Your call is very important to us. Please wait, and it will be answered in the order in which our belligerant staffers return from long lunches.
* If you expect to die before this call is over, press 1.
* If you do not like green eggs and ham, press 2
* If you can belch the National Anthem, press 3
* If you would like to know where I live, press 4…
There is good news, sort of, for folks living in Brazil. A new presidential decree has imposed stringent demands on how consumer calls must be handled. In theory, no more long waits, no more endless transfers.
But before you pack up and relocate, here’s the thing. Companies are already pointing out that consumers will bear the extra costs, and one executive said there is no way to offer “Swedish quality at Indian prices.”
That’s what I WANT! Some of that Swedish quality at Indian prices! Where do I press?
If your expectations are low, join the Oddly Enough blog network!
A pedestrian stops by to use public phones in booth uniquely shaped like the regions’ wild animals in the town of Primavera do Leste, near the capital city of Cuiaba in Mato Grosso state March 18, 2004. The booth is shaped like a “Dourado” fish. Authorities designed the unique phone booth to reflect the heritage of the Pantanal, the world’s largest undisturbed wetlands and to promote tourism. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker
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9 comments so far
There is something disturbing about promoting tourism to the world’s largest undisturbed wetlands. Plus, I find giant fake fish disturbing.
- Posted by DeeThe line I like best is: “We appreciate your patience.” Are they kidding? Long about the time I hear that line, my patience has run out!!! How I long for the old days when I used to call a company and actually had a live human answer the phone!
- Posted by Cassie RaymondWell, I haven’t seen anyone talk to a fish like that since the Incredible Mr. Limpet. Great way to get that seafood afishionado to forsake his cell phone!
- Posted by BandageWhat I hate most is that annoying music they play while you’re waiting. Are you supposed to enjoy it or something? And what I hate even more is when they every minute or so cut the music, a small pause and then tell you “please hold, a line is not yet free, we appreciate your patience”. Do they do that to give you fake hope that you’re finally connected?
- Posted by Anden15What happen to oddly enough being real stuff that was odd? Its like it just changed one day…. Now its just like made up stuff, dumb dialogues, and pictures with funny captions.
- Posted by danI kind of wish we had that service in the U.S. A few days ago I called Gateway about a repair, and they kept me on hold for an hour and six minutes, before promptly hanging up on me.
- Posted by ChrisOne good news story about customer service…
I recently moved all of my websites from a hosting set-up to a virtual dedicated server and had heard a few good things about one company in particular. I went ahead and signed up, all the while assuming that there would be a number of bumps in getting the thing set up (I’m a beginner at servers) and that I would be spending hours on hold trying to sort stuff out.
Lo and behold, the company actually:
1. Gives you a phone number where the phone is answered straightaway, 24-hours a day, by a real person, who is an expert and will actually answer your question or fix something if it’s wrong right when you’re talking to them.
2. Has a ticket system where issues are addressed and your ticket answered within an hour or two, 24-hours a day, and the person actually includes his or her name.
Plus, if you have a problem installing or upgrading something (I have lots of those problems!), they will actually do it for you if you ask.
I know… I honestly wouldn’t have believed it unless it actually happened to me. The customer service gods smiled on me the day I had the beginners’ dumb luck to choose Server Intellect.
I swear up and down that I do not work for this company or get anything for recommending them. I am just so astonished at actually getting true customer service from an American technology company that I can’t help telling everyone. I’m in Australia, and our customer service is generally just as bad, so my expectations were exceptionally low. I guess they’re the exception that makes the rule!
- Posted by Kim@dan, did you bother reading the heading of this page? I know you obviously didn’t since you failed to notice it says, in LARGE print, it’s a blog! Nevermind…
- Posted by MYou just have to make sure you are looking at oddly enough news and not the oddly enough blog. They are two different things.
- Posted by casalez