Hacking phone queues
By Techgirl

The last time I rang my credit card company because I had been charged for 2 pairs of shoes instead of one, 20 minutes dragged by before I could speak to someone. Tired of waiting on hold? VoIP News, which only reports on VoIP, has collated 50 shortcuts that can help you out.

Some of the 50 Tips are

“
Confuse, frustrate and game the system by pressing these numbers and characters.

1. Press zero. Pressing zero will often result in a direct route to a live person. Continue pressing zero until you're put through. You may need to try combinations such as "0#," "#0," "0*" or "*0."
2. Memorize prompts. If you're unfortunate enough to have call about the same issue on a regular basis, memorize the prompts that work for you.
3. Press the pound key. Skip to the next message or just confuse the system by pressing this character.
4. Press the star key. Again, the star key can open up system tricks or simply make the system give up on you.
5. Press everything. By pressing multiple numbers, you can trick systems into thinking you're on a rotary phone — or that you're crazy. Either way, you're in.
6. Go through the phone prompts. Sometimes it pays to work with the system.
7. Press any digit repeatedly. You may land in the wrong department, but you'll end up at beginning of line when you're transferred.

Use these key trigger words and methods to get through interactive voice phone trees.
“

Apparently, another trick is to ring ‘Sales’ or ‘New Customers’ and then ask them to divert you to the relevant Department. Anything diverted via sales has priority. Another trick one of my friends uses is to Google the name of the CEO of the company and then ensure great service by nonchalantly letting the Customer Service Operator know that her Mama or Chachaji is the CEO. (Note: Girls, this is not recommended for everybody.  You have to be a smooth talking woman with some experience in a political party like Congress or BJP, or a marketing ‘consultant’ at a tech company, or a journalist of at least 3 years standing to bluff like that)

All nasty tricks to jump the queue at BPOs.  But I love them.

Techgoss note:  Techgirl is a senior Tech journalist who reports on the IT, KPO and KPO Sectors for a leading media house.  In her spare time, she dabbles in satire in her blog techgirltalk.blogspot.com.  Techgirl has been ejected from Twitter for satirizing an Indian Minister.  Her satire blog has links to her Times of India interview detailing her being kicked out of Twitter, and then being invited back.