Have you ever had trouble with automated call centers?

A song I wrote about being frustrated dealing with customer service over the phone

Hold - Alex Famous

Enjoy!

Me thinks at the end of the day we just want to speak to a person and get on with our lives

Oh, aren't those calls maddening? LOL Good tune my friend!

I really don't like these call centers at all. I am sure that several of my calls have
been used for training purposes for staff.

"You have reached blah blah call service center. All our representatives are currently dicking around in the break room, please hold until someone comes along who gives a s***".

Lol, well done.

a reply to: Ptenjakin

Nice. Nice like a luke warm shower turning cold.

As a Call Center Manager, I insisted our Call Center Software integrated talk to text for the customer instant message in real time to pop up in dialogue for the Rep that was next on deck, after a 15 second hold. This transition has assisted our Reps in understanding and comprehending the Customer "tone" prior to engagement. Of course it is not error free, but holding for 15 seconds seems to be agreeable for Customers, especially when after they begin to record at 15 seconds, the Rep is able to see their voice to text.

It is a work in progress, but the 15 second threshold is about right. Holding is acceptable, but anything past 15 seconds makes your Call Center feel disconnected and not Customer aware.

I'd welcome any further suggestions as to the "next" step in my process, as I am attempting to bring the "tech" capabilities to our Customers via our CRM Software and possibly a revolutionary Customer Service app for Call Center dialogue, as to avoid the ever annoying, "Please Hold, the next available representative will be with you momentarily...You're expected hold time is....X:XX"...Enter the bane of our existence Hold Music...and the water is cold.

a reply to: Boscov

I'd welcome any further suggestions as to the "next" step in my process, as I am attempting to bring the "tech" capabilities to our Customers via our CRM Software and possibly a revolutionary Customer Service app for Call Center dialogue, as to avoid the ever annoying, "Please Hold, the next available representative will be with you momentarily...You're expected hold time is....X:XX"

Yah, on that. "Your call is important to us-- please continue to hold", every time that repeats I momentarily think I got a live body, only to be dashed by a disembodied machine.

I'd rather hear corny music than a recorded voice reminding me over and over what I am doing is… holding.

a reply to: Ptenjakin

Good work. I enjoyed that. The conflicting beats took a few moments for my ears to get a hold of and then it clicked and I liked it. The beats reminded me of The Roots or St. Germain...that kind of jazzy, hiphop style. Cool and experimental

Good vocals too. Took a peak at the YT and thought I'd post this because it made me laugh with the lyrics

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Amen to that! It's always a rush of relief when I get a real person to speak to!

a reply to: Night Star

Haha! Had a few to deal with recently, inspired me a bit as you can tell. Glad you like it!

a reply to: mamabeth

I think my calls would be too boring to make it into any sort of training practice. Hahaha

a reply to: Boscov

I'm glad that there are steps being taken to help alleviate that. I think what is the most frustrating to me are the endless menus that you have to 'Press X' or 'Say Y' And when you do it, it leads to something else. Finally after 50 menus you get the option to try to connect to a human being.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Thanks! I was definitely going for a Jazz feel for this. Some of the most awkward chord progressions I've ever messed around with.

Really happy that you looked up some of my other stuff and like it. I try to stay away from writing love songs whenever I can. The world has plenty of those as it is.

a reply to: Ptenjakin

Whip off an email to the owners/admins and ask for permission to post a link in your signature ([email protected]).

I know it's 'small potatoes' and yet a little more exposure might give you a boost.

a reply to: Ptenjakin

Enjoy it - Oh Yes!

ABsolutely fabulous and brilliant.

I hate call centres and think they are only an excuse for big companies to not pay employ enough people for more profit.

I loved the day when you rang any company and a pleasant voice answered you, told you if they could connect you, even took a message or told you when to ring back. You felt like you had at least spoken to someone and were able to deal with what you wanted - customer satisfaction.

Hey they could even play your music on repeat and at least we could all have a good laugh (for the first few times we heard it). S@F for great talent.

originally posted by: Ptenjakin
A song I wrote about being frustrated dealing with customer service over the phone

Hold - Alex Famous

Enjoy!

That is an awesome song!!!! Of late, I have been on the phone, on hold, for I think hours. One was to fix a billing dispute with the electric company. That was finally fixed.
Then, it came to my attention that my primary doctor never sent in the referral to the orthopedic surgeon I have been seeing since July. So....hours of calls with the primary care doctor, the insurance company, the specialist, an escalation department at my insurance company, a nurse advocate that works for the state.....I am still not done either. The Primary care doctor is blaming everyone else.

I am told my next steps are 'an action call', if I am billed, a fair hearing, an appeal to the fair hearing and an complaint to the NY state health Department.

This is not obamacare either. Just an elderly doctor who forgot to note the referral and a receptionist who seemingly never hit send when she told me 'ok all set', now the office wants to cover it's butt and not have to pay the ortho for 5 appointments.

I have to call the insurance company back on Monday....where for ahwile I will be on hold and then on hold about 20 minutes while the insurance rep initiates yet another 3 way call with he doctor's office.

Funny song and cool jazzy chords!

I've worked a couple years in a call center but I feel we really gave good service. I didn't keep people on hold and when I saw a call incomming that I could take, I was actually putting MY breaks on hold.

Nice sound in the voice too, it sounds better than what I can achieve. I must be quite bad in recording or mixing because I always feel that I sound like crap.

soundcloud.com... Random one right here.