Saturday January 27, 2007

I've been there, we've all been there. Trapped in the twistly little passages of automated phone help systems, unable to reach a real person. Well, the gethuman project feels our pain. Their gethuman 500 database, which covers hundreds of companies, government agencies, and other organizations, can tell you how to break free of the automated maze and speak to an actual human being. Entries include a website link, a phone number, and instructions on how to speak to a human at that number.

They also rate each customer service phone system and support experience using the gethuman standard. It's no surprise to me that most of the organizations in the database have an 'F' rating. But there are some notable exceptions. Some 'A' rated companies: Hertz, LL Bean, Lands End, Hyatt, and Walt Disney World. In the US Government, the FBI and White House each score a 'B' amid a field of 'F' ratings. All of these organizations have something in common: phone numbers that go 'direct to human.' But, according to the database, 'direct to human' is certainly no guarantee of a good support experience. The masochist in me is tempted to call Buy.com, IBM, or Black & Decker (to name a few) to experience the agony of a 'direct to human' F-rated experience.