Why Do Companies Stick with Voice Menus?

eliot1785 asks: "We've all had to put up with this at one point or another — you call a company for customer service or tech support, and rather than getting traditional touch-pad menu options, you encounter an annoying system that wants you to 'just say' how it can help you. Invariably, the system fails to understand your input, or picks up background noise or coughs as intended inputs. After a few failures, you have to press '0' to speak with an operator. Why do companies think that customers like these voice menu systems? Is there any research to suggest that they do, or are companies simply embracing the systems because they are new technology? More importantly, when will they realize that the systems don't work and go back to the traditional touch-pad menu option systems?"

Comments

Because often then work...

[CohibaVancouver]

I've had several successful interactions with these systems, most recently with United Airlines just the other day. Anecdotal, to be sure, but proves the systems have at least some worth.

a lotta stuff comes into play

[way2trivial]

I use ivr systems all the time, I almost NEVER have them misunderstand me.

ennunciation at times helps.. pausing between #'s helps.

I know a lotta eastern europeans, they all scream bloody murder when they try...

you could always refer to http://gethuman.com/ if you just can't take it
The most popular part of the gethuman website is the gethuman database of secret phone numbers and codes to get to a human when calling a company for customer service. (See also our general tips.)

A little story for y'all

[gnu-sucks]

I'm pretty sick this week. Having never used my insurance with a doctor before, I called in.

"Welcome to bla bla... to speak with someone regarding covered facilities press 6" ::beep::
"If your Insur-ID begins with a W, press 1" ::beep::
"If the W is followed by three numbers and a hyphen or dash, press 1" ::beep::
"Please type in your complete Insur-ID. You can enter letters by-" ::beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:bee p:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:beep:bee p:beep:beep::
"If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911." ::pause::
"Please hold." ::pause::
"Due to unusually high call volume [8am saturday], we are experiencing higher-than-usual wait time. Your expected wait time is Two. Minutes. And. Five. Seconds. Please continue to hold." ::pause::
"Thanks for using Enormous insurence inc, may I please have your date of birth, Insur-ID...."

That's as verbatim as I can remember it. Seriously. Can you imagine an elderly person trying to do this... up hill, both ways, with a rotary phone, in the snow?

skip them all

[mz001b]

A very useful site: gethuman database.

I lump the voice and keypad menus in the same boat -- I just want to talk to a
person as quick as possible.

Re:Usually works for me

[secolactico]

Now, imagine if JetBlue had to build and maintain its own runways. Your $200 flight to LA just became $900.

Aren't landing fees supposed to cover that?

I always tought that ATC was the biggest government expenditure related to air travel.

Re:Real question?

[MindStalker]

Except when the menu system has the guy rattle on for minute about the new menu structure and all the services they can offer you online. My colleges finanial aid system phone menu rattles on for a few minutes then provides 7 different options all of which provide you directions on how to do that self-help on the phone. There is NO option for an operator or anything dealing with having a problem. Eventually I just pressed '0' (even though it wasn't an option) and it said I was being transfered to an operator, and then gave me a busy signal. Called back and it hung up on me. After about 7 calls I got an operator, who told me to call a different number.

Re:This works

[anticypher]

There is a system like that here in Belgium. The first thing it has to do is determine which of the two official languages the caller would like to work in.

[in dutch] if you would like to speak in dutch, say "vlaams"
[in french] if you would like to speak in french, say "français"

I say "fuck you" rather strongly

the machine responds in english, "please wait while we connect you with an operator"

It seems they haven't completely translated all their voice prompts yet. At least english language profanity is built into the system. I've tried a number of french and dutch curse words, but the shortcut doesn't work.

the AC