Roy's beep

Saturday, November 5, 2011

lot of"hello!,hello!"


The automated system, you know dial the number and you get a menu of options press 1 or say one to pay your bill, press 2 or say two for customer service, and so on. After five minutes and a hundred key press you are ready to rip the phone off the wall or drop kick the cell phone for a sixty yard field goal.  Now I like to talk to someone of average intelligent, but it seems that they have been replace with a mimic of the automated system. You can say or ask just about anything you want and they can’t answer you. I will have to transfer you to another department, and you spent another five minutes punching numbers. An hour or two later you are back to there you started.

I just don’t understand why the people who are suppose to be helping providing a service can’t do it. With all our modern technology why can’t we get service? I have talk to people on the phone and would you believe in person who can’t even respond to a simple hello, they have a script they must follow and not deviate, and there is that service charge, four dollars to talk to a live person to take my payment.

What do you have to say about automated people and phone service representatives? What can we do about them or it? I have worked in the call centers and have I am sorry to say help to design and develop automated answering system.  It seems like a good thing at the time. But I think some the three laws of robotic have been broken.
Three Laws are:
1.    A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2.    A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3.    A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.” Isaac Asimov”

But then again they may be just working.


Thank you and I am human god bless.

11 comments:

Jamie Saloff said...

Ah! Asimov! (iRobot). Good connection! It fits perfectly!

Alpana Jaiswal said...

You are absolutely right with this one Roy..it is very frustrating at times.

La Crona said...

Right Roy!

In today´s society there is always the risk of being far less personal than yesterday´s society and that is making a negative impact on different services.An important post!

Robots don´t feel anything!

EstherBelle said...

My favorite, a call I RECEIVED last month, then the representative told me they weren't allowed to speak to me about the matter.Um, you called me? Love the connection to the laws of robotics!

The Poet said...

Hello Roy. How are you?
I think you speak for all of us with this post.

My wife recently had to go through these robots when she wanted to cancel our ancient broadband service. She was on the phone for nearly half an hour constantly pressing buttons before she could actually speak to a real person.

Whatever happened to customer service? Gone are the good old days when someone actually answered the phone!

Anna L. Walls said...

Once was the time you could just wait it out and the nice little robot would be at a loss and automatically transfer you to a person. It's what we usually do. It doesn't work for everywhere we call though so they must be catching on.

photos by jan said...

Such a headache these automated systems are. Then to avoid it for a local co., I went in to the store; where I was told told he couldn't help me because I had cash???? You do speak for us all onthis one Roy. thank you great post.

Bongo said...

Which is why I don't use the phone..don't make a call..don't answer a cal...As always...XOXOXOXO

Red Nomad OZ said...

This is what happens when communication is one step removed, outcomes are measured in terms of time and customers don't ask the right questions of the automated systems.

At least you were still going round in circles after 2 hours - i always get cut off!!!

Larry Lewis said...

I couldn't of put this better myself. Customer service, yea right ... i cannot believe anybody likes these automated services, yet so many businesses use them. Oh for the old ways of human interaction

cathy jones said...

I am very jaded when it comes to dealing with customer service at most places of business. I've had two good experiences recently with AT&T, the last with a woman named Bridget there and while she was generously helping me and straightening out some charges on my bill, fixing my service and helping me set up a hotspot on my new iPhone (for my iPad), we actually had a real conversation. We talked about our lives, what we did and what our plans for the future were. AND I had excellent service from her. I'll never forget Bridget.

Best Buy has also given us great customer service. But dealing with most other companies has been a PAIN. You nailed this one right on the head Roy. Great post. :D

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