The reason business service is so bad is because it actually hurts them to provide good service. Most of the time it's someone complaining or asking the company for a refund, etc. It's better for business to make the process as difficult as possible to discourage anyone from trying to lodge a complaint. It's a type of dark pattern.

My company stresses customer service. We have our phones set up to ring the person, after two rings, ring all department phones, after 4, anyone who can answer outside calls.

Every call is answered. Everyone is trained how to start a call and get them to the right person.

I’m on that list even though I shouldn’t be. I volunteered to be a 4th ring because I value that mentality.

Then they hang up.

I've worked in a call center before and these things are not new at all. They've been around for a while, and at least in the place that I worked at, if the caller does not respond within the first 30 seconds, you're allowed to hang up on them and move on to the next person waiting in line.

Keep in mind, the representative you're speaking to didn't make you wait in the call queue, the company did by not hiring more representatives to answer the influx of calls rapidly. When you make the representative wait for you, you're hurting their call times, which gets them in trouble, and makes everyone else waiting in the call queue have to wait longer.

"Thank you for holding, sir. What may i do for you?"

"Actually, could you put me back on hold, that jazz station is lit "

Then they'll kill it like they do everything else. I won't be using this or testing it because I have zero trust it'll even exist next month.

promoting me once it detects an agent

"hi this is Jeremy, how-"

"I'm a let you finish but this caller is the greatest caller of all time"

"OK i-"

"of all time!"

I'll have my guy contact your guy

You apparently haven't tried calling local government agencies in mid-size cities, or a good chunk of airlines. It's frustrating and I welcome anything that can help.

I remember evaluating call centre systems probably 12 years ago where I was working at the time and this was becoming a thing - I'm surprised it hasn't become more widespread in that time. I've honestly only interacted with two companies between then and now where this was an option given to me.

"A solution in search of a problem"

Next up, getting your AI to talk to the other AI too.

It's actually really easy to email the bank's AI. Just send a fax of self addressed envelope containing a print out of your correspondence to: 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3

Email isn't secure. Using a free to use data mining AI is apparently

I don't know why businesses don't just do this. At least, those who want to deal with customer calls in good faith.

In Canada there's a healthcare support line where you can call and talk to a nurse, like if you have something going on where you're not sure if you should go to the ER or just wait it out. They get pretty busy, so when the wait is going to be a while, they'll have you enter a callback number and then just give you a call when it's your turn.

Then they don't need to have phone line capacity for all active agents plus everyone in queue (which can be much higher than the number of agents), they just need capacity for agents plus everyone going through the process to get added to the list plus everyone who decides to just wait instead.

And I don't need to sit around giving my attention to my phone any time their hold music gets to a lull or they play a patronizing recording with PR speak about important my call is to them.

Not technology but economics I suspect. No one wanted to pay for it. Which would make sense if Google is trying this since they have money to throw at things.

Moral hazard I think the term you are looking for here. Might be wrong could also be preverse incentive.

yeah, and it's been getting kind of implemented in parts on the pixel.