OMG automated answering things. - vent sorry everyone

Mommy2Be wrote: DH and I just switched cell phone companies. We have had nothing but problems with are last one so when our contract ended we decided to switch. So I had called and canceled are old one and they said ok they would cancel service at the end of our month. We have had the new one for about a week. Then today in the mail I get a notice from the old one saying if we didn't call them by the 7th they would automatically renew our contract. So I am already annoyed by this so I called them and I get the stupid automated thingy. And it asked me what I need such as making a payment, adding a line, technical assistance, etc. so I say technical assistance. I goes ok if your problem making or receiving calls? I say no. Then is goes is your problem Internet access such as instant messaging or entertainment such as music or ring tone downloading? I said no. And it goes I'm sorry I didn't get that then it asks me it all over again and I say no then it goes on to explain everything in more detail (like I don't know what Internet and music is UGH). Then is says is you problem Internet or music again I said no and it goes I don't understand that. So then I go operator and it says okay I can do that but first let me try to fix the problem for you. So I'm like (UGH what the he%#) then we go through every bit of that again. Then finally after about the 10th time I'm like OPERATOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So finally it says okay please hold while I connect you. Then I get a recording that says I'm sorry our line are currently down due to upgrade please call again after 8 am March-5th-2005 . So now I have to go through all of that again .....STUPID automated things .

mom21kid2dogs replied: I hear you!! FWIW, I'm fairly certain what they are proposing to do (contiue your contract without your consent) is a highly illegal practice. Even if you renew your contract over the phone they must get a signed contract with you! I'd cancel my service with them in writing and by phone then I'd send the letter to the FCC! Sounds like it's Verizon to me!!

gr33n3y3z replied: Yes and I hate when you call a Dr.'s office and it says for an appointment or payments

texasp3 replied: I call that IVR Hell and I hate it!! (IVR = Interactive Voice Response) I have gotten to the point where I want to SCREAM as soon as they start with the press 1 for... yada yada yada..

I can't remember which company it was but recently I got so furious with one of those mazes that keeps plopping you back at the main menu that I just started mashing all the buttons on the phone and HAHA! it immediately transferred me to a customer service representative... which was all I wanted in the first place. I've also found that refusing to enter anything frequently will get you to the humans too.

That's a lot better than the ones that, after a certain amount of wandering helplessly in their IVR Hell, dump you with a "Thank you for your call, Good-bye." That's the one that just makes me want to throw things.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Say: CUSTOMER SERVICE.

It will skip everything and get you connected with someone....

Bell here has "Emilie", the voice recognition softwar programmed to help you!

Yuck.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I'm with Marie on this one!! It really Makes me Mad They always end up dropping the line on me...then I have to do it all over again. And don't get me started on the people that CAN'T HELP YOU!

coasterqueen replied: OMG! You too? Yesterday I went round and round with a stupid talking automated system regarding our DSL here at work. Finally I said screw it and picked an option that I KNOW was not what I wanted but at least got me a live person. From there I made them transfer me to tech support. It took me hours to get where I needed to go on there. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

In our state I *thought* they passed a law that they HAVE to give you an option to press 0 to get an operator but maybe it hasn't gone through.

Kaitlin'smom replied: ya they are annoying espically the one where they want you to talk gurrr

ammommy replied: I hate those things

A year or so ago, I saw a documentary interview with the guy who invented the system. He started out the interview with an apology to the audience, saying that he never intended the system to be used so wide spread and annoyingly I usually just hit 0 until it sends me to a human being. Although, most of the times they are pretty clueless

A&A'smommy replied: OMG YES I HATE it when you really need to talk to a person and it wont let you grrrr I'm sorry you have to go through all that!!

elvisfan replied: I really HATE automated things! It seems as if you can NEVER get ahold of a real person to address your problem!

My2Beauties replied: I always scream Operator or Customer Service into the phone until they give me to a representative..I hate those things

Mommy2Be replied: OMG I am glad I am not the only one who is so annoyed by this . I called them today and I asked them about the automatic renewal on the contract and mentioned that I was fairly certain they could not do this by law. The guy basically goes I I I will uh ma'am I uh okay no problem ma'am I will update our system now and your service will be cancel at the end of your month (it better be grr). Stupid people I swear