It seems I’ve been on the phone a lot lately. I love to chat with friends, it helps if we both have land lines, but when does that ever happen? Landlines vs cell phones is an issue for another day.
This morning I was dealing with banking issues and was comforted by a couple of things: first, the bank really values my business and second, my call is very important to them. I know because the automated voice told me this repeatedly while I waited. When I wasn’t humming along with Barry Manilow, I heard about the new interest rates on CD’s, (negligible), the value of a debit card, and how on line banking has changed the world. I uttered a few choice words when for the fourth time I heard ‘all of our representatives are busy at the moment but your call is important to us, please hold’. Apparently they are ‘experiencing an unusually high volume of calls,’ or as we know it, Tuesday.
I called my friendly veterinary office this week to straighten out a billing error. The phone was not answered by Jennifer, the friendly receptionist, but by an automated phone system. I find it hard to believe that this small office is so busy they can’t answer the phone. There is only one vet and several vet techs roaming around the place. Can’t someone just pick up the phone?
Instead I hear the office name, (it shall remain nameless here), the number to dial if this is an emergency, the location to take your pet if this is an emergency, who to contact after hours if this is an emergency, my vet’s regular hours of operation, location of the office, the fax and phone number. I know the phone number I just called it, I just want to speak with Julie, the billing person. The systems offers the suggestion if I knew Julie’s extension I could enter it now. How would I know that? There were no extensions last week, there were real people. I’m instructed to ‘listen carefully because the menu options have recently changed’. How could the options have changed? They just installed the damn thing three days ago.
Finally after going through all the menu options, (billing is never mentioned) I punch ‘0’ hoping to talk to a real person. A nice young lady welcomes me to the new improved phone system. I ask to speak with Julie in billing, the real person puts me on hold while she goes to look for Julie, apparently she doesn’t know Julie’s extension either. I listen to advertisements for flea and tick powder and learn how important it is to brush my dogs teeth every day, oh, and there is a special on chicken flavored doggie toothpaste. The real person returns, Julie has stepped away from her desk could I call back later?
You’re kidding, right?
You nailed it Carrie. It’s the same “rigamarole”, it seems, no matter where you call. ?
Yep, rigamarole might me one of my favorite words and you are correct, same nonsense.
Yup. I agree with Pat.
Same ole rigamarole….
I love all the ‘standard lines’ your call is important to us, listen carefully, our options have changed. etc, etc.
Oh for the real customer service days when we were always able to speak with someone who was ready, willing, and able to help. Now it is a miracle to get a “thank you” from the millennials in so-called “customer service”. When they say “have a nice day” my response is “you’re welcome”.
I went to Target the other day and couldn’t find the brand of hair spray I wanted. I stopped a young lady and asked if they carried it. She looked at me blankly and said ‘What is it?’ The younger generation just speaks a different language. Could it be we are getting old JR?
Makes you wonder how we were able to take care of these things and work 40 hours a week. In some weeks i’ve spent 5 to 10 hours on the phone, trying to resolve problems.
Maybe the ‘hold please’ automation wasn’t so prevalent in those years. Remember when real people said hello, can I help you?