# Help me avoid a trip to the Cingular store, or how can talk to a live person? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449 "2005-05-04T21:53:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/1 "2005-05-04T21:53:37Z")
I want to have one of my two cell phone numbers changed, but I can’t get through to a live person by calling their customer support line. It’s one of those god-awful voice recognition systems where you have to E_N_U_N_C_I_A_T_E your choices instead of just pressing buttons which would be so much easier. In my most stentorian voice I tried saying “OPERATOR!” and “CUSTOMER SERVICE”, but to no avail. There just seems to be no way to get to a live customer service rep. And none of the offered choices seem to be appropriate for what I need. Do we have any Cingular customers here who have found a way to get to a real person? If I can’t get help from you guys, I’ll have to detour to the Cingular store on my way home from work. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/2 "2005-05-04T22:08:37Z")
Have you tried not saying anything? or Agent? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/3 "2005-05-04T22:35:25Z")
It took a while, but after several minutes of not saying anything, I finally got through. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/4 "2005-05-04T23:03:11Z")
Well there ya go. Don’t ask and you shall receive. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/5 "2005-05-04T23:24:00Z")
Next time try saying “CANCEL SERVICE” and see how fast they pickup! That’s what I did last week and all I was trying to do was upgrade my wife’s phone. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/6 "2005-05-05T05:36:46Z")
Sometimes, pushing “0” would also get you to an operator directly. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/7 "2005-05-05T06:07:06Z")
> [@MannyL](#): > > Have you tried not saying anything? This is my preferred method when dealing with computerised systems. I’ve found that complete silence generally triggers a transfer to a human being. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/8 "2005-05-05T10:01:22Z")
I’ve heard rumours similar to what **Reply** posted, that automatic phone systems have a shortcut button to immediately put you through to a live operator, usually 0 or #. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-avoid-a-trip-to-the-cingular-store-or-how-can-talk-to-a-live-person/302449/9 "2005-05-05T12:18:08Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Sometimes, pushing “0” would also get you to an operator directly. That was the first thing I tried.