you.
Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.
~Homer Simpson~
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I didn't verify every set up on the list. If you have a faster way to get through, there is a link to do so.
And it's wasting, not waisting.
For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three.
- Alice Kahn
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