Automated Phone Systems Eliminate Personal Touch

I remember a time when the telephone was a means of talking to another person and if they were not there you just called back later. Now many people have voice mail.Schools, businesses and utility companies have automated systems that require you to respond to two or more menus before you can speak to a human or leave a message. Departments in insurance companies, loan companies, and the unemployment system have made it nearly impossible to handle problems that require communication with a human being. It has become frustrating and time consuming to use the phone system to resolve issues.

I know that everyone, in this day and age, has busy schedules. I know I don¹t have the time to wait around for them to return my calls and experience has been they need 24-72 hours before you receive a return call. Could you imagine if I just sat around waiting for this all important return call? I would not be able to search for work, buy groceries, or perform any other activity of daily living until after the 4 p.m. closing time. I do not have the time (unless it is my day off) to spend fifteen minutes guessing how to get through three menus followed by waiting another fifteen minutes to an hour for "the next available representative" to assist me. I am beginning to get annoyed at the ones that either disconnect you for an "invalid menu choice" or automatically connect me to a voice messaging system which promises a return call as soon as possible.