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Tips for getting a real person on the line

Posted Mar 23 2009, 10:16 AM by Karen Datko
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We know that gethuman.com can help you reach a real person at a corporation that has an unyielding phone tree. But there are actually many ways -- about 50, in fact -- to get the attention of the right customer-service rep.

Tip o' the hat to "vh" at Funny about Money for directing her readers to "PBX hell: 50-plus hacks and tips to get a real person at any corporation in 10 seconds or less" at VoIP-News.

For those who've been hopelessly lost in the phone-tree maze, this list could restore your blood pressure to normal.

Some of the tips require a little subterfuge: Ask for the retentions department or select the prompt that says you want to cancel your service -- even if you don't. Companies want to keep your business, so they'll be quick to respond. Or pick the Spanish prompt. The number of people in line ahead of you may be shorter and you'll probably get a bilingual customer-service rep.

Other tips deal with the words to say or buttons to push on your phone to get a quicker connection to a person.

Or how about sending an e-mail instead. A customer-service rep will call you back. Another tip: Do nothing once you're in the phone tree. "By doing nothing, you can trick the PBX into thinking you have a rotary phone and force it to get you an agent," the post says. (For those who don't know what a rotary phone is, click here for an explanation.)

Gethuman.com is one of a handful of sources of corporate phone numbers that might take you directly to a person. Among the others are EDGAR, Whois.net, Jigsaw, Hard to Find 800 Numbers and Dial A Human. Another suggestion is to do a search for other disgruntled customers who may have posted hard-to-find numbers. Try "company 'X' sucks."

Here's one piece of advice from "PBX hell" that we don't recommend: "Don't pay your bill." Sure, the company will eventually call you, but the potential damage to your credit score isn't worth it.

Related reading:

Reach a human when you call customer service

Customers fed up with phone follies

7 ways to win the customer-service game

Save $5,000 a year on sneaky fees

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Comments

 

This is great stuff. I have an erroneous "ding" on my credit score with both Experian and Transunion. I have tried for months and months to get this removed. Each time I file an appeal, they find the mistake to be correct, even though the company that issued the lack of payment to the collections agency has made it clear that they made a mistake not me.

I am going to use some of these strategies to make things right.

Thanks for the great information.

http://www.financialnut.com

Trevor S. (Posted 03.23.09 12:08 PM ) Report Abuse

I work for a small company. We have a live receptionist/operator. She is worth her weight in gold as it's not uncommon for a new customer to say "Thank God, I will never call (insert competitor here) again". We get many new customers that learn we will actually answer the phone and are willing to change the company they do business for that reason alone. If she transfers a call, and it is not picked up, it is automatically sent back to her so she can either track down the person, find someone else to help, actually take a message, or on request put you into their voice mail. How do these big companies think they are saving by not answering their phones?

Bben (Posted 03.24.09 8:26 AM ) Report Abuse

Just keep hollering "Operator" Operator"

Betty Boop (Posted 03.24.09 8:39 AM ) Report Abuse

I have used the tip of not saying anything on an automated phone call...it takes a couple of minutes, but you do get a real person. I can't help with the fact that you might not get the right person or if that person knows how to do their job correctly.

and good luck working with your Credit Report. Where I'm from, Michigan, there are 3 credit reporting angencies...the two you mentioned and there is also one called Equifax. Make sure you check Equifax too.

Fredliness (Posted 03.24.09 10:38 AM ) Report Abuse

I have a friend who works in making a lot of these phone systems. Another trick that people may not know is that is some systems, if you swear a lot, like you are mad and upset, it will send you to the front of the line. This does not work on all phone systems, and I am unsure which ones it does work on, but there have been a few times it worked for me.

Dave (Posted 03.24.09 5:41 PM ) Report Abuse

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