How do you feel about talking to a Machine for service?
By Jewels
@Tetchie (2932)
Australia
May 21, 2008 2:59am CST
My broadband connection played up today so I rang Telstra. I was speaking to a machine for most of the time, they are becoming quite sophisticated. Though for most of that time I was annoyed because I was not getting personal service and in the end I still had to be put onto an operator. These machines still annoy me, how about you?
2 people like this
11 responses
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
4 Jun 08
Tetchie,
machines could be very good for things like booking and registering for any services but that's it. When it comes to proper customer care service like solving real problems machines could delay the whole thing. I would hate to talk to a machine in that case.
1 person likes this
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
4 Jun 08
Delay is one of my problems, ie patience or lack of it. Usually when I need to call someone I'm not happy because I can't figure it out myself! So fixing a machine by talking to another machine can be a bit frustrating for me. But you are right, they do have their place and things are improving all the time.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
1 Jun 08
I actually don't mind talking to a machine's voice. It amazes me how it actually seems like I'm talking to a real person. I say my phone number and it repeats it like just like it heard me. It asks a question and hears my answer and proceeds to do whatever it should. I think it's neat.
However if I really need to ask a question or something that needs specific directions, I will ask to speak with a human.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
27 May 08
I want to take the hand piece and bash that voice machine senseless and I'm not a violent person. I speak quite clearly and distinctly and I keep getting "sorry, was that....?" "I'm not understanding......blah, blah, blah.
Why don't they just give us an option of talking to an operator because that's all I can do usually.
To say these machines annoy me is an understatement.![](/Content/images/emotes/angry.gif)
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@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
27 May 08
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@recycledgoth (9894)
•
21 May 08
I hate talking to machines, expecially the ones with voice recognition. They never understand a word I am saying and have found that the only way to get through is to keep pressing the keys until you get put through to a person.
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
22 May 08
Swearing helps too. I said the f word to the phone, exclaiming my dissatisfaction of dealing with a machine not realizing that by doing this I would cut the machine off and get a person. I don't use bad language to people but machines - they are inanimate and I could not hurt their feelings - I'm justifying myself here!!!
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
21 May 08
I've used Skype to call Corporations that use machine 0perators. This works fine, as you are not tied to your telephone. A speaker-phone would do the same job. Another trick is to refuse to speak to the machine. The company does not want to lose your business and has the machine programmed to pass you on the a live technician. This,"mute" method will get you there much faster. This interesting machine scenario has been caused by the public acceptance of Corporate Disdain for Polite Customer Protocol, and a general Public willingness to allow this Rude Business Behaviour!
1 person likes this
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
22 May 08
The last time I phoned a service company and got a machine which didn't seem to understand my request, I got frustrated and said something like "well sh*t, why can't the automated voice 'people' understand simple English!", to which the automated voice said "Press 1 for Spanish".
*sigh* I just can't win in any language........LOL
1 person likes this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
21 May 08
I actually find it quite worrying to be honest, where is this leading to? I know I am exaggerating and being a little bit crazy but remember that film with Arnold Schwartzeneggar Terminator? Where the machines took over the world? Well you have to wonder don't you, the way we are going, did the creator have a vision of what this world will be like, ok enough scifi, nightmare stuff, and back to the subject in question, I hate talking to a machine, it's so impersonal and you wonder if the big bosses are laughing at us, making all these millions and having to employ less and less staff to do the job where computers and machines can do it all for them, just for the price of a bit of electricity not needed lunch hours or toilet breaks, sorry for the cynical side to your discussion but we are doing down a slippery slope in technology here, it may help us but in the end it may kill us! (figuratively speaking that is!) putting us out of jobs etc....
1 person likes this
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
22 May 08
You're not exaggerating at all, interesting about technology is that people already are not able to keep up with machines and that's worrying. Even though it is a human that gives intelligence to the machine, it is spoken about that unless humans' keep up with the intelligence capabilities of machines then we are at risk. This is one reason to befriend a computer nerd! Seriously, we are heading toward possible difficulties here in certain fields of AI and technology. Brave New World and more!
@mummymo (23706)
•
21 May 08
I hate speaking to those things or punching numbers into them - you could be there for about 15 mins going over things and then you have to repeat it all to the operator when they get on so what is the point of all that time before! Grrrr it really irritates me! xxx
1 person likes this
@the_ruler (1442)
• Turkey
21 May 08
The same thing definetely true for me! I simply hate those machines because they never have the exact option for me! Most of the times they list the options one by one and even listening to those things without doing anything is very boring!
In my country, if you call the dsl for some service, the first mission of the robot is filtering out the people who are not their customers. What if I am not a customer but want to have some information?
It just asks for your service number and phone number. If you haven't paid your bills it also won't answer you. What If I am gonna ask a question about my bills?
For this reason, (if my problem is not about bills, because if it is,then you simply can't reach the operator in any way) in many cases I just dial random options and a random operator comes up. Nomatter about what departmant it is, I just ask my question and they redirect me to right person.
I just feel annoyed because they are earning more and more money everyday. It is really more than anyone can imagine when it comes to telecommunication sector. However, the service we get doesn't improve with the same speed. Even the problems are not solved properly and quickly most of the time!
1 person likes this
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
22 May 08
The frustration is so annoying, no wonder we get angry about it. The categorizing of sections needs a bit of work in some cases - it's alright if you work for the company and know the departments, otherwise you're left in a muddle of confusion. My broadband connection has gone up which to the company is there way of paying for a machine to do the work. Good for them but not for me. Thing is I'm sure the workers know the frustration of the consumer which must make their jobs harder. Their bosses - now that's another matter.
@augustine87 (173)
• Philippines
21 May 08
I think they are annoying, if they are not utilized in the right context. Like in your case. I mean, the machines are doing their jobs but the people aren't. It's blatantly bad customer service.
1 person likes this
@kianwa87 (25)
• United States
21 May 08
most defiantly they drive me crazy...i can never seem to make them understand what i am saying, usually because someone in the background at my house is trying to talk to me and it picks up there voice too...lol
i usually just start saying operator, operator!
1 person likes this
@Tetchie (2932)
• Australia
22 May 08
Yeah, I seem to speak in very good English and pronounce syllables very clearly in order for a machine to understand me. Pity I didn't speak like that to REAL people in the first place. But I usually have a certain amount of venom behind my diction as well! I found out that if you swear also you get a person.
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