Worst phone tree ever.

[redailing]

I, and I'm sure several other CA/ROs, wince when I see 800-937-8997.

Relaying recordings is generally not too bad. We can moderate the pacing, and repeat bits we don't hear properly. The problem comes when trying to navigate the phone tree.

Most recordings, it's not a problem. They prompt for a number, you press it in as a number dialed, no problem. But, TMobile, and a few others (Social Security, for example) require vocalization.

This probably doesn't seem like such a big deal. But here's the problem. Computers are stupid. If I end up voicing "live rep", it will often get it. But if I have to voice "yes i want get make payment talk live rep for make payment", the stupid computer isn't going to get it. And I don't have the option to simplify that to the obvious request for a representative. I have to voice that entire thing every time.

Why is this anyone's problem but the CA/RO's? Well, the phone trees often won't move forward if they don't get it. TMobile is a classic example. It's also slow, and has five steps seperating a poor caller from the person they want to speak to. If it doesn't understand what I say, that number can multiply quickly. And then, you've blown 30 minutes trying to navigate a phone tree just to talk to a rep. I'm getting paid, it's no skin off my nose how long it takes, but I also want to be able to provide excellent service. But when the level of service I can provide is limited by the accessibility of the phone system... Well, TMobile is a bear, EVERY TIME. And others.

 

[Dennis S.]

Aren't you supposed to translate ASL grammar to English? I know that relay operators get training to translate typed ASL grammar to English, so that the deaf people aren't sounding un-intelligible when they have to speak for them. I understand you're supposed to "speak everything as it's typed" but on the same token, you get ASL training as well so that you can properly understand what they're asking for when they put something that sounds like Yoda speak through the TTY.

At least "I hav giving u my name, it is rite finish?" should be properly translated into "I have given you my name already, right?"

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

I hate phone trees.

I don't care for anything where all I get is some voice on an answering machine.

I'D RATHER SPEAK TO A LIVE, BREATHING PERSON!

This is why I avoid the phone.

5 years ago, you could call AOL or Social Security Adminstration and be able to get to speak to a live person in about a minute.

Now...it's a whole bunch of freaking answering machines for answering machines.

I bet that in 5 years...there will be no such thing as a live agent no matter which company, organisation, or group you call.

 

[redailing]

Actually, we're required to relay verbatim, unless the caller specifically requests ASL gloss (Which has never happened once for me.)

The ASL training, near as I can tell, is to assist with proper voice inflection. It may not necessarily be intuitive to born Deaf people, but the tone of the voice, the pitch, how words are enunciated, the pacing, and all that contribute more meaning than the words themselves. I can relay each word at a time, with no inflection, in a strict monotone, but it'll be really difficult for the called party to parse what is being said, especially if it's not in English, but in ASL instead. My training in ASL was to assist me in deciphering the meaning of a phrase written in another language so that when I relay the words, my inflection can carry the majority of the meaning. This is why we attempt to relay phrases or sentences instead of individual words.

Of course, this means nothing to a phone system. Those practically rely on monotone, though I suspect that they can tell certain fingerprints of anger in a caller's voice sometimes.

 

[guido]

I can attest to the stresses of dealing with IVRUs. T-Mobile is relatively easy when compared to other numbers such is Social Security and AOL. It would always count against us if we understood what the caller wanted and paraphrased it to fit the phone menu. Many deaf callers did not even understand the menus and were confused by the prompts. It wasn't their fault, but the confusing phrasing of the recording.

Another thing I never understood. Why don't more deaf users use direct TTY lines to customer service numbers or use online services instead of calling customer service through relay. A lot of stress can be saved by using online services and direct numbers instead of dealing with a confused representative, ignorant of the concept of relay.

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

Another thing I never understood. Why don't more deaf users use direct TTY lines to customer service numbers or use online services instead of calling customer service through relay. A lot of stress can be saved by using online services and direct numbers instead of dealing with a confused representative, ignorant of the concept of relay.

Because most of the time no one ever answers. I know, because I have done this...I have never gotten through to anyone when I call direct on my TTY.

That's why I usually contact them via email/using the internet.

 

[Soonersseth]

I use VCO and most robots don't understand me but a live rep does pisses me off.

 

[ismi]

Another thing I never understood. Why don't more deaf users use direct TTY lines to customer service numbers or use online services instead of calling customer service through relay. A lot of stress can be saved by using online services and direct numbers instead of dealing with a confused representative, ignorant of the concept of relay.

No one answers, like Lucia said. Plus, some of us (I, for example) would only use a TTY now and then, and can't justify paying several hundred dollars for one.

 

[GraysonPeddie]

No one answers, like Lucia said. Plus, some of us (I, for example) would only use a TTY now and then, and can't justify paying several hundred dollars for one.

There's LormarTTY which you can make/receive TTY-to-TTY phone calls but you won't get your personal phone number like My IP Relay, however, IP-Relay only accepts voice callers calling you through relay.

 

[VamPyroX]

Hmm... I've never had any problems with relay and calling T-Mobile. I get through every time without problems.

 

[Endymion]

Hmm... I've never had any problems with relay and calling T-Mobile. I get through every time without problems.

Do you just go, "get live rep, even if you have to go to the ninth circle of hell, find the key to the telephone tree up Brutus' rear, and crawl back while drenched in foul gastrointestinal stench ga" ... ?

If so, awesome. We do the same thing.

 

[VamPyroX]

Do you just go, "get live rep, even if you have to go to the ninth circle of hell, find the key to the telephone tree up Brutus' rear, and crawl back while drenched in foul gastrointestinal stench ga" ... ?

If so, awesome. We do the same thing.

Usually, the first thing T-Mobile asks for is your account (phone) number. When I ask the operator to dial, I include a note with something like... "When prompted for account/phone number: ##########".

When asked for what I want, I just make it simple like... "I'm having problems with my SMS." I'm connected to a live operator afterwards.

 

[Endymion]

Usually, the first thing T-Mobile asks for is your account (phone) number. When I ask the operator to dial, I include a note with something like... "When prompted for account/phone number: ##########".

When asked for what I want, I just make it simple like... "I'm having problems with my SMS." I'm connected to a live operator afterwards.

Not bad. I also try to familiarize myself with a phone tree in advance. That way I just tell the operator that, in order to avoid the perils of searching certain anatomical outlets of Brutus to complete my call, they can press 1, 2, 7, 5, 2, 8, 9, 3, 4, and then enter 324231242841284550321234.

Life is much easier.

These days I just stick with VCO on a VRS. I get a real-time convo, coupled with a live interpreter and some contraptions I've come up with. It makes life even better.

 

[redailing]

Hmm... I've never had any problems with relay and calling T-Mobile. I get through every time without problems.

Well, about that. See, there's good oprs, and there's bad oprs. And the bad oprs are divided into two. The nice ones and the incompetent ones.


The bad, nice operators will take you straight to a live rep. We know phone systems like the back of our hands, and can navigate them with ease. We have the capability of doing this. We're not permitted to. We're required to navigate per instructions. Some people ignore this rule. They'll get you through quick.

The bad, incompetent operators will just mess everything up, type poorly, relay badly, and the like. They're going to take forever to navigate the phone system regardless of what they get from the caller.

The good operators will follow the rules, and are efficient. They're the ones who will let you know there's no option for a live rep on this branch of the recording tree, even though they know they could press 1, 1, 0, and voice live rep to get one. It's our job to follow instructions as given, and not make assumptions. It's unfortunate, but the way it is.

 

[qwerty123]

Well, about that. See, there's good oprs, and there's bad oprs. And the bad oprs are divided into two. The nice ones and the incompetent ones.


The bad, nice operators will take you straight to a live rep. We know phone systems like the back of our hands, and can navigate them with ease. We have the capability of doing this. We're not permitted to. We're required to navigate per instructions. Some people ignore this rule. They'll get you through quick.

The bad, incompetent operators will just mess everything up, type poorly, relay badly, and the like. They're going to take forever to navigate the phone system regardless of what they get from the caller.

The good operators will follow the rules, and are efficient. They're the ones who will let you know there's no option for a live rep on this branch of the recording tree, even though they know they could press 1, 1, 0, and voice live rep to get one. It's our job to follow instructions as given, and not make assumptions. It's unfortunate, but the way it is.

same here...

 

[VamPyroX]

Well, about that. See, there's good oprs, and there's bad oprs. And the bad oprs are divided into two. The nice ones and the incompetent ones.


The bad, nice operators will take you straight to a live rep. We know phone systems like the back of our hands, and can navigate them with ease. We have the capability of doing this. We're not permitted to. We're required to navigate per instructions. Some people ignore this rule. They'll get you through quick.

The bad, incompetent operators will just mess everything up, type poorly, relay badly, and the like. They're going to take forever to navigate the phone system regardless of what they get from the caller.

The good operators will follow the rules, and are efficient. They're the ones who will let you know there's no option for a live rep on this branch of the recording tree, even though they know they could press 1, 1, 0, and voice live rep to get one. It's our job to follow instructions as given, and not make assumptions. It's unfortunate, but the way it is.

I've made the same calls myself with my own voice and the procedure is the same as I did when I talked through relay. So, the operator wasn't going through on his/her own... but doing it exactly as followed.