Yep. I said it. This is an anti-gratitude journal entry. I have officially found something that I truly believe has absolutely no redeeming value AT ALL. A little introduction... I don't really mind calling customer service and talking to people in India, China, Canada etc. I mean, really, they are just trying to earn a buck like the rest of us and they are usually really nice. I have had good conversations with some of them. I also never minded the good old fashioned customer service lines where you would push "1" for whatever, "2" for whatever and ZERO for the operator. That is the key. "Back in the good old days" you could actually push zero for the operator and talk to a real person.
We have just switched to AT&T U-verse which we like but they have not finished the physical installation. We have had a big hole in the back of the house by the alley going on two weeks now. I thought "No big deal, I will call and find out the status or at least remind them that the work is not finished." Ha, ha.
AT&T is one of the many companies that have now gone to this newfangled system where you have to talk to their automated system. Now you have to literally answer their computer out loud. I detest doing this. I feel stupid and silly talking to the customer service computer - or Evil Voice Automaton (EVA) as I like to call it. I truly do not know what made so many companies make this change. What was the problem with pushing the keypad numbers? It always seemed like an effective method to me. I envision some random salesperson going around to all of these big companies and selling the new EVA system. "You will love it! It is foolproof and your customers will think it is fabulous. It is the next best thing to talking to an actual person!" The problem is that it is NOT the next best thing to talking to an actual person. I want to talk to an actual person (even if they are in India)! Or push some buttons - zero preferably!
OK, I know, with the exception of the feeling stupid part EVA is usually fairly effective but not so much when you have a non-standard thing you want to ask about. Let me assure you that AT&T's computer does not recognize anything even remotely having to do with burying a cable. Try saying "operator" or "agent"? No luck. I tried everything and literally got routed to 4 different versions of EVA. I think it is possible that AT&T has planned this on purpose to further frustrate their frustrated callers to the point that they give up and slam the phone down. I bet their satisfied customer percentage has gone up drastically because they have found a way to weed out all of the dissatisfied callers. Genius, isn't it? Can't you just imagine it as people become more accepting of the Evil Voice Automaton? Want to cancel your service? Good luck. They are going to send you from one EVA to the next until you throw your hands up (or the phone down) in complete exasperation and just deal with your existing service because it is easier than being subjected to EVA.
Seriously though, in honor of my quest to look at the positive I have tried to find something good about EVA. I have really tried but the best I have come up with is some pretty serious grasping at straws. Hmmm... I should be happy that someone invented phone service which allows EVA to function. Or, I should be grateful that I can speak so that EVA has someone to talk to. See, pretty useless.
So there you have it. My first official something that I am definitely not grateful for! I am grateful that there is only one thing so far though.
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