Have you ever tried to get through to your bank, the company who provides you with Gas or electricity, phone, insurance or some other service you use?

We have all been there; the phone sometimes rings and rings while you wait but these days the ringing only lasts for a minute before you get to the recording.  It welcomes you and then there are the questions.  The first is usually “please key in your account number”, so you do that thinking you are getting somewhere, but then the real questions start;  If you would like a quote press 1; If you would like to pay your bill press 2;  if you have an emergency press 3; if you have a technical problem press 4 etc.

You often listen to so many that, by the time the options have finished, you have forgotten option 1, but then you press the best option you can only to be told that they have a few more options for you.  Then, if you are like me, your frustration really starts to kick in.

Well I have a little tip for you. If, when the recording asks, you don’t key in your account number, the system really can’t cope so it will usually ask again.  I suggest that you need to continue to keep quiet no matter how many times the recorded voice repeats its request for your account number, and you will find that the recording will tell you that it is having problems with your call followed by the encouraging news that ‘ it will just put you through to an adviser”.  It will still take time to get through but you will have spent a lot less time pressing buttons before this part of the process starts.

There is also the possibility that the recording tells you that they can’t help until you find your number, followed by ‘goodbye’.

This approach… well it usually works!