0845 numbers and menu systems

Not read the thread properly bit on automated systems dialling 00000 quickly as the automated person gives you your options skips the menu and takes you straight through to an actual real living person.

Doesn't work on all of them but I always give it
a go if I run out of patience.
 
Morba said:
Most sensible companies now push those numbers into the ivr, so all you do is not pay as much.
Or, receptions etc just tell you to dial the proper number.
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I usually end up in the wrong dept, but if they transfer me, then it's ok :)
I use it a lot from abroad though, as some 08xx numbers are hideously expensive and others aren't recognised.

mr tommo said:
Not read the thread properly bit on automated systems dialling 00000 quickly as the automated person gives you your options skips the menu and takes you straight through to an actual real living person.

Doesn't work on all of them but I always give it
a go if I run out of patience.
Click to expand...
Not pushin any buttons sometimes works, as the system thinks you have an old rotary phone :p
 
I've always found both Apple's and Admiral's (car insurance) phone systems to be great, literally only one level of menus and then within 10 seconds I'm speaking to an english speaking human being in England.

As such I am a repeat customer of those two companies.
 
I hate with a passion automated phone systems.. Especially the ones that want you to say what you want, but never understand.. Then to top it off you get routed to some Indian call center with the other end of the phone being answered by a guy calling himself Mike...

I feel like saying, you know you nearly had me there !!! for a sec i thought I was talking to a scripted Indian calling center.
 
These voice menus are one of the reasons why I switched my bank account to firstdirect. When you call them you are connected immediately to a human somewhere in Scotland.
 
bigred said:
These voice menus are one of the reasons why I switched my bank account to firstdirect. When you call them you are connected immediately to a human somewhere in Scotland.
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Good lad, I soooooooooooo wish there were others like you.. These companies would soon stop all this annoying automated systems if it put a dent in their profits.

One day justice will prevail. Unitl then we've got to listen to a bundle of yawn like scripts that you've forgotten by the time they've got to the end.
 
krooton said:
As someone who designs and manages the IVR (those telephonic menu systems) for a large company, I can only apologise for the shoddy design used by the company you called.

I'm constantly reviewing customer journeys through our IVRs, tie it back with call logs, look at ways to create new methods of self-serving so that high call queues don't impact those with simple requests.

Just because an IVR is designed with the majority of callers in mind and doesn't give you exactly what you need in an instance doesn't make them bad.
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Shame on you !
 
Why shame on him? I've worked on the call routing systems for some of the biggest companies in the uk. IVRs can be great when done right.
 
Morba said:
Why shame on him? I've worked on the call routing systems for some of the biggest companies in the uk. IVRs can be great when done right.
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Why the hell do some companies (eg: EDF) use "voice recognition" ones though? It's far easier and faster to tap card numbers in on the number pad, but they don't actually tell you that you can do this.
 
PianoBasher said:
Why the hell do some companies (eg: EDF) use "voice recognition" ones though? It's far easier and faster to tap card numbers in on the number pad, but they don't actually tell you that you can do this.
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yeah, i find non speech recognition ones faster and more accurate and surely they are safer!
again, some companies have done some great SR IVRs, the rest though are generally poor
 
Morba said:
Why shame on him? I've worked on the call routing systems for some of the biggest companies in the uk. IVRs can be great when done right.
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Satan has a special spot for the pair of you in hell !!! In return for contributing towards these horrible automated systems that cause us all nothing but frustration.
 
thedoc46 said:
Satan has a special spot for the pair of you in hell !!! In return for contributing towards these horrible automated systems that cause us all nothing but frustration.
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It's not all bad mind, I'm an ex customer of FD and prefer what they do. Also I try and make sure (where I can) simplicity is one of the key things in an ivr :)
 
A much bigger pain in the bum for me is Indian call-centre workers. They never ever understand what you are after. I really don't see how they can be value for money given the number of customers these companies will lose as a result of their incompetence.
 
big_white_dog84 said:
A much bigger pain in the bum for me is Indian call-centre workers. They never ever understand what you are after. I really don't see how they can be value for money given the number of customers these companies will lose as a result of their incompetence.
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it is market driven. be sure that most companies in a market will be doing the same thing, making the whole 'im gonna go elsewhere' statement almost pointless :p
 
I get to create all these menus :) obviously I do a good job though and ensure the person doesn't have a rough ride
 
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