A company's phone answering system. RANT!
 

I have a meeting scheduled today with a insurance consultant from out of town. He swings through the state and makes several stops so he is on the road or in one of his other meetings as I type this. I got a phone call from my boss that said we're having a company meeting, drop everything and come to my office. So my insuance meeting is cancelled. I gotta get a hold of this guy...

I try to call the number on his business card and it goes directly to his desk phone and of course no answer so I leave a message that our meeting is off. The card has no main number for the company. I leave him a message to call my cell.

I call back and hit "0" and get transfered to Brenda that is away from her desk. I leave her a message to call my cell.

I hit zero again and it bounces back to Brenda. Still no answer.

I go on line and look up the company's web site. Call the number and get a recording telling me to go to the company directory and look up a name of the person I want.

I hit "0" again and I get transfered to BRENDA again and she is still not at her desk.

I'm begining to think there are no real people that work for this company. Screw him. I did everything I could do to get a hold of the guy. He will now be making a two hour drive to find my office locked.

Sorry Bernie.

I have had the same dealings with insurance companies in particular, but others in general. I am beginning to understand that insurance companies really do not want to answer their phones.

By the nature of my work, I am on the phone a lot calling various manufacturers, from mom and pop size machine shops to some very large businesses. I'm usually looking for specs on whatever widget it is they manufacture so I can decide if it will be useful in whatever it is I'm designing. My prospects of doing business with them go down every time I have to "press "x" for "y".

I have actually left messages with some, after navigating their automated answering labrynth, just to let them know they lost my business because of it. The sooner I get to talk to a real person the greater their chances of perhaps selling us up to tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff.

It's always great to get the callback from an eager sales rep after leaving that kind of message. Most of the time, if they have what I need, they get big props for calling in a timely manner. Next question is always that if I have more questions, do I get a direct line to the guy? If not, and I have to call back and get into the automated system again, we're done.

Leave a copy of your posting on the door for him to read when he gets there.

Leave a note on your door that says.

Bernie,

Tell Brenda she needs to answer her phone.

Hahahha, awesome.

I left messages between 9-10 this morning with Bernie and Brenda. I left my office at 12:45 to drive to Orlando and I left a message on the door with my cell # on it and told Bernie to call me. I had my cell with me all day. Did anyone call?

No. Hell no.