Grumble Thread

[Pulcinella]

Just do the same next time...


...you'll get through to a human more quickly!

Then I could post on the Good News thread: how to cheat the AI bot!

[Serial_Apologist]

Then I could post on the Good News thread: how to cheat the AI bot!

While taking care not to catch botulism.

[Petrushka]

Trying to get through to E.ON the other day, the initial automatic voice contact (I think she might have introduced herself as Angela) twice failed to recognise my postcode (so as a consequence in fact I quickly got through/rerouted to what I think was a real person, who had no problem).

Should I have given each digit/letter separately, I now wonder, instead of, for example, saying 'ten' or 'twenty' for a combination?
If so, Angela needs better training.

I'd probably reduce 'Angela' to tears as I always spell out the letters of the postcode in the international phonetic alphabet (A alpha, B bravo, C charlie etc).

[vinteuil]

I'd probably reduce 'Angela' to tears as I always spell out the letters of the postcode in the international phonetic alphabet (A alpha, B bravo, C charlie etc).

... for some reason I recall the joke, courtesy of john corrigan -

Who's the most unpopular guy at a Borussia Monchengladbach game?
The guy who shouts:'Give us a B...' .

.

[Old Grumpy]

I'd probably reduce 'Angela' to tears as I always spell out the letters of the postcode in the international phonetic alphabet (A alpha, B bravo, C charlie etc).

I did that with one bot, which correctly deciphered the whole postcode.

[LMcD]

Just do the same next time...


...you'll get through to a human more quickly!

Another way of getting through to a human is to refuse to choose any of the items on the 'menu' which you're offered.

[Petrushka]

Another way of getting through to a human is to refuse to choose any of the items on the 'menu' which you're offered.

Does that actually work? I tried it once and the phone just went dead.

[gradus]

When faced with these ludicrous systems I usually enter a junk number and the system defaults to a human being - eventually.

[LMcD]

When faced with these ludicrous systems I usually enter a junk number and the system defaults to a human being - eventually.

Thanks - I'll try that if my method fails!

[oddoneout]

When faced with these ludicrous systems I usually enter a junk number and the system defaults to a human being - eventually.

The robotic requests for 'now, in a few words, tell us what your call is about' can sometimes be pushed to divert to a human if it can't select enough key words from what I tell it, but I imagine that as AI is more widely applied that route will be less available. Mind you, getting through to a human is less and less of a solution now isn't it?

[kernelbogey]

I just keep repeating 'speak to a human'.... Works sometimes.

[LMcD]

Does that actually work? I tried it once and the phone just went dead.

What, even after you'd been told 'Your call is important to us' - how dare they!

[Pulcinella]

November's Premium bond wins are not announced until Tuesday (4 November).
My Halifax current account has flagged payments about to be sent (direct debits set for the first of each month) but not yet sent them.
However, Starling has already credited me with October's interest (on 1 November).

If Starling can do it, why can't other organisations?
Surely it takes time and effort (and thus money) to program a system NOT to do something that could well be left untouched?

[Serial_Apologist]

"Patience is a virtue"... and is anyone called Patience in any case, these days?

However, my main grumble today is about all the media speculation over whether or not Rachel Reeves will be announcing tax raises in the forthcoming autumn budget. Either she will or she won't. So, what is the point of it? Is it to put the heebie-jeebies up the speculators (who have far too much power in any case) encouraging arm-twisting pre-emptive currency selling that will cause further damage?

Oh yes, and why has it become de rigueur for politicians making announcements to flank themselves with stupid looking flags folded to resemble restaurant table napkins (or serviettes, if you prefer)?

[Petrushka]

Our local War Memorial has acquired a backdrop of a couple of England flags behind it in readiness for the Remembrance Sunday parade in a sop to the current mood of patriotism (whatever that is).

Perhaps those taking part might like to read Wilfred Owen's 'Futility' and reflect in what contempt those lads whose names are on the Memorial would have for such nonsense.

With the passing of the generations, I've increasingly felt uneasy at what seems to me to be less a Remembrance and more of a celebration of war, or at least a fostering of the very nationalism that leads to war.