"Our menu options have changed"

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
The menu options have ALWAYS changed, why does every damn phone system always say this :|
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
Yes, now I'm paying to listen to really bad sounding classical music. They did manage to make it loud enough so that I can't hold the phone up to my ear, though...
 

LAUST

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2000
8,957
1
81
Please press 1 for Spanish (Followed by 590 words in Spanish), 2 for Russian, 3 for French, 4 for German, 5 for Hebrew, 6 for Sighn Language, and 7 for English

If you were born between Jan 1 and Jan 5th, press 1..............etc, etc

If you have had a stomach ache in the last 10 hours, but was not influenced by alcahol, press 7.......etc etc


We are experiencing an UNUSUALLY (yeah right) high call volume please be patient, we will be with you as soon as we can.
 

Kevin

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2002
3,995
1
0
Well, if its an 800 number, it costs the company lots of money.

My dad is a consultant with Verizon and he said by them deleting the "www." and making it just "Visit us at Verizon.com", they save millions of dollars...
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
0
I hate tech support.

"Do a bunch of sh!t that you already did"
"fine"
"does it wok now?"
"Still no"
"can I put you on hold?"
argh...
 

BooneRebel

Platinum Member
Mar 22, 2001
2,229
0
0
The 800 number time costs money, but it's not nearly as expensive for you to listen to an AVR and punch buttons as it is for you to talk to a *REAL LIVE* person. Unfortunately most AVR systems aren't that efficient and can actually cost the company in the long run due to lost customers.

My pet peeve is patiently keying in my phone number, account number, mother's maiden zipcode, etc., etc., etc. before finally being directed to a warm body, only to then be asked to provide my account number, etc., all over again :|
 

dolph

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2001
3,981
0
0
"all of our representatives are busy assisting other customers (that are more important than you)"
"your call will be answered in the order it was received (or when we feel like it)"
 

KC5AV

Golden Member
Jul 26, 2002
1,721
0
0
The option I miss is the one that said "to hear a duck quack press 7." The duck is dead.
 

zsouthboy

Platinum Member
Aug 14, 2001
2,264
0
0
Originally posted by: notfred
I wish they'd hire people who speak English that you can actually understand...

for real! they'd save millions if i didn't have to ask, "Can you repeat that?"......."I'm sorry, come again?" a thousand times for each call...
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
Originally posted by: notfred
I hate tech support.

"Do a bunch of sh!t that you already did"
"fine"
"does it wok now?"
"Still no"
"can I put you on hold?"
argh...

If you've ever done tech support, you would know that you CANNOT assume the customer has done anything, or knows anything.

You have to adjust your troubleshooting to the lowest common factor (ie idiot proof). If you get someone that proves they know something, THEN you can start assuming things.

But until then, I have to ask you what button you used to turn it on.

Viper GTS
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
13,941
1
0
Originally posted by: kevin000
Well, if its an 800 number, it costs the company lots of money.

My dad is a consultant with Verizon and he said by them deleting the "www." and making it just "Visit us at Verizon.com", they save millions of dollars...

That's not true at all. I know people that have 800 numbers and they are small bisnesses. It costs them between 18 and 30 cents a caller. So, assume that for a company like Dell, they get a better deal, although they have higher call volume.
 

Kevin

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2002
3,995
1
0
Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Originally posted by: kevin000
Well, if its an 800 number, it costs the company lots of money.

My dad is a consultant with Verizon and he said by them deleting the "www." and making it just "Visit us at Verizon.com", they save millions of dollars...

That's not true at all. I know people that have 800 numbers and they are small bisnesses. It costs them between 18 and 30 cents a caller. So, assume that for a company like Dell, they get a better deal, although they have higher call volume.

Its true, believe me. There ae more factors than just the cost of the call...
 

gopunk

Lifer
Jul 7, 2001
29,239
2
0
they do it because too many people hit numbers immediately, which reduces their wait time, and increases cost for the company
 

Kevin

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2002
3,995
1
0
Originally posted by: gopunk
they do it because too many people hit numbers immediately, which reduces their wait time, and increases cost for the company

Thats why they want to convert to Web Chat. A representative can handle more than one person instead of dealing with one at a time. Voice recognition is the future. You don't have to press numbers, all you'll have to do is say what you are looking for and you'll be forwarded to that particular queue...