IVR

Most of us know what it’s like to be frustrated with automated attendant systems – from utility companies, for example – that make us wait through long messages before telling us which button to press in order to get to the next long message.

 

And for many of us, it’s comforting to have worked with some of the automated systems for so long that we know in advance which buttons to press, and don’t have to sit through those messages.

 

Sensing our delight in that knowledge, one Web site has created a database of telephone menu options to help consumers reach agents quickly.

 

Officials at ContactHelp.com say their list includes customer service and technical support contact information for more than 500 of the world’s largest companies. A visit to the site shows that the most-searched organizations are Amazon, Best Buy, Apple (News - Alert), AOL and UPS.

 

According to Michael Goldfarb, co-creator of ContactHelp.com, what started as a simple database shared among friends has grown into a vast and valuable resource anyone can use.

 

“After launching the site with just a handful of listings more than 6 months ago, we received a tremendous amount of ongoing positive feedback and gratitude from our visitors who were more than eager to help both maintain and add to our directory,” Goldfarb said.

 

The site was launched earlier this year. To give an example of the time it can save, here’s what it takes to reach AOL’s (News - Alert) customer service, according to the site: press 0 six times, until the recording asks for account information, then enter “#” three times.

 

Features added recently include: embedded topical videos from YouTube (News - Alert) – mostly consumers relaying personal customer service horror stories and actual phone call recordings; ability to send any information from the directory as an SMS message directly to your cell phone or downloaded as a VCard; ratings and comments from Web site visitors; and thousands of customer service-related articles broken down per individual company.

 

Officials at ContactHelp.com say that the notion of “public upkeep” has proven successful for sites such as Wikipedia, and has been adopted by the people behind ContactHelp.com.

 

Some companies continually change their systems to avoid easy access to live people, but any visitor to ContactHelp.com can update any of the information associated with the directory.

 

According to Michael McCallister, co-creator of ContactHelp.com, the company has created a community-maintained resource to make it simple for consumers to easily locate and receive customer service and technical support.

 

“As customers ourselves, we believe there is a reasonable expectation that companies stand behind their products and services, and we hope to give our visitors the information they need to more easily access customer service and support,” McCallister said.