Automated telephone services

Yep! Entirely agree! I'm a business customer who is trying to sort something out with my bank (HSBC) but as you say, you get forced to listne to pointless drivel for ten minutes pressing random buttons until you get through to a human being, who then has to divert me yet again!

If I could just call the damn branch I'd get an engaged tone or leave a message. All the problems, frustration adn bad humour would vanish into the ether.

It really, honestly makes you grumpy.

Does any one know the website thats tells you what digits to press to get through to a human, there is one, I can't find it. If you find it please email me bythepowerofra@googlemail.com ta x x

The main thing wrong with automated telephone services is the telephone itself. As a piece of technology the human interface that it uses: push buttons, a mouth piece and an ear phone all simply tells me that the technology of the telephone is 50 years or more out of date.

Why do we have to use a phone at all to contact these companies? Why do we have to pay to listen to canned music for half-an-hour?

One should be able to log a problem via the internet, and then have them call you back at their expense when they are ready.

One should be able to choose the medium in which the transaction is to take place: verbal or written, or via an internet chat service. Better still why don't they send someone round to your house in person to discuss what is bothering you?

Before calling any so-called helpline with an expensive 0870 or 0845 number I suggest that a cheaper or perhaps even free number is obtained from the useful website www.saynoto0870.com

I've been trying to contact a company called Coopers of Stortford concerning some faulty good that my mother received. It is impossible to speak to a human being as every single number takes you through to a different automated voice. I tried their web site but, again, no way of getting in touch with a real human being. In the end I decided to email them but I'm not holding out much hope. The worst example of automated telephone "service" I have ever experienced

I have just spent 13 minutes on the telephone to Lloyds Bank TSB (8 of those in a queue), however, after speaking to the agent & him contacting my local branch I got "cut off". I feel that as the query was in regard to bank charges he did not really want to know-if he was concerned he would have called me back. I think in this day & age of targets the call may have been taking far too long as this is the 2nd time this week the same thing has happend to me. Its been 10 minutes since I got cut off but I really don't feel like queueing again to ask the same questions which I think is very convenient for Lloyds Bank.

S, I think you'll find that most ISP's Technical Assistance is by no means Technical and very little Assitance reading mainly from a checklist of faults and remedies.Very little Technical no-how is employed as that would cost these people money.

I am having all sorts of problems with AOL at the moment and most of the feed back I have been getting is bland answers that give me no help at all.Also I have been held on the phone and waiting for an operative online for inordinately long amounts of time.It has got to the point where I want to change my provider but having asked for a MAC code, they have as yet not provided me with one so I can't.Hoping to wring the last few pounds out of me I expect.

I am so frustrated with Sky, it's a good job they are based in Scotland because if they were local I would have been down there Main Office in a flash. I spent 1hr 20m just to get through to customer care who then put me through to tech faults and I was kept another 30 min with that annoying trumpet music. It was going insane. All I could imagine was Sky employees at the other end gone for their tea break or chatting as they couldn't be bothered to answer my call. And the voice that gives you the options repeated herself 6 yes 6 times before I was put through to the one I wanted. I've had enough of Sky they are a company who couldn't care less about their customers but want their money at the same time.

Isn't there an investment in these companies leaving you hanging on as long as possible at so-many-pence-per-minute? Perhaps a few complaints to Ofcom might bring 'em into line.

Willy,

15 - 20 Minutes??

I'd love to swap places with you..

I am an IT consultant and frquently have to contact end user's Internet Service Providers (ISP's) to try and troubleshoot a fault with the client's internet connection or e-mail.

All the "leading brands" are as bad as each other, but BT come to mind as the worst.

If ever I need to call BT's internet technical support line to report a fault I can regularly be kept on hold for anything from 40 minutes through to 90 minutes!!

Then when I eventually get through to them, I find that I am far more qualified than them and once I've given them a run down of all the technical bits and bobs I've checked & tested - they're at a complete loss for what to suggest next.

So I get put on hold to speak to a "Senior Technician".....

Who still hasn't got a clue!!

BRITISH GAS are the worst in my opinion.You press all the relevant buttons,THEN have to listen to bloody music for 15/20 minutes.

Bring back HUMANS.

Apologies for including Scotland as the majority are quite understandable just that the people I end up talking to have such a broad Glaswegan accent as did my brother in law, that I find it difficult as a southerner to understand.I expect my accent is difficult for some in other parts of Britain.
But my main gripe is the automated part of the system.The first option should say"Would you like to speak to an operator if so press 1 if not continue."I would suggest that in the case of banks,these systems are put in place to avoid customers who might ask difficult questions.