This goes out to all you companies who use automated voice recognition to screen your calls because you think it’s more “customer-friendly.” No, it isn’t. It requires me to interact with a disembodied, robotic voice. My confusion at social cues under normal conditions becomes even more pronounced in this artificial environment, thus making me feel like an instant moron. I have a hunch, even NT’s suck at conversation under those conditions. Do us all a favor, and let us use the frickin’ keypad, it works perfectly fine.
It’s called dignity. Would you like to give it a try? Say "yes," or "no," now!
Hell YES! Not only for Aspies either....Bring back the Humans...as i wrote in a previous post! x Jazzy
ReplyDeleteI'm so there. although, if you get stuck with one of these...repeatedly saying representative until voicemail lady has a breakdown will usually get a person.
ReplyDeleteGood tip, Jaime, although I think I'd still feel fairly moronic going "representative....representative..."
ReplyDeleteThe best of these systems are workable, but most are exactly like this.
ReplyDeleteOnce and only once I got one that I didn't realize was even non-human. It was so good at understanding what I was saying, in fully natural speech, that I didn't figure out it was a computer until like 6 min into the conversation and it said something like "Ok, thanks for using our automated system. Since I'm only a computer, and this is a complicated problem, I'm going to transfer you to a customer service agent." Color me freaked out!
Those voice recognition things are the worst. And they're starting to be everywhere. My husband can get the voice recognition in his car to understand him, but it never does what *I* want it to do. And don't get me started with Siri on the iPhone. The other day I was trying to talk to it, which I don't do much and it was all, "I don't understand the request 'yes.' Do you want me to do a web search for it?" and I wanted to throw my phone out the window.
ReplyDeleteOh my, Siri! I can imagine that would be the worst.
DeleteThose machines frustrate me too. You should hear me trying to speak English that those things can understand instead of my natural, thick Texas accent. It doesn't work well. :(
ReplyDeleteSometimes, when you say nothing and keep pressing 0 (the number) like we old folks did in the old days to get the "operator" you can get through without going through that. Pays to be ancient.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't always work, though, be forewarned.
Yes, I've learned that trick, it usually does work. Zero, zero, zero!
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