• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Need to rant about call center automated attendants. Robot voice assistance. No Common Sense.

billymach4

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
3,824
Reaction score
1,421
Points
548
Location
Everywhere
Called a bank and they have a recording about the usual non sense. Check you balance online, pay you bill online, blah, blah, blah. Due to high call volume there is an extended wait time. Blah Blah Blah. They attempt to give you a decision tree via options. Fake you way thru the funnel of decisions. More Blah,Blah,Yada, Yada. Finally get to the place where they can't give me more BS and they have to send me to a live human. But they still insist that there is an extremely long wait. I get to go ahead to be transferred to a human an instantly someone picks up. After dealing with the automated voice and authentication I look at the time on my phone. It has bee 3min 40s of dealing with this non-sense that I had to speak to a live cust agent. WASTED my wait time for a 45 sec inquiry! WHY? why? Just SMH.:mad:
 

Karen G

Moderator
Joined
Aug 17, 2004
Messages
9,470
Reaction score
1,983
Points
749
Location
Henderson, NV
Resorts Owned
Once owned these: FirstFairway@Walden X 2; Lawai Beach; ManhattanClub; PuebloBonitoRose; 4 South Africa--now timeshare-free
I called a hospital billing business and a real person answered. But, she said due to the high call volume she would need to take my name and number
and someone would call me back. However, no one ever called back.

The week before I got a call from the same business and when I answered, it was a recording saying due to the high volume of calls I could enter my
phone number and someone would call me back. No one ever did.
 

WVBaker

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
2,487
Reaction score
2,087
Points
323
I've called places where 3min 40s would be considered short wait time. Yes, the ever forbidding, thank you for holding, a representative will be with you shortly.

It seems the popular excuse now is it's due to Covid 19. :ponder:
 

billymach4

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
3,824
Reaction score
1,421
Points
548
Location
Everywhere
I called a hospital billing business and a real person answered. But, she said due to the high call volume she would need to take my name and number
and someone would call me back. However, no one ever called back.

The week before I got a call from the same business and when I answered, it was a recording saying due to the high volume of calls I could enter my
phone number and someone would call me back. No one ever did.

Yep. That drives me crazy. Or when you finally get thru then they say I have to transfer you to another dept --- Ring, Ring, Busy, Busy!

Or you hold 5 - 10 min same thing Ring, Ring --- Busy, Busy! You just want to scream!
 

billymach4

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
3,824
Reaction score
1,421
Points
548
Location
Everywhere
There are some business I am patient with and I have much sympathy due to the Covid situation. Delta Airlines. I had to wait on hold for over 3 hours a few weeks back. And this was due to their schedule change. I don't get angry since they are bleeding cash due to passenger volume drop of 90% or more.
 

easyrider

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
15,057
Reaction score
8,004
Points
948
Location
Palm Springs of Washinton
Resorts Owned
Worldmark * * Villa Del Palmar UVCI * * Vacation Internationale*
Two days ago I called vbro about a reservation I needed to cancel. After waiting for 10 minutes I forgot who I was waiting for when they finally answered. The person that answered my call was Bob. She had an accent that made me think he was from India and I found that I had to ask him to repeat herself many times.

Anyway, Bob did a great job and I was very happy with the outcome. I did say thank you Bob at the end of our call and he or she replied your welcome.

Bill
 

Sea Six

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
4,045
Reaction score
872
Points
349
Location
Marco Island, FL
Resorts Owned
Club Regency - Marco Island
Lagunamar - Cancun
Vistana Villages Key West (2) - Orlando
American Airlines allowed me to record my name and number and they would call back in 18 to 24 minutes. They called back in 20. Not bad!
 

Talent312

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
17,463
Reaction score
7,277
Points
948
Resorts Owned
HGVC & GTS
1. Delta.
I called about a credit question, but the bot wanted to know about my next trip (none).
I only got to talk to a human after lying to the bot.

2. Chase.
Tried to cancel a dispute (settled w-the merchant). They make it sound like they're closed.
I almost gave up getting a human, but finally pressed zero.
 

pedro47

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
22,073
Reaction score
8,536
Points
948
Location
East Coast
I called a hospital billing business and a real person answered. But, she said due to the high call volume she would need to take my name and number
and someone would call me back. However, no one ever called back.

The week before I got a call from the same business and when I answered, it was a recording saying due to the high volume of calls I could enter my
phone number and someone would call me back. No one ever did.
This is the new business normal. LOL. :confused:
 

WVBaker

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
2,487
Reaction score
2,087
Points
323
Two days ago I called vbro about a reservation I needed to cancel. After waiting for 10 minutes I forgot who I was waiting for when they finally answered. The person that answered my call was Bob. She had an accent that made me think he was from India and I found that I had to ask him to repeat herself many times.

Anyway, Bob did a great job and I was very happy with the outcome. I did say thank you Bob at the end of our call and he or she replied your welcome.

Bill

28k7n5.jpg
 

PigsDad

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
10,072
Reaction score
7,077
Points
898
Location
Colorado and SW Florida
Resorts Owned
HGVC Elite: SeaWorld, Surf Club, Charter Club, Valdoro
Called a bank and they have a recording about the usual non sense. Check you balance online, pay you bill online, blah, blah, blah. Due to high call volume there is an extended wait time. Blah Blah Blah. They attempt to give you a decision tree via options. Fake you way thru the funnel of decisions. More Blah,Blah,Yada, Yada. Finally get to the place where they can't give me more BS and they have to send me to a live human. But they still insist that there is an extremely long wait. I get to go ahead to be transferred to a human an instantly someone picks up. After dealing with the automated voice and authentication I look at the time on my phone. It has bee 3min 40s of dealing with this non-sense that I had to speak to a live cust agent. WASTED my wait time for a 45 sec inquiry! WHY? why? Just SMH.:mad:
Have you ever thought that the reason you were able to get a person on the line right away after you went through the phone tree is because the phone tree weeded out a large percentage of calls? We all want fast service, but when it comes down to it, we usually are not willing to pay for it.

Question: do you pay any monthly fees to your bank for your account? If the bank had to charge you an extra $10/month in order to hire enough phone support people so that they could answer all calls with a live person in 30 seconds, would you support that fee? I feel most people would not, but that doesn't stop them from complaining about the inconvenience they experience when, at the same time, they enjoy the low/no fees they pay.

Kurt
 

x3 skier

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
5,266
Reaction score
2,295
Points
649
Location
Ohio and Colorado
Resorts Owned
Steamboat Grand, The West,
Raintree and, formerly, The Allen House
The absolute WORST Customer Service is ATT. First you have figure out what part of ATT you need, tv, phone, internet, whatever the incomprehensible menu might send you to on a whim. They you have to deal with a bot. Occasionally you get past it and then you have to chat with someone in Bananastan. After that incompetent is dispensed with you might get to exchange emails with someone on the dark side of the moon. In all of this, you NEVER EVER get actually TALK to an actual human being.

The best in my experience is Apple. I have always been able to connect in a short wait or a quick call back with a real person in the USA the first time I call. If they can’t solve my issue, they pass me to the next level expert who has always stuck with me until it is solved.

Cheers
 

bogey21

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
9,455
Reaction score
4,662
Points
649
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
I have ATT cell phone service. When I dial 611 I usually get right through to Customer Service...

George
 

dioxide45

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
47,374
Reaction score
18,934
Points
1,299
Location
NE Florida
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grande Vista
Marriott Harbour Lake
Sheraton Vistana Villages
Club Wyndham CWA
If I am calling a company for something, it is because I can't do what I need to do online. I don't need to then be told to check the website, etc. I am calling because I can't do it online. If I had been able to use the website, I wouldn't have wasted my time on the phone.

I suspect most IVR phone systems are more just there to frustrate people enough that they decide what they needed wasn't important enough to wait and navigate the stupid thing and they hang up. Clears out about 25% of the volume!
 

PigsDad

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
10,072
Reaction score
7,077
Points
898
Location
Colorado and SW Florida
Resorts Owned
HGVC Elite: SeaWorld, Surf Club, Charter Club, Valdoro
The best in my experience is Apple. I have always been able to connect in a short wait or a quick call back with a real person in the USA the first time I call. If they can’t solve my issue, they pass me to the next level expert who has always stuck with me until it is solved.
Hence why Apple products cost more than equivalent products -- you pay for the excellent service up front. I have no problem with that.

Kurt
 

billymach4

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
3,824
Reaction score
1,421
Points
548
Location
Everywhere
Hence why Apple products cost more than equivalent products -- you pay for the excellent service up front. I have no problem with that.

Kurt

Good Luck with Apple... Not a fan at all. Will not patronize that bad apple.
 

PigsDad

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
10,072
Reaction score
7,077
Points
898
Location
Colorado and SW Florida
Resorts Owned
HGVC Elite: SeaWorld, Surf Club, Charter Club, Valdoro
Good Luck with Apple... Not a fan at all. Will not patronize that bad apple.
So have you personally had "bad Apple" products? I just counted -- in the age of iPods, iPhones and iPads, my wife and I have bought 9 devices since 2007. Every single one of those devices are still in working condition. They simply don't fail (for us, at least). Can't say that about many other company's products. Some have become outdated, and hence we upgraded, but all of those are still working. And I still use some of the old devices for specialty purposes. For example, my first generation iPod Touch is still used in my office to listen to music, and an old iPad permanently sits in my theater so I don't have to drag my newer one around as much.

As for that video, it describes someone who broke a screen of an older product that was being worked on by a non-authorized technician. Not surprising that they would not service it -- companies stop servicing older products all the time and especially if it was tampered with by a non-qualified person. I'm not buying the contrived drama in that video.

Kurt
 

billymach4

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
3,824
Reaction score
1,421
Points
548
Location
Everywhere
So have you personally had "bad Apple" products? I just counted -- in the age of iPods, iPhones and iPads, my wife and I have bought 9 devices since 2007. Every single one of those devices are still in working condition. They simply don't fail (for us, at least). Can't say that about many other company's products. Some have become outdated, and hence we upgraded, but all of those are still working. And I still use some of the old devices for specialty purposes. For example, my first generation iPod Touch is still used in my office to listen to music, and an old iPad permanently sits in my theater so I don't have to drag my newer one around as much.

As for that video, it describes someone who broke a screen of an older product that was being worked on by a non-authorized technician. Not surprising that they would not service it -- companies stop servicing older products all the time and especially if it was tampered with by a non-qualified person. I'm not buying the contrived drama in that video.

Kurt

Any product that my family used to acquire from Apple is now in planned obsolescence by design from Apple. Kurt continue to support Apple. I am happy for you. You will support the stock price of Apple since I am sure my retirement portfolio contains some share of Apple stock. :)
 

x3 skier

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
5,266
Reaction score
2,295
Points
649
Location
Ohio and Colorado
Resorts Owned
Steamboat Grand, The West,
Raintree and, formerly, The Allen House
I have ATT cell phone service. When I dial 611 I usually get right through to Customer Service...

George

I actually never had a problem with my ATT Cell phone service that couldn’t be handled by the ATT Store 5 minutes away. Everything else you have to deal with the nightmare of bots, chat, etc. Even the store folks have to go through the same morass for ATT TV and internet.

Cheers
 
Top