Where have all the people gone?
Did you ever call a company to try to change something on their computers that was wrong and found it almost takes an act of God to get it done? After going through all the numbers on your phone and being passed over by every department in the company a sweet voice finally comes on the line. "If you need to speak to one of our representatives, please stay on the line and the next available representative will assist you." The number of times you have brought the phone from your ear to press numbers and return to your ear is more than you do with dumbbells at the gym.

Your ear is already numb from having the phone pressed against it and now you have to wait some more. The music starts to play. It's always a song you can't stand. Then a voice comes on telling you all about the wonderful things the company has to offer and how easy it is to get it and just as quickly disappears and the music resumes. Then another voice comes on the line to inform you that your call is important to them and all the representatives are busy assisting other customers so please stay on the line.

You feel like ripping the phone off the wall and tossing it in the garbage, but you know this is routine so you just exhale and lower your head and hope that there is more than one representative working for the company and someone will talk to you any minute now. So, you continue to wait.

"Hello, this is Jane, (or Jimmy or Agnes or whatever. It's always a first name only) welcome to XYZ, how might I help you today?" At last, you think, a live person, someone to talk to.

"Yes," you say, "I have a question about my most recent bill." But before you can say anything more, Jane says, "I'll transfer you to our billing department, hold on." And you are immediately again listening to the sound of the phone ringing at the billing department where you have already spoken to someone who couldn't help you and tried but failed to transfer you to Customer Service. The phone rings, and the music starts, and the vicious cycle start all over again. When someone does finally answer you hear, "Please hold," and they leave you there for what seems like the rest of the day.

Some companies have such a long menu you forget what you were calling for by the time the voice reaches the end and asks if you would like to have the menu repeated. You've already written a letter to the company with the foolish belief that this will surely take care of the problem. However,

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