United States 1:24
Catch a “Thursday, no, Friday”
Moved to Friday at 2 in the afternoon, no change fee.
Get through the hard parts · 26 calls
Phone menus, holds, “are you a robot?” It gets through.
The parts that make people give up: menus, hold music, bots, transfers between desks, a business that won’t talk to an AI. Hear what it does at each one.
Every call
26 calls, US first
Where
Language
On the call
- United States 2:45
Get from a support bot to a person
Asks for a representative. Billing opens a review of the double charge.
- United States 2:04
Get past a phone menu to rebook a parcel
Presses 2 for an agent, waits in the queue. Redelivery Friday 1 to 5, same address, no fee.
- United States 2:57
Get through an airline’s phone menu
Through the menu to an agent. A checked bag added for $35 and seat 11A, read back.
- United States 1:07
Hear a call drop mid-booking
The line goes dead just as the salon is about to move the appointment.
- United States 1:45
Update a mailing address that needs a code
They want a code sent to Devon. It changes nothing and brings back how Devon can do it.
- United States 3:56
Wait on hold for a repair part
Ninety seconds of hold music. The part is in: Friday 1 to 4, with a call ahead.
- United States 2:15
Answer “are you a robot?”
Asked twice. It says it’s an AI both times, then books Saturday at 3:30.
- United States 2:08
Book a table and flag allergies
Books Saturday at 7 for four, and gets a nut allergy and a vegan guest flagged.
- United States 2:08
Check a quote read out in words
Confirms the $4,372.50 total, the $1,457.50 deposit and the start date.
- United States 3:13
Correct a misheard date and number
The receptionist mishears both. It corrects each and books Tuesday at 9:15.
- United States · Spanish 2:29
Keep up when the language switches
The receptionist goes from Spanish to English and back. It books the physical.
- United States 0:49
Leave a voicemail
Nobody picks up. It leaves who it’s for, the referral, the times that work and a callback number.
- United States 2:05
Start over after a transfer
Sales pitches an upgrade, then transfers. Billing starts from zero; it gets the $12.99 credit.
- United States 1:59
Stay calm with an angry dispatcher
He demands a $49 fee. It calmly gets it waived and the delivery moved to Saturday.
London 2:23Fix the company name on a hotel invoice
Put through to accounts. A corrected invoice in the portal today, same £248.
- Leeds 2:39
Get an insurance document after two transfers
Two transfers, then the policy schedule by email, no charge.
- Birmingham 2:03
Get past a phone menu that changed
The options have changed, so it presses 3. Service moved to Friday at 2, no fee.
Singapore 2:15Hold a table that needs a deposit
Held until noon. The $40 deposit is left for Sam to pay.
Vancouver 0:29Leave a voicemail in Vancouver
Nobody picks up. It says who it’s for and the order number, and asks them to reply through the order.
- Liverpool 1:39
Move a dental appointment in Liverpool
Waits while the receptionist thinks aloud. Friday at 3:40, Tuesday let go.
- Cardiff 0:59
Turn down a deposit it wasn’t allowed to pay
They want £40, non-refundable. It doesn’t agree to it and books nothing.
Madrid · Spanish 1:23Accept a restaurant that won’t book through an AI
They only take bookings from the guest. It accepts at once and brings back how to book.
Florence · Italian 1:21Check a dinner booking time in Florence
They had 9:15. It was 19:15, Friday evening, under Rossi.
Paris · French 1:32Fix a one-letter mix-up in Paris
B, not D: BM204 is ready today, and the workshop is open until 6.
Amsterdam · Dutch 0:58Hear “we’re fully booked”
Saturday 7 to 8 is full. It books nothing outside the window and takes the 9:30 back to ask.
Questions
Does it press buttons?
Yes. It sends real keypad tones, and answers menus that ask you to say an option.
How long will it wait on hold?
Calls include 5 minutes and can run longer at 0.2 credits a minute. Phone menus and hold time count toward the minutes.
What if the call drops?
If nobody picks up, or the call drops early, we try again, up to 3 times, at no extra cost.
Something like this to call about? Ask your agent.
$1.50 a call; your first is $1. It says it’s an AI, and you get the recording.