[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Companies think that they are saving when they fire their $400.00 a week receptionist and install a phone tree.

They are not. The sheer joy that you get when you manage to talk to an actual person makes and keeps customers.

If I had a dime for every time I have heard someone roar in to their phone, "Operator! Customer Service! HUMAN!" after trying to deal with a system that does not fit the problem they are trying to resolve I could take an O-bummer style vacation.

Have two options at the front, "Do you want to place an automated or would you like to speak to our customer service?"

It would keep you CS people from only getting customers who are already frustrated and ready to blow.

[PIF]

Part of the problem seems to be the widespread use of incomplete sentences which lead to misunderstanding and automatic loss of interest.