Press One For Aggression

I've been spending a good chunk of this Saturday afternoon caught in a Catch-22 type loop. I've been trying to setup an admin email account for a domain I recently purchased from a new provider. I get an error message every time I try to set it up. After a few attempts, I put my pride aside, took three deep breaths and called the toll free helpline.

As expected I got an automated system, which will always raise my blood pressure. As I pressed numbers for the category of my problem, preparing myself for a conversation with someone who speaks broken English with a heavy accent, I hit a dead end.

I was asked to enter my PIN. I don't have a PIN for the account. Creating the account PIN is the next step after creating the admin email account. I sent off an email and posted a question on a forum, so this minor set back should be resolved shortly. I'm sure it's just a simple error on my end.

This is a perfect example of why I can't stand automated call systems. While they can help your customers reach the person who can help them without being transferred and placed on hold, nothing beats a human voice. Personally I would rather have my call answered by a human and be placed on hold, than dealing with a automated system. If your company has an automated system it should have a "press zero for an operator" option announced right away.

If  a customer or potential calls you and can't get through quickly to someone who can answer their questions, or take their orders; you may lose them without even knowing they called.