by Aria Quill

Created on: November 11, 2008   Last Updated: December 13, 2008

Technology helps us waste time. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't get a rash of phone calls between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. in the evening using the automated questionnaires. I absolutely hate this! I live alone and I have to run to the phone to answer as it could be anyone in my family who are mostly elderly and I do concern myself with their welfare. Once I am connected to the phone via the wires I hear these automated voices and messages of distress about falling credit ratings and insurance policy and other such business related material. I wonder what kinds of business really think people are programmed to buy in this manner. Maybe the younger generation are but the older ones have questions to ask.

These automated time wasters are clearly defining society as a bunch of idiots who can no longer think for themselves and need to be told what and when and how to live life. I feel that who ever dreamed this situation up had to believe that people needed automation as a form of cattle proders for their ignorance. It is truly an insult to the integrity of the world at large.

One of the worse offenders of the situation is the phone companies. When ever one calls for any amount of information you get the automated voice on the other end that has to lead you literally through a maize of numbers and maybe you will be satisfied or not. Then ultimately you will press 0 and reach a real person. This person is one of the employees who has been living in another part of the world and has in fact learned English and speaks the language I am sure with the help of the computer and barely is understandable and the sentences have to be repeated so many times that there is no point in doing anything but hanging up and going back to what ever you were doing and feeling disatisfied.

Personally, I have wasted over 1hour or more with the phone companies trying to get to a destination where I can speak to a knowledgeable person to get the information that I need. At this point in my life I have fewer and fewer phone calls and wonder if I would benefit by not having a phone line at all and just use a cell phone for emergency out calls.

If time is so precious why can't one call a company and right away get a customer service representative and do business? The only company that I can, on a regular basis, where I get through to a representative is the Manulife Health Care service. I seem to call and get right through fast without confusion or frustration. That is a really big company

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