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by user3939382 1119 days ago
Or just as bad, “You can say things like [10 year pause] x, y or z” All of which are trivial tasks I could have done in 5 seconds online and I would never and am not calling about. If I’m calling by definition it’s a special situation. Put a fucking human on the phone, now. Nothing makes me so angry so fast as these IVR mazes.
2 comments
3np 1118 days ago
Here's a magic summoning spell for you. It must be said with intent and sufficient pause between the three incantations for letting your voice echo through the aether. With enough fortitude, the seal will be broken and a kindred spirit will emerge:

"Llaiw Æhgynt. Llaiw Æhgynt. Llaiw Æhgynt"

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Tangurena2 1118 days ago
Complex vowels? Got it!

https://xkcd.com/2657/

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IIAOPSW 1118 days ago
What you have to understand is the far more common median case of some boomer that steadfastly refuses to use a web interface under any circumstance and would rather just call up and ask about any old trivial thing. For that scenario, translating the web interface into interactive-call-robot interface solves every problem and makes everyone happy.
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user3939382 1117 days ago
What I see is that these companies would be happy to waste 1000 hours of customers' time to save themselves $5. So even if the useful cases of the IVR/automation is rare, it's still a net win from their perspective. Especially in markets (most of them) where it's not going to be a competitive difference because they all do it.

The insult to injury is the prerecorded "Your call is important to us" Yeah I'm sure it is, that's why you have a nearly-zero-cost robot telling me that while you put me on hold because you didn't want to hire an adequate numbers of reps, right?

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vba616 1118 days ago
This stereotype seems like a hangover from ~40 years ago that's now inconsistent with logic and arithmetic.

Personal computers have been around for longer than young people have been alive.

If you're in your twenties, you can't possibly have forty years of experience using computers.

Not every oldster was using computers and smartphones as soon as they could, but the ones that were increasingly tip the balance.

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