How You Do: Outsmarting an Automated Phone System

Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line, and the next available representative will be with you shortly.

Have you ever heard THAT one before? How long is “shortly,” exactly? I don’t think “shortly” should be allowed to mean any longer than 10 minutes, but I have waited upwards of 45 minutes to talk to an actual person on an automated phone system, and I bet you have, too.

Even better are those automated systems that make you feel like you are speaking to a real person, but you are not. And you realize it when you find yourself screaming “NO,” “CREDIT CARD!!” into the phone again and again.

There is only one word that can express my thoughts about these systems: ARGH!!!!!

Not all of them can be cracked, but I recently picked up some tips that will help you get an actual live person on the line as quickly as possible. For all of our sanity, read on: Read More »