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A big part of my job consists of calling people. Now it's not necessarily random people, and it's luckily, not our customers. they can bee such a needy bunch. No, a big part is calling other customer service people in their cubicles at jobs just like mine. In fact, the other day I had to call my old firm, and got frustrated with the guy on the line because I knew I could find the information faster than he was doing. of course i did the bad thing, and actually started telling him to look. I didn't recognize his name, so I'm sure he didn't know who I was.
Still, besides a small handful of firms who have dedicated lines for us "professionals" to call, most times I'm having to go through all of those terrible phone menus with you. Some of them have so many options that you just start pushing zero, or just stop pushing anything in hopes that it will default you to a live person.
Of course those phone menus are there just to try to prevent that, and keep them from having to hire more people just to route you to the right person. That eliminates the need for a receptionist (though there's one at one firm that I really count on and love - and she has this great british accent and wit - she better never be replaced), and for the need of representatives who can do more than one thing. In my old job I knew at least how to answer a majority of questions in the retirement division, but in the new job, outside of the one job function, I or anyone around me would have a difficult time with more than just basic information.
Of course, people hate the crap out of the "push 1 for this, 2 for that followed by the pound sign." It's enough to make you want to cry sometimes, and the voices sound awful, and people hate punching buttons - especially on cell phones. The solution is the even more annoying voice response system where you have to say your commands. Personally, I'll opt for touch tone prompts, because i hate having to shout at the phone and saying stupid things that to everyone around you sounds like you have turret's syndrome.
That's why all of us at work love the Citibank commercial with the guy trying to get through all the prompts and get to a person before the train goes into the tunnel. We sympathize with him because we're tired of those services - or lack of services. when someone starts going through those prompts, everyone around them in the cube farm can hear them, and people start shouting "Fluffy" and "Big Boy" just like the guy in the commercial.
A lot of times we try saying "associate" or "representative" with middling success at navigating ourselves out of the menu, because the automated services can't give us the information we need. Personally I'd do away with the lot of them, and bring on our lovely British Receptionist to delight all of our weary callers.
Still, besides a small handful of firms who have dedicated lines for us "professionals" to call, most times I'm having to go through all of those terrible phone menus with you. Some of them have so many options that you just start pushing zero, or just stop pushing anything in hopes that it will default you to a live person.
Of course those phone menus are there just to try to prevent that, and keep them from having to hire more people just to route you to the right person. That eliminates the need for a receptionist (though there's one at one firm that I really count on and love - and she has this great british accent and wit - she better never be replaced), and for the need of representatives who can do more than one thing. In my old job I knew at least how to answer a majority of questions in the retirement division, but in the new job, outside of the one job function, I or anyone around me would have a difficult time with more than just basic information.
Of course, people hate the crap out of the "push 1 for this, 2 for that followed by the pound sign." It's enough to make you want to cry sometimes, and the voices sound awful, and people hate punching buttons - especially on cell phones. The solution is the even more annoying voice response system where you have to say your commands. Personally, I'll opt for touch tone prompts, because i hate having to shout at the phone and saying stupid things that to everyone around you sounds like you have turret's syndrome.
That's why all of us at work love the Citibank commercial with the guy trying to get through all the prompts and get to a person before the train goes into the tunnel. We sympathize with him because we're tired of those services - or lack of services. when someone starts going through those prompts, everyone around them in the cube farm can hear them, and people start shouting "Fluffy" and "Big Boy" just like the guy in the commercial.
A lot of times we try saying "associate" or "representative" with middling success at navigating ourselves out of the menu, because the automated services can't give us the information we need. Personally I'd do away with the lot of them, and bring on our lovely British Receptionist to delight all of our weary callers.
