I don't normally do this, but since nobody reads my rantITraveIT site, and I really want to vent my frustration, I'm posting my rant here too. I promise not to do it again for a while. 
<rant>
The phone rang this morning, and I answered it with the usual friendly "Hello." I hear back, "Hi! My name is Theresa, and I'm calling from _____ Marketing Group, and I just wanted to ask you a few simple questions, with absolulety not commitment." By this point, it was obvious that I was listening to a computer. Eventually we got to "If you are married, press 1, if you are single, press 2." I hung up at that point, because even if there was a person on the other end, anyone who answers questions on the phone and listens for responses coming from the touchpad needs psychiatric care.
I think it is downright unethical to make phone calls like this. Further, I am horribly insulted that they apparently think that I'm going to believe that some computer is actually a nice lady named Theresa! Give me a break. Either call with a real person, or call with an automated response system, but don't try to mask it! I have to wonder what's coming in the future.
Will we eventually just replace people with computers, and treat the computer like it was a person, because it's cheaper to do it that way? Are the lines being intentionally blurred now so that we can become accustomed to it, before customer service is completely taken over by computers with names? What's the motivation here? People aren't dumb enough to believe that Theresa is real, especially if they listen long enough to get to the part about "press 1 if you are married." Do some people think that this is cute?
Sure, technology is going to invade our lives more and more, but please don't insult us in the process. And don't insult all of humanity by naming computers and trying to pass off some computer voice as a friendly person.
</rant>
<rant>
The phone rang this morning, and I answered it with the usual friendly "Hello." I hear back, "Hi! My name is Theresa, and I'm calling from _____ Marketing Group, and I just wanted to ask you a few simple questions, with absolulety not commitment." By this point, it was obvious that I was listening to a computer. Eventually we got to "If you are married, press 1, if you are single, press 2." I hung up at that point, because even if there was a person on the other end, anyone who answers questions on the phone and listens for responses coming from the touchpad needs psychiatric care.
I think it is downright unethical to make phone calls like this. Further, I am horribly insulted that they apparently think that I'm going to believe that some computer is actually a nice lady named Theresa! Give me a break. Either call with a real person, or call with an automated response system, but don't try to mask it! I have to wonder what's coming in the future.
Will we eventually just replace people with computers, and treat the computer like it was a person, because it's cheaper to do it that way? Are the lines being intentionally blurred now so that we can become accustomed to it, before customer service is completely taken over by computers with names? What's the motivation here? People aren't dumb enough to believe that Theresa is real, especially if they listen long enough to get to the part about "press 1 if you are married." Do some people think that this is cute?
Sure, technology is going to invade our lives more and more, but please don't insult us in the process. And don't insult all of humanity by naming computers and trying to pass off some computer voice as a friendly person.
</rant>
Facebook
Twitter