Customer service sucks because they want you to give up. Saves on wages, saves on resolving your issue/return

Just had to deal with this with Delta. They moved my flight to a way shittier route. When they do that or make significant schedule changes, you can get your money back even on the "non refundable" tickets. I cancelled and opted for a full refund. Delta sent an email that they were refunding my card. 2 weeks goes by, and no refund. I had to call, lie about the reason for my call so I could get to a human because any time I said what I actually was calling for it would kick me to an automated system that couldn't solve my problem. I think I said I was buying a ticket or something. Then after 45 minutes hold time, get transferred, to another 15 minute hold. Eventually got to talk with someone and got my money back, but FFS, 3 weeks and a 1+ hour phone call to fix their fuck up is ridiculous.

Makes you think twice the next time you need to chase a refund.
- You're right. Next time I should just let business daddy Delta take my $700. I can't believe I was so foolish to call them on their bullshit.

And then half the time you get to the rep and you're just beyond pissed off because you've heard the same menus 5 times now trying to get a rep.

I've started yelling "get me a fucking representative or I'm hanging up" at the bots. It works shockingly often, especially if moneys involved. Then I'm nice and polite to the rep. Isn't their fault.

Though if I ever meet one any of the people that work on these systems, they better hope it isn't in a dark alley...

I’ve heard some systems can detect the tone and irritated people go through easier

I have no idea where I got this information so don’t quote me on this
- It's definitely a thing. I've called two different places first time I lost my shit on the menu then got a person. 2nd time I tested it with "are you fucking kidding me?!" Got a rep. I plan to continue until it doesn't work.
- I used to work adjacent to this space, and yeah - it's certainly a thing, but from my understanding, it's not particularly widely used, and where it is, it's FAR more commonly used for assessing rep performance and the like rather than call queue triage.
- This is definitely a concept for emails/tickets so i assume it is for calls.
  
  It’s called “sentiment” analysis.
  
  Priority can also be given in some systems by customer value.

Even if you do speak to a representative, most of the time they can't help you because they're only trained to help solve issues that can be solved online.

Most of the time they are third party companies hired out by the main one who have literally zero ability to resolve your issue.

This is the realest meme I've ever seen

Hit 0 and keep hitting it. It doesn't work as often as it used to, but it works pretty often.

Also if you need something from spectrum just ask to speak with retentions

Or “Agent”

I usually spam the 0, *, and # keys while saying "representative" and can get through. Doesn't always work, and sometimes it goes through a couple different robot menus, but I'd say I get to a human about 80% of the time

"Operator" also works in some systems.
'Cancel' is a other good one

Com. Goddamned. Cast. 🤬

Some systems can tell when you start swearing angrily and will push you into the human queue. So something like "I just want a human being you motherfucking piece of shit!" Is a viable strat.

I think my wife got hung up on by an automated phone tree because she was swearing while trying to get to a real person. Pissed her off even more.
- Yeah that happened enough that I’ve stopped using that trick.
  
  On the plus side now they use AI so I get to spend 10 minutes trying to explain to a computer that I have an issue that it can’t help with because I wouldn’t be fucking calling otherwise
- I can see their logic. It's bullshit though, and not doing them any favors, but it's not likely hurting them either.
- There has been on going repairs "in my area", even though I haven't experienced any downtime. everytime I call, even if it's not related to it, I get 3 repeats of menus and after telling me again there's repairs, it hangs up on me. At this point I'm just waiting on the competitor to get to me, its already 2 streets down. I'll call my state representative and tell them I've been trying everyday to cancel my shit and get hanged up on. I'll just tell my bank not to process it as I'm unable to cancel the service. Idgaf at this point. Fuck Comcast.