gethuman customer service tips

Tip: did you know that your phone company charges $1.49 or more each time you call 411? Instead, try using 1-800-FREE-411 or 1-800-GOOG-411 (Google's free 411 service).

For companies who try to hide their phone numbers, many times the Google search will find a page from a disgruntled customer who exposes the phone numbers for that company. For example, see these gripe pages about Amazon.com and PayPal and these for eBay and Walmart.

getting to a human

see the gethuman database.

Interrupt. Press 0 (or 0# or #0 or 0* or *0) repeatedly, sometimes quickly. Unfortunately the same keystroke does not always work for each company. Many IVRs will connect to a human after a few "invalid entries", although some IVRs will hangup. :-(

Talk. Say "get human" (or "agent" or "representative") or raise your voice, or just mumble. :) The IVR might connect you to a human after one of these key or unknown phrases.

Just hold, pretending you have only an old rotary phone.