Dealing with call centres and automated telephone answering services.

[BrianB]

This particular moan is to encourage debate from anyone trying to run a small business. Do you find that you can handle everything efficiently within your own business. As soon as you have to involve a third party in any way things go "tits up". I find myself having to press a multitude of buttons to speak to the right department, I have to speak to a foreign call centre, I am promised a call back which I never get, you can never speak to the same person twice. After you eventually succeed or in some cases give up, you get a call back with a 5 to 10 minute questionnaire on how they handled your problem.

[Number 6]

All designed to make you feel powerless and helpless. A shameful but deliberate practice aimed particularly at the older generations.

[Old Goat]

I suppose it's our fault in wanting cheapness before everything.  These call menus simply keep the cost of wages rock bottom because only need people to do one thing. 

[Number 6]

Just had to tax a newly acquired vehicle. Tried om line via internet and no go due to some technical issue. Tried phoning via an automated system and spent next 45 minutes going around in circles, to deal with.presumably due to the same issue. In the end got through to an operator via a hard to get number and confirmed they could not issue tax but recommended we go to the post office. Went to the PO and five minutes later the vehicle was taxed. You can't beat real people