On Being Old 4 Frustration with Phone Calls and Lack of Customer Service

One thing I find about being older is my lack of patience. Although, I don’t know if it’s fair to blame my lack of patience after growing up during a time when customer service was very important to businesses. There was a time they’d go out of their way to make the customer happy. There’s no such thing as “the customer is always right” anymore. 

I remember when a real person answered the phone. She would listen to your needs and direct you to the right department. It was nice to hear a pleasant voice and it made you feel welcome. Or there would be an answering machine with a short message asking you to leave your number and they’d call back. And someone would.

Nowadays, a machine picks up and you’re barraged with a dozen questions. I feel I’m being interrogated and half the time, the automated questions have nothing to do with what I want. There are times the fake mechanical voice says, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand your question …”  Then there’s the repetition of “This call is being recorded …” and the worst is, “Your call is important to us.” (If my call was important, they’d have a real person answer the phone.)

I totally lose it and become a screaming lunatic. It’s a nightmare to get to a live representative and then you end up being interrogated again. Or, if ending up with a representative from another state, you might get a “We don’t service your state” answer. I’ve had that happen numerous times ... as smaller businesses are bought out by corporations from other parts of the country.

And then to top it off, many want you to answer a survey afterwards to tell them how they did. Oh, don’t set me off with that one! You’re not allowed to say what you really think. All the answers are pre-set up.

I’m to the point where I don’t want to do business with a company that puts you through this. Especially a local company. I find it horribly rude to their customers.

Oh, I know all the reasons … what’s that famous line? “Follow the money.” It’s always about the money and businesses find many ways to cut their costs, at the expense of their customers.

Unfortunately, what choice do you have? Put up with it or don’t get the service or products.