When Automated Phone Systems Work But Don’t
Stuff I hate June 14th, 2013
So I call the 800 number for my bank and all I’m trying to do is get a listing of my recent ATM transactions. I got far through the menu, after giving my 16-digit account number, social security number, PIN, what I had for dinner and my tax returns for the last five years.
Beep, boop, beep, boop, beep, boop, beep, pound. Geez.
Finally, auto-lady is going to start reading off my transactions.
Then I coughed and that caused the auto-lady to say she would transfer me to a human. The ONE time I don’t actually need a human and I get one.
Story of my life.
Stumble it!
June 14th, 2013 at 6:02 pm
Par for the course.
Mike GolchĀ“s last blog post ..FLAG DAY and 5 On Friday # 177
June 14th, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Wait, that sounds like the story of MY life. š
Bryan G. RobinsonĀ“s last blog post ..Trying to get back to sleep 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
June 14th, 2013 at 6:13 pm
I refuse to use telephone banking. I usually go through the whole series of questions and then get my security question wrong and they won’t talk to me. I check everything on line now.
BabsĀ“s last blog post ..Three gallons of pee!
June 14th, 2013 at 6:16 pm
Automation and robot voices. Oh yes…I understand. I’m a person who argues with Siri.
Mod Mom Beyond IndieDomĀ“s last blog post ..Mourning the Morning
June 14th, 2013 at 6:17 pm
I hate those phone lines. I’ve heard my share of them since we recently moved and I had to turn off all my old utilities and turn on the new ones. Like you, I’d rather just punch the buttons and not have to talk to someone.
Nora BlitheĀ“s last blog post ..Repost: Smells Like a Headache
June 14th, 2013 at 7:07 pm
So, I heard that if you yell the F word into the voice automated system, you get transferred to a human right away.
June 14th, 2013 at 8:16 pm
“Then I coughed and that caused the auto-lady to say she would transfer me to a human. The ONE time I donāt actually need a human and I get one.”
Kathy, that me HOWL because the same damn thing has happened to me MANY times. The bank I use, changed over to a new telephone banking system about a year ago. OMG…it’s HIDEOUS! If you even BREATHE too heavy, it cuts her voice off so that you have to start ALL OVER again. I figured out a way to fix it though. Just hit the MUTE button on your phone after you dial the phone number. It works like a charm!
Have a fab weekend, girl!
X
RonĀ“s last blog post ..Feedback Needed: Alternative To Google Reader
June 14th, 2013 at 10:57 pm
I get frustrated with the voice bots and start yelling at them. Then I press “0” until a human answers who’s usually very robot like.
I hope the human was able to help you.
Glad to see you posting again. You’ve always been my blogging role model.
LaurenĀ“s last blog post ..What’s on the blogging menu today?
June 15th, 2013 at 1:26 am
I encountered one of these the other day where one had to speak rather than type on the phone keypad. I have a stutter, so that was mildly entertaining. They put me through eventually. :/
Mulled VineĀ“s last blog post .."I have a pair of rose-tinted glasses, through which the world looks lighter and brighter, more…"
June 15th, 2013 at 4:50 am
I don’t even know my banking phone code !
I do use my phone to check my accounts … via an app from my bank. š
My Dad still uses a passbook.
June 15th, 2013 at 5:07 am
Mike — My course or yours?
Bryan — Does your life also include getting a buyer for your car, saying “Now watch me have an accident” and then having a fender bender two days later? Yeah. Beat that.
Babs — I refuse to go online banking. I have massive trust issues with that information. And so I remain a phone banking person. Sigh.
Mod Mom — I would throw Siri out the window if she refused to understand me the first time. I hate talking to real people enough.
Nora — Ugh. I pity you. That’s why I’m never moving again. All the administrative crap and the problems that go with it. I have lost all patience with such things. Maybe when I retire.
merrycricket — That sounds about right!
Ron — My landline phone is so old, it doesn’t have a mute button. So when I call back today, I’m just gonna have to hold my breath and risk passing out.
Lauren — I hung up before I got a human. After my work week, I just didn’t want to talk to one anymore. Will try again today. And will prepare by clearing my throat first, and then holding my breath and possibly holding the phone three feet from my head. (And thank you for the compliment! I appreciate that. Truly.)
Mulled Vine — I HATE when you have to speak your information. I usually wind up screaming things by the end. Because, you know, it helps if you shout.
June 15th, 2013 at 5:08 am
Jaffer — Is a passbook the thing you get when you open a savings account? I don’t have one of those, even from my credit union. Looks like a passport, right?
June 15th, 2013 at 6:16 am
I feel your pain, Kathy!
Boom Boom LarewĀ“s last blog post ..My Long Lost Big Brother
June 15th, 2013 at 6:29 am
Kathy – Yes, that one. Some ATMs here still have the technology to update passbooks.
JafferĀ“s last blog post ..The Spirit of Dentures
June 15th, 2013 at 7:15 am
Oh gee…our Mom has had problems like that too!!
The Florida Furkids
The Florida FurkidsĀ“s last blog post ..Please vote for Raz
June 15th, 2013 at 8:20 am
Arrrrggggh!!!
Well, at least we now know the secret to getting a human on those automated lines. Thanks for the sacrifice, Kathy.
LinĀ“s last blog post ..They’re cute, but……
June 15th, 2013 at 9:09 am
Note to self: pop in a cough drop before calling the bank.
June 15th, 2013 at 9:36 am
Jaffer — That’s crazy! I remember getting my first book when I was 12. I won $65 in a radio call-in contest and then needed to open a bank account. Good times.
Florida Furkids — All this technology and foiled by a cough!
Lin — Or using the F-word, as someone mentioned before. Yeah, that’ll work too.
Musing Woman — I called this morning and did all my coughing and stuff beforehand. Didn’t make a sound. And I got the transaction I needed finally!
June 15th, 2013 at 10:55 am
Kathy, if I had huge amounts of money in my accounts I don’t think I would risk on line banking, though the banks are pretty good at giving you back anything stolen from your account. I had credit card theft from my bank once and I got everything back, though it was a real nuisance waiting for my account to be sorted out by the fraud squad.
BabsĀ“s last blog post ..Three gallons of pee!
June 15th, 2013 at 11:36 am
i’m surprised you actually called the bank (i thought we were soul sisters in hating the phone). i don’t even want to stand a chance that i may get a human on the phone, hence, i do everything online or use my bank’s app. for now it’s safe until they come out with a rep is standing by waiting to help you. i might click on that by mistake.
June 15th, 2013 at 7:40 pm
Oh my kingdom, what a good laugh. Are there robots in the bank?
The KingĀ“s last blog post ..Why there are no photos of me
June 16th, 2013 at 5:01 am
How crazy is that! I never use the ATM–well, okay, I’ve used it twice in my whole life, I think. Pretty close to never.
Karen and GerardĀ“s last blog post ..Sunday Sharing: The Connection Between Scripture and My Life
June 16th, 2013 at 1:57 pm
I’m sorry, Kathy. But that is HILARIOUS.
meleah rebeccahĀ“s last blog post ..Big Pimpinā ā Fatherās Day Request
June 18th, 2013 at 2:23 am
Shouting you say? š
I’ll try that next time. I WILL!!!!
Mulled VineĀ“s last blog post ..Self-portrait
June 18th, 2013 at 4:40 am
Babs — I know I should be more open to the idea, lots of people do it. But every time I hear about some big company’s security breach, it gives me pause.
v — We are still soul sisters. I still hate talking on the phone, which is why I was happy to go through an automated system. Until I was about to get a human. No humans, please. I should do everything online, but I just haven’t felt comfortable enough to do banking on it. Maybe one day.
The King — I wish there were. Again, no humans.
Karen — Wow! I use the ATM probably five times a week. Are you a cash-only family?
meleah — I try.
Mulled Vine — That’s the nice thing, you don’t even have to shout. Just clear your throat, sneeze, whatever!
June 18th, 2013 at 2:09 pm
The automated responses have a place, I will agree, like when I just need to know the store hours, or activating a credit card. Anything more involved and I want a human, and I hate jumping through hoops to get to that human. Overall though, I prefer on-line options such as live chat and email to phone calls.
LindaĀ“s last blog post ..Quote of the Week
June 19th, 2013 at 9:08 pm
For my last meal, I would have jumbo coconut prawns and lobster with butter sauce, a nice pinot grigio, some garlic cheese bread, but I’d start with a key lime coconut cream pie and a Caesar salad because I’m allergic to prawns and lobster and it would kill me before I’d get to dessert. After all life is really too short.
June 24th, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Checking transactions over the phone is ancient š
July 2nd, 2013 at 11:05 pm
Ba-hahahaha!!!!! Typical.
MargaretĀ“s last blog post ..A Slight Case of Murder-Suicide
July 8th, 2013 at 4:03 pm
My Mommeh was trying to log into an old account and the security question was “What’s the name of your first grade teacher.” Who remembers THAT?!?
Daisy the Curly CatĀ“s last blog post ..Monday Funnies
July 14th, 2013 at 4:39 am
My voice has a weird metallic quality to it, so I am impressed ANYONE can speak and get somewhere (and my voice is so bad, I answer and get messages left). And forget trying to type in numbers with a toddler being all grabby grabby on top of a touch screen phone (which doesn’t usually accept that I have touched them) and one of the 14 stylus I have gone AWOL.
And people wonder why I have a rotary phone for my land line. They HAVE to talk to me.