I contacted the TV Licensing people today and during the exchange was asked for a contact number. As I was doing this for someone I had to try and work out a way forward and so I gave them my number which, only having ten digits, wouldn't go onto their system.
I was asked if the number was correct and after explaining that it was my own number was asked whether I'd got it right! I explained that the number was correct because I'd been taught it along with my name and address in case I ever got lost! I then suggested that perhaps she might like to add a zero at the end and this would mean she had the required number of digits and the telephone system would ignore the redundant digit - all would therefore be well.
"But it's not your number," said the helpful (but perhaps a little dim) person on the other end of the line and I can't put the number in if it's not yours! So I explained again and got no further forward and so, refusing the offer of adding my mobile instead, used the church number!
Firstly I wondered at what a completely naff bit of programming we, the general public, have paid for here in that it can't function without eleven digits? Another bit of rubbish with an equally awful VB front end (and perhaps a dispenser for peanuts when the operator gets it right - or am I thinking of something else here?). I suppose it might be a bit of 'error-trapping' to avoid input errors on the part of the call centre person (used it myself where names and the like could only be alpha, not numeric, which works well until Elizabeth 2 tried to buy insurance!!!).
Secondly I can't believe how rigid and unimaginative / responsive some people are. I had hoped that the press the blue button, then the yellow, now the red - job done type operations were on the decline but it seems that we might be a lot nearer 'Idiocracy' than I suspected.
I'd like to say that it made me smile - but to be honest, it didn't.
Happy Daze!
2 comments:
I used to love the old phone boxes with Button A and Button B.
I could never remember which one to push, despite the obvious large text sign explaining it (Idiots guide).
I would push the wrong button at times to hear my pennies rattling down into the out tray, and being cut off.
Many a time I 100 and spoke to a helpful operator who would put you forward and instruct you on how and where to insert the cash and which button to press. Classic customer service and normally a lovely patient speaking voice at the other end.
You can possibly tell I was raised in the 1950's and 1960's. It seems about 1970 when proper customer service died in favour of impatient, ill informed agents, who couldn't think for themselves.
Bring back the 50's I say.
Heh, when I was a kid in Northern Ireland our phone number had three digits! Calls out of the area had to go through the operator who was on 'zero', so I never knew what our area code was, just the name. And that's only about 35 years ago...
Mark
Post a Comment