Why can't I get a "real" person on the end of a phone instead of a machine?

Don't worry, I don't think your the only one who gets annoyed by recorded messages, but unfortunately I think it's a sign of society. We live in an increasingly automated society and our lives are literally organised by machines - we pop out to the supermarket to buy some tomatoes that have been electronically fed, watered and probably even picked, which have then been flown half way around the world in just 12 hours and all we have to do to make them ours is swipe a bit of plastic and cash magically transfers from our bank account into our chosen retail outlets account. If you take time to step back and think about how huge a feature machines are in our daily lives it's amazing - some are a great help, whereas others are a frustration (especially answering machines).

It's not you sweety. I find that these situations immediately make me tense. I'm trying to fix something and I get a machine...the recorded voice ones are worse..."I'm sorry...was that (metalic voice sound) 2615, please try again" I speak quite clearly and annunciate well and these voice thingys don't understand me. I huff and fume at them...lol but I still end up feeling like an idiot. I recite nursery rhymes till I get "the voice" saying ..."please hold while we connect you with the next available operator".

I hate that crap- sometimes to bypass thst you can just hit the pund (#) sign and it will take you to a person. Try it.

LOL, I'm one with you there rosie. There's nothing more exasperating than having to talk with a machine. It will take me ages before I can talk with a human being. At times, I didn't know that the other line had already hanged up on me. This almost always happened to me and I ended up with my nerves shoot up to the sky and I'm about ready to squeeze the company's lack of staff.

i hate those things.i hate the wait music most of them play even more. they think they're going to save a dime somewhere by having it automated,but they don't seem to realize they may lose customers like us who hate those things.

thats what they call technology my dear.

I snapped a woman's head off when I eventually got through! I was trying to pay my credit card bill using the automated service, they had changed it and it was so convaluted the way you had to press 1 for this press 2 for that and in the end I told the woman that I wouldn't be using the card any longer BT is terrible for this it's like press 1 for this, then it's another option, then another option, so you spend ten minutes pressing options then when you do get through, oh sorry you are through to the wrong department! You must have heard my screams from where you are! I love the RSPCA one Press 1 for cats Press 2 for dogs Press 3 for hippopotamus I jest but it's true if you have ever phoned them this is what it's like!

Nope I get fed up with this to specially when half way through you get cut of and you have to start all over again I really get annoyed then and it seems to happen a lot lately

No Rosie it's not just you. I never get a real person and I find it extremely annoying. I find myself yelling at the stupid recording when it asks you the same question twice. I just press O and it usually takes you right to a live operator and you can bypass all of that stuff.

Its just another way for these companies along with the phone industries to make more money. Many a time I have pressed every number I require and end up still with some silly automated voice, so I have to start again. I always end up pressing "for anything else" as each command is so vague and only then do I get someone to speak to. Then it gets worse as they usually have a thick Geordie, Scottish or Indian accent and I end up spending my time saying "sorry" "excuse me" as I am awful with accents. What aggrevates me as well is the shite music they play while you are waiting to be connected. Natwest has to be the worse, Vivaldi's Four Seasons is played over and over and over again and by the time I speak to someone I am livid. Hence, this is why I do not have a good reputation with Natwest. I'm sure as soon as they know its me they cringe, but its their fault not mine!! I agree with you Rosie, these businesses should pay decent wages and employ real human beings instead of recording a woman's voice who sounds like she is sucking on a plum!!!

I've experienced this also. We joke and call it "phone rage" in our house. Between telemarketers calling all the time, or trying to call a company or such when having a problem (especially the phone company!) everything is automated. Some of the stuff I can take care of with the automated system. But I think they could offer to talk to an operator on the first set of options instead of letting you go through 10 sets of instructions before offering you an agent or operator. I've spent 2 hours on the phone before to get my phone fixed because their was a problem. I think they want you to get tired of wiating so they don't have to deal with you.

If it asks you to press a number, I don't, the programs are then programmed to think you have a rotary phone so they usually connect you to an operator. If there is a voice response system, I make noises, then it says it can't understand me and connects me to a person. I hate those systems. I wonder when was the last time I called a business and got a person, I don't remember!

Hehe--I'm ranting and raving about the annoyances about the phone and answering machines in my discussion and here you are with the messages one gets at companies...Oh, my yes, a definite winner in the aggravation department....Don't you just love it....it's press 1 for this, press 2 for that, and sometimes the "menu" is so long you one, forget which button to press, or two, just plain forget what you were calling for! LOL...Do you know how many times I've literally shouted..."I want to speak to a real person!!!" Oh, and they also say, "Your call may be monitored for quality purposes"--well all I can say is,is that I do hope they have it recorded at my shouting at them!!

no is not u in a bad mood,lol! oh my god i get soooooooooo frustrated with those animated voices,,lol i start fighting with them from the anger like if they could hear me,,like when i call my doctor's office,i get the stupid machine n i never get through n i always end going personally 2 make appts or for any other thing. i know very well how u feel about it n i'm pretty sure we r not the ones that feel like that!!! take care god bless iris

My husband used to get those recordings on the phone,"press 1 for.....".He would hand it to me and say,when you get a person let me know.I told him Gee thank's alot.

Hi rosie_123, I don't think it's just you in a bad mood because I feel the same way many times. I agree with everything you said, those companies should have real people answering the phones. I try to have patience but it can be very annoying.