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My experience today..... it has probably already happened to you too!!!
- Jul 2, 2009 at 3:46 PM
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- Comments (9) Total Views (120) Everyone can see this journal post.
I know a lot of businesses are now going to voice activated answering services. Personally, I hate them. Not only it is impersonal, but the computer NEVER understands me and all it does is aggravate me to no end. By the time I DO happen to get a "real" person, I come across as rude because of what I just experienced. Anyway, I called Free 411 today from my cell phone. All I wanted was to call a grocery store about 15 miles away to see if they carried something that I needed. So here is how the whole thing went:
My part of the conversation is in red
The computer is in blue
City and State
Killen, Alabama
No listing, please try again
Kill-EN, Alabama
I'm sorry please try again
K(very strong K sound) i-LL-EN, ALAbaMA
I'm sorry please try again
KILLen, A L A B A M A
Killen, Alabama is that right, if not say go back. What listing? You can say business, residential, government, toll free
business
by name or by type
name
what listing
Foodland
vista airlines, is that right? If not, say go back
Go back
what listing
Foodland
(something) pet store, is that right? If not say go back
go back
what listing
FOOD L A N D (Yes I am yelling)
Ray Miller Buick, is that right? If not say go back
GO BACK!!!!!
what listing
FOODLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm sorry no listing. Please try again
FFF (Strong F sound) oodland
i'm sorry no listing. Please try again
So I hang up
I call again. Start all over
KILLEN, Alabama
Dayton, Ohio (?????) is that right? If not say go back
GO BACK (yes I am yelling into my cell phone at this point)
KILL-en, Alabama
I'm sorry, please try again
Now I am getting mad, because I don't remember HOW I said it that it took it last time.
I repeat the city no less than 4 times, then finally said the city next to it - Florence, Alabama and it took it after one time.
Florence, Alabama is that right? If not say go back. What listing? You can say business, residential, government, toll free
business
by name or by type
type
what listing
Grocery Store
I am sorry, please try again.
I hang up
Yes, because I am gluten for punishment, decide to try just 1 more time
City and State
Killen, Alabama
Killen, Alabama is that right? If not say go back. What listing you can say business, residential, government, toll free
(I am thinking, 1st time? Really?) 
business
by name or by type
type
what listing
Grocery Store
Grocers/retail is that right. If not, say go back.
1st listing: Foodland (It gives address - IT'S WHAT I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR!!!!!)
#1
It gives me the number, I call and foodland did not have what I needed BTW. UGH!!!
Of course, this happens anytime I get one of these type of answering services. SO I beg of you....
If, in your business, you own, manage, or have anything to do with this type of answering service, please STOP!!! I really don't have that much time in my day to argue with an answering machine. I do understand WHY businesses do it, but really how much money does it ACTUALLY save your business? How much did it cost to set up such an inconvenient (for the customer) system? I used to get irritated at the push button answering system, but honestly I will take that anyday over the voice activated.
I am so glad I am home now where I have access to the old fashioned phone book. I am taking one and putting it in my car, so the above never happens again.
Sometimes there are things you just cannot improve!!!
Comments:
Google's free 411 number:
1-800-GOOG-411
They are usually pretty good. As for your trouble today, i feel bad laughing cause i know at the time it was frustrating, but I can't help myself. I'm not the only one who'd rather get their fingernails ripped off than deal with automated answering systems.
I decided to test 1-800-GOOG-411.
I didn't have to repeat myself. They understood me first try. I will definitely be using that one from now on. Thanks Joy!! :-)
Lol, it reminded me of trying to call AT&T when we moved and were trying to get the internet hooked up.....I was screaming at the thing and by the time someone finally came on the line I was soooo mad. I hate the automated talk-to-me answering systems too :)
ARRRGGHHH! My health insurance company has that answering thingy! I despise it! I just end up sitting there screaming 'CUSTOMER SERVICE, DAMMITT!' over and over until the stupid thing says "I can't understand...let me get somebody who can help"...of course, my husband thinks this is hilarious and that's why he makes me call. Jerk-face.
(p.s., I'm in Alabama, too! Hot right now, ain't it? LOL!)
ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nuff said - that was a great redition.
Oh, I HATE those automated voice systems. I used to yell into my phone a lot, or e-nun-ci-ate words very carefully in futile hope of being understood. Then after awhile, I discovered that if I dialed, said absolutely NOTHING and simply stayed on the line long enough, ignoring the increasingly annoying automated questions, a real live actual person would come on the line. Hallelujah.
yea those things suck! especially if your calling something that could just as easily use the push button system. it works waaay better.
LOL!!! I have experienced those before, except my end of the conversation has been just a bit more colorful, 
.............until I discovered that on most of them if you just keep hitting the # key it will send you to a representative pretty quick.
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Wow, I experience the SAME thing! I get super po'ed and Ricardo always looks at me like I'm nuts for arguing with the machine. I got a good laugh, because I know what you're going through. Great post, thanks for making me smile :o)
- MorganBrooke
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