"I'm Old Fashioned"

Anytime there is any type of election coming up, there is a veritable flood of recorded messages from or about the candidates.  I, however, do not listen to such phone calls.  As soon as I recognize that the "caller" is a recording, I hang up.  If it is so important to get their message to the voting public, then have a live person call me.  I'm not too interested in political messages anyway, but I can guaran-damn-tee you, I will not waste my time listening to a recording.  I have other things to do.

It used to be limited to political messages, but these days there are all sorts of charities, companies, and causes which have opted to invade my life with their messages.  Its annoying, but I don't listen to those either.  You want my attention?  Well, siccing a recording on me is not the way to get it!!

Now there is a new wrinkle.  It started with interactive "customer service" menus that require input from my end.  Evidently these things can be set up to pick up certain words and that puts you on whatever track to get to the next question on your way through automated hell, trying to speak to a company person about any number of things.  Those annoy me as well, as the options offered never seem to quite fit my needs.  If it gets too complicated I either hang up in frustration or stick with it until I can confuse it enough so that it connects me to a person.

Although, I don't care for these types of calls, I at least know going in, that the voice is computer generated and react accordingly (hanging up!)  With this new wrinkle the line between real and computer voices is much less clear.

It's happened twice now. The first time it was easy to tell, but the second time it took me a while to figure it out.    The "conversation" went like this::

CALLER:  Good afternoon.  How are you today?

ME:  I'm fine thank you.  And you?

CALLER:  I'm fine.  Thank you for asking.  I'd like to speak with Michael ____ please.

ME:  I'm sorry.  He's not available.

CALLER:   Oh, well, I'll call back another time.  There's no message.

ME:  Well, I'm Mrs. ____.  Could I help you?

CALLER:  Oh sure, I can talk with you.  That'd be great.

ME:  What can I do for you?

(a couple of clicks)

CALLER:  Good afternoon. How are you today?

ME: What?   Is this a recording???!!

CALLER  I'm fine.  Thank you for ask......(voice continuing)

ME:  I can't BELIEVE this!!   (Hang up)


I swear, until the clicks, I had no idea it was a recording!!  The voice seemed to be responding to my input appropriately.  The voice didn't sound at all mechanical or fake.  It sounded real enough to fool me.  Evidently something triggered a restart, or I might not have known even then!

Technology just keeps getting sneakier and sneakier!!  Recordings that seem to be a real person!! I ask you!  I don't know about you, but that sort of thing leaves me feeling duped, foolish, and annoyed!  Seriously annoyed!!  Unfortunately I hung up before I learned who was calling and why, so I can't even contact them to complain!

I have a phone for MY convenience, not for the convenience of those who want only to sell me something!

I guess "I'm Old Fashioned"....my phone is for conversations with people not machines!