TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: "Please Enter Your ID Number" So We May Ignore it

"Please Enter Your ID Number" So We May Ignore it

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
20 Mar 2007 13:52:51 -0700

I telephoned a large business today. As usual, the answering machine
asked me to enter my account number "for faster service". I did so.
After the usual parade through many menus I was connected to an actual
human being. The first thing she asked me for was my account number,
even though I had keyed it in "for faster service".

I find this happens all the time.

What is the point of requesting an account number if it isn't going to
be automatically forwarded to the person handling the call?

With today's fancy computer systems, the idea is that after getting my
account number, my account screen is immediately displayed to the
person handling my call, saving the time to ask for my account number
and her to key it it. But this never happens. (Some systems are
fancy enough to check the caller ID of your phone number and use that
to bring up your account, but these get fouled if you call from work
or a different phone.)

Anyone familiar with the programming of these 'automated' systems and
would care to comment? Thanks.

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