General tips to reach a human
To get past the automated system, try these tips:
1. Interrupt the automated system by pressing 0, or 0#. You may need to press it repeatedly and quickly. The same keystroke does not always work for each company, and some systems may hang up after a few "invalid entries."
2. Speak at the prompt by saying "get human" or "agent" or "representative." You can also try mumbling; the system may connect you to a human when it doesn't recognize what your are saying.
3. Pretend you have an old rotary phone and no nothing. If there's a prompt for rotary phone users, press that.
4. Connect to account collections or sales or account cancellation; these departments seem to answer quickly. Ask for their name and representative number, so they know you are writing it down. Ask them to transfer you to the department you need.
When you do get a human, ask for the phone number to connect directly if you need to call back.
And then, gethuman.com says, make sure you write into the Web site with information on how you got through, so other consumers can benefit.
But it seems as soon as you really need to talk someone - like when you're having trouble with that new gadget you just bought or service you purchased, those lines of communication break down. You call and follow the voice prompts, but it seems you can never reach the holy grail of customer service: A real, live person.
One Web site could turn out to be a frustrated consumer's best friend. Gethuman.com lists hundreds of companies, from airlines to insurance to utilities, and how to get around their automated phone systems to reach a live customer service person.
It's all about treating consumers the way they should be treated, according to the Web site. "The Gethuman movement was created from the voices of millions of consumers who want to be treated with dignity when they contact an enterprise for customer support," it says.
Gethuman.com, which operates as a free, nonprofit consumer advocacy group, lists toll-free customer service phone numbers for hundreds of companies. It also lists procedures to bypass their automated phone system when calling the customer service numbers. Companies that allow callers to connect directly to a human are also noted.
The journey to reach a human range from simple (go directly to a live person) to daunting (press three different numbers, punctuated by multiple #s). Some examples:
• Black & Decker: Direct to human.
• Cabela's: Direct to human.
• Charter Communications: Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
• DISH Network: Press O at each prompt, ignoring messages.
• FedEx: Say "representative" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
• Fisher-Price: Do not press or say anything, ignoring messages.
• GEICO: At prompt press 6; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 5; at prompt press #.
• Hewlett-Packard: Say "agent" at each prompt, ignoring messages.
• UPS: Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
• U.S. Cellular: Press 0
Because each company is a little different, the Web site uses consumer input for advice. Users are invited to report their tips, along with success and horror stories on the site.
And those companies that provide exemplary service get special mention on the site in the Great Customer Service Club, based on recommendations by users. Two of the entries for the club are U.S. Cellular and Southwest Airlines.