January 4, 2025, 3:40 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
More and more companies are turning to phone bots or similar types of automated voice systems. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a problem, as AI-supported dialogue systems are quite competent these days. However, for certain issues, some consumers still prefer to interact with a “real” person–for others, it’s a matter of principle. TECHBOOK explains how to reach a real employee.
From a company’s perspective, there are several plausible reasons to use phone bots. AI-based “employees” are naturally much cheaper than human ones, with high efficiency and scalability. However, for the people on the other end, contact with a machine is not always as satisfying. Even the most advanced AI can reach its limits with certain issues, among other potential problems (more on that later). Some people are uncomfortable speaking with robots from the outset. But don’t worry: In most cases, there is usually a way to reach a real employee.
Overview
How to Get a Real Contact Person on the Line
In summary, automated customer service systems are used to handle as many inquiries as possible. If you want to reach a real person, it’s a good idea to avoid the classic peak phone times. These are typically during common lunch breaks and again after 5 p.m. when many people are leaving work. Especially outside these times (but possibly otherwise as well), the following tricks can help you succeed.
Act Clueless
At service hotlines, you are often prompted to make entries via the keypad or provide understandable information verbally. For people with disabilities, this can be a hurdle. To accommodate them, phone bots and similar systems are often designed to recognize when the person on the other end needs more support. Thus, repeated incorrect or missing entries can signal to the hotlines that a real person needs to intervene. You can, of course, take advantage of this mechanism. It can also help to provide contradictory needs that an AI cannot handle.
Certain Key Presses Lead to an Employee
In some automated phone systems, it is possible to bypass the automated process by pressing certain keys–usually 0, #, or *–to connect directly with an employee. There is no guarantee for this; the method is not always communicated as an official tool by the programs. Clearly, companies want to transfer as much as possible to their AI-supported phone service employees. However, user reports on portals show that the mechanism or key function is often built into the systems.
For example, PayPal customer support makes this assistance path quite transparent. “When you call the hotline, you should always have the option to […] force a transfer to an employee with ‘0’ or ‘#’,” it says in response to a user inquiry in the PayPal Community.
Use Certain Keywords
While issues often want to be discussed over the phone in hopes of immediate relief, sometimes only written communication channels are available. According to a report by BR, it can be useful to include certain keywords in the subject line of emails. The word “urgent,” for example, reportedly causes the contact to be processed more quickly. And again, verbally, the systems respond to signal words. With “continue,” callers can reportedly interrupt the automatic menu navigation and be forwarded to customer service, where they are assisted by real people.
Additionally, users have already experienced being reliably forwarded to an employee by announcing a “complaint”–whether in writing or verbally. It is said to convey the urgency of the issue, similar to the keywords “problem” and the previously mentioned “urgent.”
Bypass Annoying Hotline Messages With Just One Word
What Silent Calls Are and the Dangers They Pose
Use Help Portals
The online portal “Get Human” specializes in the desire discussed here in detail. On the website, users find helpful guides to bypass automated systems and, for example, reach a human employee at large companies as quickly as possible. You can also type the company you want to connect with a person into a prominently placed input field on the homepage. The program then provides phone numbers within seconds.
Automated Systems Will Never Fully Replace Real People
Practice repeatedly shows the susceptibility of AI-supported customer service programs to errors. Many text-based dialogue systems, for example, are programmed to recognize topics. But first, they must capture the inquiries–where various peculiarities (such as dialects) can present an initial hurdle. If they understand the problem, they may be able to help–and if not, they can’t.
A user from London had fun with this and shared it on the Platform X–specifically a communication with a chatbot on behalf of the parcel service DPD. The bot had to decline the request to connect with customer support. The initially frustrated but then amused user managed to elicit both a joke and curses from the virtual assistant. The bot portrayed its employer quite poorly. “DPD is the worst delivery service in the world,” it said in black and white.
Also interesting: Airline must pay for its customer service chatbot’s error
The case highlights how easily AI-generated systems can be manipulated. Internet entrepreneur Chris Bakke managed to buy a Chevrolet Tahoe for just one dollar. You don’t need to know the usual selling prices for the luxury SUV to find that remarkable.
Even if it is assumed that their functionality will continue to improve: The goal of automated programs is not to completely replace humans. And it should not be forgotten that certain advantages of their use also lie on the customer’s side: They usually receive quick and targeted support from the literally intelligent systems. As long as you can still reach a real employee when needed, this type of coexistence is acceptable for all parties.