6 Tricks to Make a Customer Service Robot Connect You to a Real Human

It is estimated that Americans spend a collective 900 million hours on hold every single year. This shows how people still choose phone calls as their preferred contact method for their various customer service issues. However, with so many robots being on the other end of the line, figuring out a solution isn’t always easy. That’s why we need to get creative and use tricks in order to get transferred to a real person.

Bright Side knows how frustrating it is to talk to a robot, and that’s why we want to help you reach a real person when dealing with customer service.

1. Be kind and don’t shout.

You might be frustrated and want to curse at the robot, but that will only make things worse. Most systems are programmed to understand and speak in a very calm mode. So, if you raise your voice, they will probably ask you to repeat your request since they might have not understood you the first time. That being said, you need to keep calm if you want to manage and find a solution to your issue.

2. Say nothing or press 0.

The most successful way to reach a person is by pressing 0 after the initial robot greeting. This is a method implemented by the majority of companies and with some of them, you might need to use “#” before the 0. However, you should be prepared for long waiting times, even after the robot has disappeared.

If the trick with the 0 doesn’t work and a robot is still talking to you, you should just stay silent. Don’t answer any of the questions and wait patiently. In this case, many companies are programmed to send you directly to a caller.

3. Call during off-peak hours.

Let’s say that by pressing 0, you manage to get rid of the robot, but you still have to wait hours until a caller is available. This is easily fixed if you don’t call them during busy hours, which is usually early mornings and afternoons. If the company’s customer service operates in the evenings, give them a call after 6 p.m. This is usually the time when most people are off from work enjoying some free time, so the call center’s workload is lighter.

4. Say a random word to confuse the robots.

Whether you’re talking on the phone or chatting online, robots are programmed to ask certain things and expect answers to them. So giving them confusing and random answers can make them connect you to a real person. They will probably repeat their question a second or maybe a third time, but you should stick to your trick and keep being confusing.

5. Say the words, “complaint” or “cancel my account.”

Every company’s nightmare is losing customers and having them cancel orders or accounts. That’s why you can tell the robot the words, “cancellation” or “cancel account.” They will most likely connect you to the department that deals with these things, or you can explain your problem and they will transfer you to the correct department. You might end up at the beginning or the end of the queue, but in either case, you will have managed to get past the robot.

6. Go on Twitter and complain about the business.

Companies like to keep a serious profile that shows respect to customers and offers them good service. That’s why going on their social media pages and posting a complaint can force them to contact you to resolve your matter. The last thing they want is to have public complaints about them, which might influence other possible customers.

Have you ever done any of the above in an effort to talk to a real person instead of a robot? Were your efforts successful and, if so, how long did you have to wait on the line?