Figured out what's wrong with this country

[abunaitoo]

A check I wrote, seems to have gotten lost.
First I tried to talk to a real person at the place the check went to.
Could not find the option to talk ta a real person.
Called the bank, and it took forever to find the right option, to talk to a real person.
That is the problem with this country.
Can never "Talk" to a real person.
Even here, it's all posted, but can't talk and hear a voice.
I was never one to yack on the phone for hours.
I rather talk face to face.
So maybe this is what is wrong with the country today.
We have been programed to "Not" want to talk face to face.
Go over to a friends house, or meet for lunch, or just stop by to say "Hello"
We have lost that face to face interaction that made us "Human"
Done venting for now.
Going to talk to my cat..........face to face.

[slim1836]

Have you tried "Facetime"? [smilie=s:

Slim

[bimus]

When you do get to talk to a human and you can't understand there english

[444ttd]

demoncraps

[Gator 45/70]

Those Hawaiian women are so beautiful, The men...not so much.

[Winger Ed.]

Most of them will default you to a real operator if you talk jibberish when it asks you questions.

[BJK]

I never reply in a manner they want. I always reply "I want to talk to a human", eventually they get tired of it and tell me it doesn't understand and I get connected. I understand your frustration. I feel the same way. Just te other day I was on with one of those robots and stated my desire, didn't get the "It does not compute" response and was connected immediately. So the people behind that BS are beginning to understand the way we feel.

[StuBach]

A lot of automated phone systems have a built in default of zero taking you to an operator even if they don’t announce it. If that doesn’t work try hitting * or # repeatedly. Eventually most system identify your having an issue and put you on with a person.

100% hate those things and agree with your sentiment. I might go a step further to say that our loss of face to face conversation has also killed our ability to empathize with others as well as handle conflict resolution correctly.

[Txcowboy52]

We live in a personally disconnect society. My wife and I, back before the pandemic, we out eating at a nice restaurant, I looked around and every single person at every table were on their cell phone no personal interaction. I told my wife look around and tell me what you see, she did and picked up on it right off . This new society we live in is hard to understand, technology may very well be our down fall!

[Idaho45guy]

Those Hawaiian women are so beautiful, The men...not so much.

My experience was different. Lived there for a couple of years and saw maybe three or four attractive pure Hawaiian girls the whole time. Lots of good looking Japanese or Filipino girls, though.

[MrWolf]

A lot of automated phone systems have a built in default of zero taking you to an operator even if they don’t announce it. If that doesn’t work try hitting * or # repeatedly. Eventually most system identify your having an issue and put you on with a person.

100% hate those things and agree with your sentiment. I might go a step further to say that our loss of face to face conversation has also killed our ability to empathize with others as well as handle conflict resolution correctly.

This. I end up pounding the keys and have still had to ask for someone that spoke English.

[myg30]

When automated system asks you questions, my wife and I always answer with single words being a list of fruit, meats, vegetables, then..., “ One moment please “ someone comes on the phone and if we are lucky they speak without a strong accent.
Children are loosing social skills. Most teenagers today have limited social skills and can not even count change at a cash register.
Very very scary fer sure.

Mike

[Bmi48219]

Automated phone systems are so common now I am shocked when a real, coherent person answers my call. With 99% of businesses using them you know before you call that you’ll be bounced through a half dozen “Press X to continue” selections and wind up leaving a voice mail in the end. Sometime during this saga you’ll hear: “Your call is important to us, blah, blah....” which is a lie because if your call really was important, they wouldn’t have replaced their wage and benefit earning operator with a machine designed to make your call as frustrating as automated-ly possible.
Automated phone systems are the alpha of dehumanization, cell phones are the omega. They have become an addiction, always there, always on, always demanding attention. For many they are the primary means of personal communication and, with social media, are replacing independent thought with herd mentality.
Everything that is transmitted over a cell phone, including location and conversations nearby when the phone is powered off, can be monitored. China does it. The Patriot Act allows the US to do it too. A lot of wonderful inventions have been used for less than wonderful purposes.

[Murphy]

I remember thinking how neat it was when automated answering machines started. Then it dawned on me, they put untold thousands of people out of jobs. Step two, when some companies realized a lot of their calls a live person would need to be involved, overseas they went. 1000's more jobs went down the drain.

It's sad when it becomes a pleasant surprise when you call a company, and a real live person answers the phone who speaks English as their native tongue.

Murphy

[waksupi]

I still occasionally go to the library, and consult the Thomas Catalog. It's actually multiple books, filling several shelves. The catalog lists the business information of every company in the US, along with the owner, CEO, and other top officials. Their phone numbers are there. They will always ask how I got their number, but I never tell them. Things get done fast when you actually bother the big guys.

[Murphy]

I still occasionally go to the library, and consult the Thomas Catalog. It's actually multiple books, filling several shelves. The catalog lists the business information of every company in the US, along with the owner, CEO, and other top officials. Their phone numbers are there. They will always ask how I got their number, but I never tell them. Things get done fast when you actually bother the big guys.


Thanks Ric!

Who knows? Maybe if enough of them get tired of having to talk to customers, they may bring back actual people answering the phone.

Murphy

[Bmi48219]

Waksupi,
Thanks for an excellent resource!

[Shuz]

The books that Waksupi referenced were known as the Thomas Register" back in the day". Now they can be found on the net as ThomasNet and you can get free acces6s if you have a valid business Url.

[BJK]

Thanks! I had forgotten about the Thomas Register. I have a business that I shut down a few months ago and it accepted my defunct business site in the registration.

[gwpercle]

The problem is ... Computers are running everything .

[DougGuy]

demoncraps

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ One word explains millions of problems.

[square butte]

demonicrats

[Scrounge]

I still occasionally go to the library, and consult the Thomas Catalog. It's actually multiple books, filling several shelves. The catalog lists the business information of every company in the US, along with the owner, CEO, and other top officials. Their phone numbers are there. They will always ask how I got their number, but I never tell them. Things get done fast when you actually bother the big guys.

I believe you'll find that you can access the Thomas registry on the library website, if you can't get there in person. Though I love paper books, I also love digital access to them. I carry a library of material of personal interest on my phone and tablet, having a 500gb microSD card in each of them. As long as I have charge, I can access the material even if I don't have web or phone access. I do think it would fill up my card to have a copy of the Thomas registry on the machine, not to mention the cost.

[Geezer in NH]

demonicrats

demonikrats fixed

[trebor44]

demoncraps

The lack of human interaction started with business entities wanting to cut their labor costs, hence the big push to embrace the digital 'solutions'. Money for labor, is wasted according to basic business principles (unspoken but real). It is not political but just good business sense for them and their stockholders. Why else is the stock market been so ballistic over the past several decades? Ever hear of outsourcing, when did that start and who opened China?

[JoeJames]

I don't think the automated phone systems are geared for Southrons. I may talk a bit slowly, but most folks can understand me. But no way have I ever been able to be understood with one of those phone systems including AT&T.

[bimus]

Maybe it's just me I take the phone down from my ear to punch in a code number I punch it in and before I can get the phone back up to my ear the voice has already finished the next task and I missed what I should do next.

[Idaho45guy]

I called the infamous Ruger customer service this morning. First time dealing with them. I needed to order an AICS mag conversion kit for my new Ruger Predator rifle.

I looked at the website and they give you 4-5 different options for customer service centers, so I picked the one in Mayodan, NC, which is where the rifle was made. I worked in the Prescott, AZ plant about ten years ago, so I know a little about how they are structured.

I talked to a very pleasant woman with a wonderful southern accent, who transferred me to another woman in the Ruger products department. That very nice woman then explained that I needed to speak to someone else in New Hampshire and transferred me to a woman up there.

The woman in New Hampshire then said I needed to speak to someone in Mayodan, NC. I told her that is where I called in the first place and I had been transferred twice before. She assured me that is where I need to be transferred to.

Finally, spoke with Cynthia in Mayodan who agreed to order the kit for me. She was very pleasant and processed the order and we had a nice chat about working with Ruger and how we were both jealous of the wages in NH compared to the non-union locations. She then completed my order and gave me a confirmation number and said I would get an email regarding the order with a tracking number.

Still no email, lol.

I think Ruger's strategy is to employ nothing buy sweet older ladies with Southern accents so no matter how inefficient or horrible they are at actually doing their job, you still don't get mad at them. It worked!

[salpal48]

Contrary to popular belief More Humans are now in customer service. Most major companies in The US are going back to using humans in Customer service that ever before. Maybe as of yet not in all cities but slowly picking up more speed. The reason , "Money" Major firms Found talking with a Human voice gets the order. Animated voices Get a Hang up. Not all Companies want to Hire a person. Since all those conversations Get recorder , try Telling them if it was not for the Human Contact ,you would have given the order to someone else.

[Shawlerbrook]

Another problem is the ever increasing minimum wage. Try to find a checkout person in a grocery store. When you have to pay $15-20/hour to the lowest level of employees, machines look much more economical.

[MrWolf]

Maybe it's just me I take the phone down from my ear to punch in a code number I punch it in and before I can get the phone back up to my ear the voice has already finished the next task and I missed what I should do next.

That is why I put every call on speakerphone. So much easier.

[bakerjw]

My wife and I, back before the pandemic, we out eating at a nice restaurant, I looked around and every single person at every table were on their cell phone no personal interaction.

This is soo much of it.
My wife and I were out a couple of years back and there was a mother and her daughter at the table next to us. The young girl was regaling her mother with a vivid account of her day with things that she did and saw. Her mother, and I use that term loosely, had her face buried in here phone ignoring her poor child. I wanted to scold her for what she was doing.

And it is not just adults. I know of a few 16 to 17 year old kids that have no interest in getting drivers licenses. They don't need them to socially interact. When I hit 16, the freedom that having a license got you was unparalleled.

[Burnt Fingers]

Another problem is the ever increasing minimum wage. Try to find a checkout person in a grocery store. When you have to pay $15-20/hour to the lowest level of employees, machines look much more economical.

One of the local Walmart stores just remodeled the front end. There are now a total of three isles that can have a human checker. The rest of the area is one large self checkout pit with just TWO employees to monitor it.

[Idaho45guy]

One of the local Walmart stores just remodeled the front end. There are now a total of three isles that can have a human checker. The rest of the area is one large self checkout pit with just TWO employees to monitor it.
I used to hate self checkout. Now, it's all I use.

Why? Because I need my items bagged properly. I live a half hour away from the Walmart, and I need the frozen items double-bagged together to keep them frozen on the trip home.

I haven't seen a checkout person properly bag groceries in years. It's sad.

[abunaitoo]

I also don't text.
Don't even know how to do it.
But I like people texting better than yacking.
It's so much quieter.
Before I'd see people walking around, yacking so loud everyone around knew what was being said.
With idiots texting these days, they just stop in their tracks, and start texting.
Once at a match, three of our younger members were sitting next to each other.
Not one word being said between them.
All busy texting.
I wonder how it would be if, at a large party, everyone was so busy texting, no one was talking.
Would be real quiet.
I wonder if anyone would notice????

[abunaitoo]

Don't do that broom thing too.
But I guess it's better to see a face, even if it is not close enough to smack them.
Sure do miss the good old days.
Anyone remember "party line" ???????

[Plate plinker]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ One word explains millions of problems.

Agreed

[bedbugbilly]

OP - I agree with you 150%!

During this past year, I needed a couple of new check registers for our checkbook. I called the Credit Union (no one works at the branch we use in the local food store in AZ as now you have to talk to someone who comes up on the computer to make transactions. I called the main branch to see if they would mail me a couple - I got onto their automated answering system and timed how long it would take. It took 47 minutes of punching numbers, listening to messages, being put on hold until I finally got to talk to a young fellow who had no communication skills and who acted as though I was actually asking him to do some work. I finally told him that if it was too much for him to do, I would just close my accounts and then write a letter to the Board of Directors explaining why and since he had given me his name when he first answered the phone and I had to ask who I was talking with, I would be sure to include his name in the letter.

What really gets me is that, as a customer, when you try to contact someone and get bogged down in having to put up with all the auto messages, transfers, etc. - as a customer, YOUR time is worth NOTHING when it can often suck up many minutes and in many cases, it is in reference to things they have screwed up.

But then again, Guess it is more important for the Socialists to indoctrinate kids in school than it is to teach them how to communicate and learn life skills.

[Burnt Fingers]

I used to hate self checkout. Now, it's all I use.

Why? Because I need my items bagged properly. I live a half hour away from the Walmart, and I need the frozen items double-bagged together to keep them frozen on the trip home.

I haven't seen a checkout person properly bag groceries in years. It's sad.

Y'all don't have HEB up there. They do a great job of bagging groceries. Down here in God's country when we go shopping we make sure to have insulated bags to put the cold stuff in. I use Techni Ice packs in mine

[theindianabriklayer]

Some said computers are running everything.
I thought it was teleprompters?