I don’t know about you but I’m really over the whole press one – press two – kind of thing on the phone. I had to call a business this morning and was greeted by a long list of pre-recorded options. I think there were about 6 and at the end the voice asked me if I’d like to hear the options again. No thanks.
What gets me with those kinds of things is that option 1 is usually the best one but you feel duty bound to wait until they’ve been through them all in case number 37 suits what you’re after just a little bit better. The last thing you want is to automatically press one and then hear the real person say, “No I’m sorry, this is the wrong option for what you want. I’ll transfer you back to the menu.”
And that’s the other thing. Why call it a menu? I’m used to the word menu referring to a list of tasty treats from which I can choose. Nothing tasty about being considered so unimportant that a business would rather let a computer deal with you.
Maybe it’s just a bit old fashioned but I like the sound of a real voice at the end of the phone saying hello and then finding what I need.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Press One To Blow Up the Phone? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.
A real person at the other end of the phone is best, but give me a menu system any day over a voice recognition system! I feel very silly talking to a machine, and I like to be supplied with choices. A voice recognition system will often just say “tell me what you want” and my response is usually “a real person!” Which, incidently, doesn’t work. I have thought of just saying “Albert Davies” and seeing what response that gives me đŸ™‚
Ah yes, I hate using those phone menu’s. They take so long and woe to you if you press the wrong option and don’t remember how to get back to the main menu! Starting over and having to listening to it all over again is very disturbing.
i called telstra the other day and got a recognition thing. There must have been some line noise because at one point it started reading the options, and before i could say anything it went;
‘I’m sorry can you repeat your option’
‘I’m sorry can you repeat your option’
‘Transfering you to an operator’…
And then it turned out i had dialed the wrong department anyway and had to get transfered somewhere else…
You should try the passport number. I wanted some info and no matter what option I pressed I still got a stock standard recording that didnt tell me anything. So I ended up going to the web site instead. VERY FRUSTRATING. Helen
Rodney, let me know if you did not get the email I sent last night…email is driving me crazy @ the momment!