I feel you, and my experience has convinced me that so-called customer service is deliberately designed to traumatize us. Beat us into submission with endless looping and zombifying non sequiturs. And I myself do not own a car, but if I bought one now it would be a model from before they were all computerized--maybe pre-2011? My through-the-hat advice.
I agree whole heartedly! Yes on te car, I got pigeonholed when my car suddenly broke down and had to find something the same day but am looking for an older model of something reliable, withhout all this tech, to trade in! :)
Have a 2007 Hyundai. A little beat up from dings and storm damage but still runs. Husband tells me it needs this and that. He doesn't pay for any of it.
Had his grandpa's 1960 Ford Falcon wax offered 15,000 as it sat.
Turned it down. Started using the car and now it's sitting unused in drive because it's messed up.
He is a BONAFIDE IDIOT.
AND BELIEVE ME IF I WOULDNT HAVE TO GO TO PRISON, he would not be alive.
Totally feel you on all of this. Customer service is complete garbage and a waste of time. Yet these people don’t want to be replaced by AI? I do my best to solve most things on my own but with your examples, I’d have to call them to. I think the thing is most people just really don’t care about their jobs anymore and don’t go beyond the training manual to help with anything. There’s no genuine care. Best thing we can do is keep improving our skillsets. Like you said, we have to do everything ourselves now
That is so true Nick, it's like a vacuum, a void and I wonder are these folks going home and re-entering their humanity or just staying stuck in this robotic place filler! Agree with you.
This is what corporatist communism looks like. “The customer is always right” has devolved to “the customer has no right to service”. Weird times for those of us who know the difference. Hold on tight, sister!!
My friend Dani Katz (someone you would enjoy listening to I bet) thinks the death of customer service will be the great unifier- bringing humans back together. She is a fantastic journalist and has a great podcast, for which I do her show-notes. Most of her work is behind a paywall on Odyssey, but here’s a taste, just to introduce you. 😊
Amen, sister! A few months ago I went round and round with my bank, over a charge on an account I thought had been closed. Despite going to the bank and seeing a live person, I continued to get letters each month, and each month I was hit with a $29 late fee.
I made the mistake of calling the central office. After 42-minutes of hearing a robot tell me my call would be answered soon, I slammed the phone down and wrote a letter. In it I told the bank that it would be a good idea if its inter-office personnel actually spoke to one another once in a while.
I also let them know that their 1-800 number would never again be called by me. All future communications would happen via USPS, or not at all. Unsurprisingly, the whole thing started over a fee of less than ten dollars. How much did it cost the bank to have someone open my letter, read it and respond? I'm betting more than ten bucks. The bank eventually fixed things, at no cost to me.
p.s.
I've been known to scream at robots while on hold.
It's so insane, something that could take 2 minutes to fix turns into a samsara of madness going in circles, screaming at robots is not uncommon it seems...glad you finally got a positive result, but I'm sure with the time and energy spent they owed you more than they paid!
I called CVS because I needed to speak to the pharmacy. I literally had to scream into the phone pharmacy, pharmacy, pharmacy, pharmacy, before the auto phone decided I could talk to pharmacy and then they hung up on me
That doesn't surprise me, LOL. I have a whole chapter in the new book I'm working on focused on this subject. It's all so crazy there's just so much to say! (BTW, if you're interested in an Advance Reading Copy in a month or two in exchange for a review, just say the word ...)
I feel you, and my experience has convinced me that so-called customer service is deliberately designed to traumatize us. Beat us into submission with endless looping and zombifying non sequiturs. And I myself do not own a car, but if I bought one now it would be a model from before they were all computerized--maybe pre-2011? My through-the-hat advice.
I agree whole heartedly! Yes on te car, I got pigeonholed when my car suddenly broke down and had to find something the same day but am looking for an older model of something reliable, withhout all this tech, to trade in! :)
Have a 2007 Hyundai. A little beat up from dings and storm damage but still runs. Husband tells me it needs this and that. He doesn't pay for any of it.
Had his grandpa's 1960 Ford Falcon wax offered 15,000 as it sat.
Turned it down. Started using the car and now it's sitting unused in drive because it's messed up.
He is a BONAFIDE IDIOT.
AND BELIEVE ME IF I WOULDNT HAVE TO GO TO PRISON, he would not be alive.
The most toxic man I've ever met.
Awe man I bet that Falcon is pretty
It survived a tornado. Got the body work done. So dents aren't an issue. Wish he would have sold it.
The car needs someone with the wherewithal to finish the work that's started.
AND THAT IS NOT HUBBY
I so agree with this. I have always felt, that this digital age will be short lived, and we are near the end of it. Frustrating as it is.
Me too, it's really kind of silly when you stop and think about it.
Can't wait
Totally feel you on all of this. Customer service is complete garbage and a waste of time. Yet these people don’t want to be replaced by AI? I do my best to solve most things on my own but with your examples, I’d have to call them to. I think the thing is most people just really don’t care about their jobs anymore and don’t go beyond the training manual to help with anything. There’s no genuine care. Best thing we can do is keep improving our skillsets. Like you said, we have to do everything ourselves now
That is so true Nick, it's like a vacuum, a void and I wonder are these folks going home and re-entering their humanity or just staying stuck in this robotic place filler! Agree with you.
How do you even know if you’re actually speaking to a human in a call centre.Are they all A.I. Bots?
Hard to know because the bots try to sound human, the humans sound like bots, the result is the same.
For the most part yes. The trick is, you ask them a simple yet confounding question. Then you find out
Probably Netflix, a KFC bowl, and bourbon to be honest 🥹
omg you nailed it, it's funny, not funny
This is what corporatist communism looks like. “The customer is always right” has devolved to “the customer has no right to service”. Weird times for those of us who know the difference. Hold on tight, sister!!
That is the truth, upside down and inside out
My friend Dani Katz (someone you would enjoy listening to I bet) thinks the death of customer service will be the great unifier- bringing humans back together. She is a fantastic journalist and has a great podcast, for which I do her show-notes. Most of her work is behind a paywall on Odyssey, but here’s a taste, just to introduce you. 😊
https://youtu.be/E1dSC3Ze9sU?si=e9Sx6KV29u-cg_L_
Thank you, look forward to checking this out!
I remember that old phone, so heavy it could damage your foot if you dropped it on a toe!
haha I miss it though and that loooooong cord! :)
Oh yeah, see the first 50-pages of the Unabomber's manifesto. Prescient.
Amen, sister! A few months ago I went round and round with my bank, over a charge on an account I thought had been closed. Despite going to the bank and seeing a live person, I continued to get letters each month, and each month I was hit with a $29 late fee.
I made the mistake of calling the central office. After 42-minutes of hearing a robot tell me my call would be answered soon, I slammed the phone down and wrote a letter. In it I told the bank that it would be a good idea if its inter-office personnel actually spoke to one another once in a while.
I also let them know that their 1-800 number would never again be called by me. All future communications would happen via USPS, or not at all. Unsurprisingly, the whole thing started over a fee of less than ten dollars. How much did it cost the bank to have someone open my letter, read it and respond? I'm betting more than ten bucks. The bank eventually fixed things, at no cost to me.
p.s.
I've been known to scream at robots while on hold.
It's so insane, something that could take 2 minutes to fix turns into a samsara of madness going in circles, screaming at robots is not uncommon it seems...glad you finally got a positive result, but I'm sure with the time and energy spent they owed you more than they paid!
I am old timer
I called CVS because I needed to speak to the pharmacy. I literally had to scream into the phone pharmacy, pharmacy, pharmacy, pharmacy, before the auto phone decided I could talk to pharmacy and then they hung up on me
Oh my goodness I know that feeling all too well and have done the same!!!! It's like talking to a wall except way less pleasant. Argh!!!!
"Technology makes people unable to think and everything less efficient." Sounds about right ...
I had to edit myself for how I really wanted to word that, ha ha!
Sucks doesn't it?
That doesn't surprise me, LOL. I have a whole chapter in the new book I'm working on focused on this subject. It's all so crazy there's just so much to say! (BTW, if you're interested in an Advance Reading Copy in a month or two in exchange for a review, just say the word ...)
"the word" :) yes!
I put you on the list. Just the "the word" to the bouncer, ha ha.
I would be thrilled
Wonderful, Elsie! Would you like me to contact you when the ARC is available?
Certainly. Am excited.
👍 👍 👍
1000% Been warning against this addiction for decades. Here we are. Most solutions/needs will not be among the prompt options so good luck all.
That is RIGHT!