Here's two things I hate, to start:
1) When I call 411 and get routed to the crappy cell phone info service, instead of the local one that actually has a friggin clue where things actually are. I seriously doubt if I get the right number more than half the time. In the old days, when I'd say something like, "I think it's down in the East Village," the person on the other end would be a New Yorker who actually knew what the hell the East Village was. Now, it's someone on the other side of the world who can only spout off address after address, with no regard to actual neighborhood. And again, I doubt if I get the right number more than half the time.
2) "To page this person, press 5 now... to leave a call back number, press 7... to send a lightning bolt up their rectum, please press...." Look, dammit, I just want to leave a message. If I can just say what I want to say, why the hell would I want to page someone? And what does paging someone even mean? Why must I go through this list of useless options every damned time I call? Rule of thumb for cell phone companies -- if an option only gets clicked 1 out of every 1,000 times, then don't make people listen to it EVERY DAMNED TIME.
1) When I call 411 and get routed to the crappy cell phone info service, instead of the local one that actually has a friggin clue where things actually are. I seriously doubt if I get the right number more than half the time. In the old days, when I'd say something like, "I think it's down in the East Village," the person on the other end would be a New Yorker who actually knew what the hell the East Village was. Now, it's someone on the other side of the world who can only spout off address after address, with no regard to actual neighborhood. And again, I doubt if I get the right number more than half the time.
2) "To page this person, press 5 now... to leave a call back number, press 7... to send a lightning bolt up their rectum, please press...." Look, dammit, I just want to leave a message. If I can just say what I want to say, why the hell would I want to page someone? And what does paging someone even mean? Why must I go through this list of useless options every damned time I call? Rule of thumb for cell phone companies -- if an option only gets clicked 1 out of every 1,000 times, then don't make people listen to it EVERY DAMNED TIME.
3 comments:
Item 2 is clearly simply to keep people on the line longer and rack up charges. I hate it so much that it would be reason enough for me to change carriers... but, alas, they get away with it because (as far as I know) every carrier does it ...they act as a cartel - and therefore there is no way to get away from it. (sorry for the run-on sentence)
John -
For reason number 2, you should use and encourage everyone to use Pinger Voicemail.
It cuts the crap out of your voicemail and lets you leave customized outgoing messages for each individual caller.
Check it out, it's easy, it's prompt free and best of all, it's free.
I'm so with you on both counts, bro. Capitalism is a bitch, ain't it? At least the iPhone has massively improved the front-end to listening to messages. Visual Voicemail is a god-send.
Not to poo-poo on J's recommendation for Pinger Voicemail, but I'd think getting a text message telling me I have a voicemail message (in addition to my phone telling me I have a voicemail message) is a little redundant -- unless I'm missing the point. I mean, to get a text message I'd have to have my phone on. If my phone is on it would automatically tell me I have a voice mail, no?
Think I'll go call myself...
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