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Curse Your Way to Live Support

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the it's-about-friggin-time dept.

EtherMonkey writes "Wired is reporting on new software developed at University of Southern California's Speech Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory. Researchers there have come up with working code to detect the frustration and anger level of callers working their way through automated attendant phone systems."The system works by analyzing not only what callers say, but also how they say it. Callers get transferred if they start to spit out expletives or if they simply sound angry.""

9 of 486 comments (clear)

  1. Old-fashioned way: by PhxBlue · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just hit 0 until the automated system gets frustrated and forwards you to a human being. It works almost every time, and saves you the frustration of dealing with the automated system in the first place.

    --
    !#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
    1. Re:Old-fashioned way: by Broodje · · Score: 2, Informative

      That doesn't always work - You get a lot more 'Invalid seletion' replies to that tactic these days. I tend to stick to businesses that have an online customer service. Airline, Car rental, and Hotel is all online now... Only pisser is dealing with the phone company itself, or my utilities like gas/electric/water. Hell maybe that's online too these days..

    2. Re:Old-fashioned way: by donutz · · Score: 4, Informative

      Just hit 0 until the automated system gets frustrated and forwards you to a human being. It works almost every time, and saves you the frustration of dealing with the automated system in the first place.

      I don't know if I'd go so far as to say "almost every time." In my experience, it's probably about 50% effective. Sometimes you need to dial 9 to get a human, and some systems haven't even let me get to a person no matter what I tried.

  2. solvign the wrong problem by earlytime · · Score: 4, Informative

    How about writing aprogram what actually helps solve the users' suport request? Isn't the real purpose of an automated calling system to do that without having to hire a real person to answer FAQs?

    My problem with phone support is that is seems to take so long to establish that I know what i'm talking about, and trying to tell them what I need. It's rare that I call tech support and actually need them to diagnose a problem for me. It would be nice to have a customer profile that incorporates a product proficiency quotient(tm). so that I can go right to an engineer or product replacement on an issue I can diagnose myself.

    --

    1. Re:solvign the wrong problem by Chibi · · Score: 3, Informative
      My problem with phone support is that is seems to take so long to establish that I know what i'm talking about, and trying to tell them what I need. It's rare that I call tech support and actually need them to diagnose a problem for me. It would be nice to have a customer profile that incorporates a product proficiency quotient(tm). so that I can go right to an engineer or product replacement on an issue I can diagnose myself.


      While you might know what you're talking about, there will be plenty of people out there who don't, but think they do. If automated systems had this option, it'd get so flooded it would basically be useless.

      You're basically asking people to admit their ignorance. While there are thankfully some people out there not afraid to admit they don't know something, you'll get plenty of stubborn people who refuse to admit they don't know what's going on, even when calling for tech support.

      --
      If all you have are silver bullets, everything looks like a werewolf.
  3. Re:YEEEHAAAA by mjprobst · · Score: 2, Informative

    Y'know, not everyone with Tourette's Syndrome swears up a storm. Educate yourself.

  4. Re:YEEEHAAAA by MindStalker · · Score: 2, Informative

    Touretts Syndrom is simply an extreme case of nervous ticks, one of the well known ticks is swearing but it can be anything.

  5. Just do what I do by SupahVee · · Score: 4, Informative

    When you get into a VRU system, keep in mind that a human HAD to set the thing up, and always left a way for themselves to speak with a rep if needed (i.e. testing). So, when you get in, start pushing buttons, a lot of them, especially the * and #, as those will frequently be used for escape sequences. The default action for a majority of systems that do this is to immediately route you to an operator, an operator who has internal extensions. THen just act like you got a bit lost during the 4,3,6,1,8,9.... and ask politely for whatever dept you're trying to get, and ask for an extension in case you have to call back. Works roughly 85% of the time for me. :-D

    --
    "See, we plan ahead! That way, we never have to do anything now."
  6. AT&T Wireless is the same way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    I had a nearly identical experience with AT&T Wireless a couple months back. While calling to report a stolen phone, I had to say "operator" about 4 or 5 times before the thing would give up and connect me to a live person. 20 minutes later, when the live person tried to pick up, my call got disconnected. I immediately called back and asked the computer to "connect me to a f*cking operator!" when it gave me the usual list of options. The computer's response was to give me some error message about my "inappropriate" answer and hang up instantly. After that I had no choice but to go through the "operator" response five more times and sit on hold for another 30 minutes.

    If you have ATTWS service, just pray that you never have to call their customer "support" line.