# I pit telephone customer service **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 12, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874 "2009-04-12T19:30:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874/21 "2009-04-14T11:28:26Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Here’s a thought: Give me a human being right off the bat and let the human being be responsible for getting me to the right person. The obligatory post of… …the [secret list](http://www.gethuman.com/)! (instructions to get a human for many different phone systems) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874/22 "2009-04-14T13:49:09Z")
Now that is a website I can get behind. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874/23 "2009-04-14T13:52:20Z")
> [@](#): > > Try being on our end I talked to a Cajun guy one day for 20 min. still have no idea what he said. My mother in law was Cajun, and yeah, most of the time I had no idea what she was talking about. Even when she was talking in her version of English (she was bilingual, English and French) (well, sort of English, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874/24 "2009-04-14T16:59:46Z")
> [@Greg\_Charles](#): > > Oh, there are so many ways I could rant on this issue, but I’ll focus on one point. **Why do we have to go through all the convolutions of inputting our account number, phone number, zip code, specific problem area, etc, ad nauseum … either through the telephone keypad or some sort of voice recognition … only to finally reach a rep that doesn’t have any idea what we input and makes us repeat it.** I mean really … what’s the point? Is it a delaying tactic so we don’t notice how long we’re on hold? It’s not working. :mad: > > Does anyone here program those systems? Why does the entered information never make it across to the reps that need it? It’s not just a glitch; it’s always that way. Why collect the information at all if it’s not recorded? For me at least, it just means I start the interaction a little pissed off. Bolding Mine I’m working on a project to address this exact issue. The problem is that the cost is quite large. So every time the Powers That Be ask the reps “What can we do to improve?” they say fix the inbound call system so we get the info entered by the customer. The PTB know that: 1. This costs big $ 2. There is no revenue for the company in it 3. Those $ could be used to roll out or develop a new product to increases revenue And so the answer is “No, we’re not going to do that - next suggestion?” Is this poor customer service? I’d have to say yes. Is it the financially responsible thing to do for the company and the shareholders? Again I’d have to say yes it is. We only got approval by coming up with a tortured set of figures that showed reduced call times would actually pay back the cost (in about 10 years :dubious:) So I completely understand the frustration and many of us are working to fix it. But we face many challenges getting improvements like these approved. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874/25 "2009-04-15T05:48:01Z")
No I will _ **NOT** _ FUCKING PRESS ONE FOR ENGLISH ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874/26 "2009-04-15T18:30:26Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > No I will _ **NOT** _ FUCKING PRESS ONE FOR ENGLISH Better not ever move to Canada 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-telephone-customer-service/492874.md?page=1)