COMMENT
How To Avoid Call Centres

By Jane Mack (TMFJane)
December 21, 2005

A couple of weeks ago I had reason to ring a call centre. After trying all the various automated options, none of which applied to me, I was then told that the waiting time to speak to a real person was... Fifty. One. Minutes.

At which point I realised that I had dialled an 0870 number and that if I could be bothered to wait, it would cost me a fiver just to get to the front of the queue to ask my question!

These insidious non-geographical numbers, which also include 0845 and 0871, claim to charge 'local or national rates', but an 0845 number can cost 5p a minute at any time while 087 numbers generally are even more expensive, costing up to 10p per minute.

Ultimately, I found the 'normal' geographic telephone number through the valuable Say No To 0870 website which enabled me to eventually get through to someone at a cost of just 3p for the entire call (I use Call 18866).

What most of us find so frustrating though is the amount of time it takes to get through to someone in the first place, particularly if you have to pay over the odds for the cost of the call. Few people are really happy with an automated call-answering system that keeps you waiting, waiting and waiting...

Fortunately, word is beginning to spread that there are ways to bypass the call centre computer system thanks in part to an American, Paul English, who's been collating information for a 'cheat sheet' that enables callers to get past the automated systems used by some of the USA's biggest companies.

He's recently started compiling a list for the UK which includes some of our biggest banks, credit card providers and telephone and energy suppliers. The secret for most of them is to quickly press 0# (zero and hash) when you hear the pre-recorded voice.

He says that common cheats, however, include:

• Pretending you don't have a touch-tone telephone
• Pressing 0 (or 0# or #0 or 0* or *0) repeatedly, sometimes quickly, ignoring any "invalid entry" messages.
• Yelling 'Help' into the phone when you're asked to voice a response
• Phoning the wrong department such as sales, marketing or investor relations and asking them to transfer you. Insist on being transferred if they just try to give you the 0870 number as Sky TV tried to do to me the other day.

I must say I rather like the fact that customers are fighting back. The use of 087 and 0845 numbers and automated answering systems, not to mention the relocation of some call centres abroad, is clearly not going down well with consumers. Sooner or later, these companies are going to have to pay attention to what the customers want. That's if they want to keep us as customers!