Automated Answering Systems

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

I am considering making it my life's work to eliminate automated answering systems from existence. I don't mean voice mail, I mean the systems we all encounter when we call any business, corporation, or governmental agency.

I think it is high time that all businesses and agencies realize that they exist to SERVE US! We are not there to serve them, as we are the ones paying the bill, if you know what I mean.

So, I want to know how any of you feel about these systems, as I am gathering some intial data to decide if my feelings are shared by enough people to make the attempt to replace these systems with live persons worthwhile.

[kah]

Here are the secret numbers and tips to bypass IVR phone menus to get to a human.

Financial Institution Phone # Steps to Human
American Express 800-528-4800 0

ATT Universal 800-950-5114 ##

Bank of America 800-900-9000 1 loan; 2 account; 3 investing; 4 info; or 00 to human

Bank One 877-226-5663 0 thru the options to get a live person

Capitol One Visa 800-867-0904 ignore prompts and invalid entry warnings; press #0 five times

Charles Schwab 800-435-9050 3 then 0

Chase 800-CHASE24 5 pause 14*0

Citibank 800-374-9700 1 online support; 2 billpay; 3 non-online; 4 credit card; or 0 to human

Discover 800-347-2683 *****

E-Trade 800-387-2331 ####

Fidelity 800-544-6666 ignore prompt for social security number, just enter ###

Mastercard 800-MC-ASSIST 000 on each menu

MBNA 800-421-2110 00 when menu starts

Paypal 650 864-8000 cf http://paypalsucks.com/PayPalPhoneNumbers.shtml

Sovereign Bank 800-SOV-BANK 1 english; 1 personal; 3 then social#; passcode, #; then 0 (1-3x)

Sun Trust Banks 404-588-7815 Yes

Visa 800-847-2911 000 (ignore prompts saying that it's an invalid entry)

Wachovia 800-922-1800 accounts personal banking

Wells Fargo 800-869-3557 0,0,0

Western Union 800-325-6000 0

Government Office Phone # Steps to Human

INS 800-375-5283 After selecting English, (with a 2 second delay between) 2 6 2 4

Social Security 520-364-1241 At prompt 0

Veteran Affairs 800-827-1000 1,0

Insurance Company Phone # Steps to Human

Aetna 800-537-9384 "2, then say ""operator"" (check this)"

Aetna 800-680-3566 * then 0 anytime

Aflac 800-99-AFLAC ***

Ameritas 800-745-1112 00000

Blue Cross 800-800-4298 Press 2

CIGNA 800-516-2898 REGARDING A BILL

CIGNA 800-849-9000 ##

Geico 800-841-3000 Wait for prompt then 6, 1, 5

Humana 800-4-HUMANA After entering insurance number and details, 0

Medicare 800-633-4227 After the opening prompt say "agent"

Principal Life 800-247-4695 1 for english, 2, then 0 several times until it redirects you to an operator

Pharmacy Phone # Steps to Human

CVS Local Listing dial local store, after promt. press 6 will connect to store manager

Eckerd 800-Eckerds 0 for pharmacy, 8* for manager

Rite Aid Local Listing Press 3 to speak to the pharmacy

Walgreens Local Listing 0 for a pharmacy employee

Product Company Phone # Steps to Human

Bose 800-444-2673 Direct to human!

Sonos 800-680-2345 1 sales; 2 support

Sony 800-222-7669 When prompted by the automated voice system to answer ANY questions, just say Agent

Retail Store Phone # Steps to Human

Advance Auto 800-314-4243 0 when the automated message begins

Amazon.com 800-201-7575 Direct to human!

Best Buy 800-365-0292 00

Best Buy Local Listing wait for extension prompt (sometimes must 4), then ext. 2021

Circuit City Local Listing 0 for customer service or 218 for store manager

eBay 800-322-9266 0

Home Depot 800-677-0232 When asked for account number, keep hitting ""#"". After 5 or 6 times, a human appears!

Home Shopping Network 800-284-3100 0

Ikea 800-434-IKEA 0000000 (hit ""0"" many times fast, if you do it once, or too slow, it will merely repeat the menu)

Kmart Local Listing 0

Kohl's 800-564-5740 After providing account info, press 0 three times

Lowe's Local Listing 0 for customer service or #450 for commercial sales

Old Navy 800-OLD-NAVY 0

Overstock.com 800-843-2446 At the main menu, 0 three to four times to bypass the menu

QVC 800-367-9444 0

Safeway Local Listing As soon as voice prompt starts type 1200 to get human

Sears 800-4-MY-HOME Silence don't push numbers just sit there and you will be placed at front of line

Target Local Listing 0 during greeting

Toys R' Us Local Listing 0

WalMart 800-546-1897 0

Shipping Company Phone # Steps to Human

DHL 800-225-5345 press 1, press 5, press 0, enter your phone number

FedEx 888-GO-FEDEX At message say "Representative"

UPS 800-pick-ups Yes

USPS 800-275-8777 7-3-2 or send them some junk mail

Tech Company Phone # Steps to Human

AOL 888-346-3704 0

Apple 800-275-2273 000; if virtual rep answers, say "operator"

Compaq 800-652-6672 No easy escape

Dell 888-560-8324 2 order; 3 support; 4 purchase help; or 00 to human

Dell Service 800-624-9897 option 1, xt 7266966, option 1, option 4, option 4

Earthlink 888-earthlink 1 find a dial-in number; 2 billing; 3 sales; 4 support

Epson 800-922-8911 Yes

Gateway 800-846-2301 00#

HP 800-474-6836 Say "Agent"

HP 888-560-8324 00

IBM 800-IBM-4YOU Directly to Hold Line

Microsoft 800-936-5700 Always 0. This is true for just about any MS number

Quickbooks 888-729-1996 1 purchase; 2 billing; 3 registration; 4 tech support or 0 to human

Symantec 800-441-7234 00

Telephone Company Phone # Steps to Human

AT & T 800-222-0300 ..

AT & T Wireless 800-888-7600 No easy escape

Bell South 877-678-2355 *0

Cellular One 888-910-9191 4, say "agent", then #

Cingular 800-331-0500 For faster service, the option that you are looking to close your account, You get the same ppl but an immediate answer

Cricket 800-274-2538 313

Nextel 800-639-6111 00000

SBC 800-585-7928 Again, an (intelligent, this time) IVR wants YOUR phone number first

Sprint PCS 888-788-5001 00, then say "Agent"

T-Mobile 800-TMOBILE Say "Representative" at any time

Verizon DSL 800-567-6789 Say "I don't know it" and then "Technician"

Verizon Wireless 800-922-0204 #00 or enter phone # then 0 then 4

Travel Company Phone # Steps to Human

American Airlines 800-433-7300 00, then say "Agent"

Amtrak 800-872-7245 0 or say "Agent"

Continental 800-523-3273 Three Delta 800-221-1212 0 then say "Operator"

Delta 800-221-1212 say "Agent" four times- every time it asks for a response

jetBlue 800 JET-BLUE 1 flight status; 2 reservations; 3 vacation packages

Kayak.com 203 899-3120 0

Northwest 800-225-2525 Star, 0, after initial greeting

Southwest 800-435-9792 Calls answered by operator; during busy times you might have to hold

United 800-864-8331 Do nothing, wait for human

US Airways 800-428-4322 4, wait, 1

Walt Disney World 800-428-4322 Direct line to Magic Kingdom Guest Relations

TV/Satellite Company Phone # Steps to Human

Comcast 800-266-2278 Customer service, but an IVR wants your number first

DirectTV 800-347-3288 0 repeatedly

Dish Network 800-333-3474 0 during menu

Sirius 888-537-SIRIUS 0

TiVo 877-367-8486 Say "Live Agent"

Xm Radio 800-998-7900 Direct to Human!

111 companies listed as of Wed 16-Nov-2005 8:10 PM.

[Kaeos]

Chase 800-CHASE24 5 pause 14*0

Thats a pretty cool list Kah, where did you find this?

BTW - I work for Chase (8 yrs) That number is a general sales line. Option 5 I beleive will tale you to "existing accounts" 1,4 *0 I am not sure, but I imagine it will either dump you in the call center for either Credit Card customer service or Mortgage customer service. Problem there becomes you'll wait probably 10 to 14 minutes to talk to a live person who will have to transfer you somewhere else.

I suggest instead 1800-935-9935. Much cleaner system and you can immediately go *0 and get someone.

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

Thank you, but what if I don't want to call any of those organizations?

My point is that it is more efficient to have a human answer the phone, as that eliminates the need to route yourself via a menu. It certainly takes far less time for a human to simply tell you "we close at 11" than it is to be processed through the menus. There are many examples of how having a human answer is more efficienct than the systems. These phone systems purpose was to eliminate costs to the company, but they neglected to understand it would create a less efficient and more time consuming function.

Corporations will always argue that they are trying to keep costs down, but what it is they really want is to keep profits up, and they are doing so at the cost of being accountable to their customers.

[kah]

I received this list in an email a while ago. I saved it and edited it for easier viewing just for you. I agree that the world has chosen technology to ease the costs of businesses, to save them from hiring gads of CSRs, and while it is not the best way for the customer, it is economically the most cost effective.

[DarkJedi]

Like Kah , pointed out....for most businesses all you have to do to bypass the their IVR, is click O immediately for a operator(if you don't know the direct extension number).

I agree that it can be a real hassle waiting in a Que for a representive to pick up cause of time waste but it is a valueable resource for the company's organization structure....ie, "Tech support" .."Different Service Teams".."Office Manager" etc etc.

What I can't stand is getting transferred into the "wrong" Que or a Tech Support/Field Representitve going on break and forgetting to turn off their que responce and then getting lost....for an hour. "The calls will be picked up in the order that you have been recieved" my ass. Not if someone put you into a Que where you go to a phone and the person isnt there.

[Son of Gilbert]

What I hate are the telemarketers that are a recording. Nothing makes me more mad than getting a call from one of these company and not being able to screw with the other person on the other line. It's bush league I tell you!!!