Is your business gateway welcoming to inquiring individuals?

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Dear Editor:

How long does an individual have to wait on the phone with any type of company, business, government agency, non-profit, school et al. to get help from an actual human being?

Have you ever tried to contact any business by phone only to receive an automated robot at the other end of the line – a robot that asks questions and you try to speak to it and it keeps saying, “Sorry I did not get that, so let’s try again” scenario?

Have you lost your patience when asked to click a number that you perceive will take you to the right department only to repeat more questions about where you want to go within their phone system?

Have you found yourself backed into a corner and you have to hang up and try and try again to get through their continuing maze of unrelenting duplicate questions with no results, even if you say “I wish to speak to an agent or person”?

If you do get transferred, how long should you have to wait for an actual person to help you while listening to ungodly music while you wait?

What happened to human beings answering company phones directly?

Any business who has a person answering the phone is on my A list. I immediately thank this person for answering the phone and they agree with me when I say why I am thanking them. As for the companies who do not do this, they are on my F minus list.

I try to be civil with the person I finally get after going through their phone system maze. I explain why I am frustrated, and most of these people don’t realize what callers go through when we connect.

It comes to a point where I want to charge them for my time in the entire process. I have mentioned this to some agents.

While waiting for service, the business may say go online and do a “chat” or download this app and go from there, or go to this website. Maybe you are not able to do this and using your mouth speaking with another human being is so much faster and easier.

So how much time should a person be involved with a company who puts up so many roadblocks before the caller makes contact with a live human being?

Is your business/company/government agency et al. an A+ or F- establishment?

Mari Briggs
Sheridan