Hey, can we vent here?  If you have a solution please contact me, if not just let me rant and maybe commiserate.  Why bother with phone calls anymore? These days, people who call you are the ones you DON’T want to talk to and when you call someone, they DON’T want to talk to you either!

Does this sound friendly to you?  I’ve spent this week working to get a live customer service rep at AT&T, Apple, and Paypal to resolve some critical issues I’m having and it takes up to 10 minutes going through the AI merry go round to eventually talk to a clueless operator who knows nothing!  And maybe she’ll direct me to someone and hopefully, it’s not voicemail at the final stop. As my Grandmother used to say, “Good Lord!”

I can just imagine needing 911 in the near future.  In a panic you punch those three urgent numbers.  A voice answers:  “911.  If this is an emergency, press 1, if not, press 2. I didn’t get that.  Please press 1 for yes, 2 for no.  If you are reporting a fire, press 3, if you are injured, press 4, if you are dead, press 5.  If this is a true emergency, please hang up and call your doctor.  Would you like to stay on the line and take our brief survey?  Press 6 for yes.  Or press 7 for no.  Press 0 for a supervisor.  So we can better serve you, please state your full telephone number, date of birth, your social security number, the names and birthdays of any children along with your complete address.  Don’t forget your current health insurance policy number, bank account info and the deed to your house.  Due to high call volume, there is an approximate 30 minute wait time till the next available supervisor will be available.  Would you prefer to hang up and have someone call you back?  If you prefer to wait on the line, what kind of music would you like to listen to?  Press 10 for classical, 11 for pop, 12 for country or 13 for you don’t give a damn.  Thank you for calling 911!

Maybe we should start carrying that button you click when or if, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”  At least maybe someone will show up in a reasonable amount of time.

And don’t get me started on social media, zoom, self videos and hashtags.

It is a 25 hour day just keeping up with the bare minimum of marketing your business.  When are you actually supposed to DO business?  I need my sleep and some semblance of a social life.  My cat has a better social life than I do and he never leaves the house!

I swear that each client who works with me will find me personally available during working hours. But my notable endearing charm will go out the window on the next service call I make if that damn AI voice doesn’t hop to it the first time I say, “Customer Service, please.”  And now, my garbage disposal has stopped working!  Good Lord!