Recent comments in /f/LifeProTips

Edgezg t1_jdrgj17 wrote

Reply to comment by fiddlenutz in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

What this does is bypas the wait.
You get more directly transfered to the right persona and are more liekly to handle a real person than a machine

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keepthetips t1_jdrgig1 wrote

Reply to LPT Request: What are the most useful websites / online accounts on the internet you have come across? by [deleted]

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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lock_ed t1_jdrfut1 wrote

Reply to comment by BigSpoonFullOfSnark in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

I’ve worked in quite a few call centres and this isn’t true in my experience. You’ll get a human from sales that can’t help who will just transfer you to the queue for the correct department (retention, cancellations, or whatever they call it). Unless there’s literally zero wait time for the cancellation department they’ll just cold transfer you to the queue for it and you’ll be back waiting.

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BrightNooblar t1_jdrbiyv wrote

Reply to comment by chaot1c-n3utral in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

You know its not really sales or marketing, its just data entry, right? They aren't calling you, you are calling THEM saying you want to buy something. They know whatever their product line is, they will try to suggest some bonus package, and thats about it. Its the same shit as anyone working the register at best buy offering you a warranty on your USB drive.

Outbound call centers are incredibly rare these days.

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keepthetips t1_jdrb856 wrote

Reply to LPT : When pitching baseballs for little kids to learn batting throw them fast enough so they travel in a straight line. by KingBooRadley

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

1

ConstantAmazement t1_jdra6vz wrote

Reply to LPT Request: how do I find out what apprenticeship I want to do when I don’t have any notable skills or hobbies? by Filmarnia

Don't get trapped into thinking that you will do only one thing during your life. You may have many careers. Also, don't think that whatever you pick to do is who you are. Your job/career is just what you do to pay the bills. Pick an apprenticeship that has wide application and that pays well. Sock the money away and keep your expences low. After you are settled, you can change careers if you so desire.

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BigSpoonFullOfSnark OP t1_jdr9l0t wrote

Reply to comment by BrightNooblar in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

>And most of all, we don't you screwing with Our metrics by incentivizing this approach.

Exactly why I shared this tip. These automated systems are designed to benefit the company at the costumer's. Your boss's numbers look better if you can prevent people from cancelling or receiving refunds/credits when their service is disrupted.

But if you're a person who needs a refund but you're got screwed, it's in your best interest to talk to a human being, not a chatbot.

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theprettyunicorn t1_jdr8o03 wrote

Reply to LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

I've never had an issue with pressing 0 0 0 until I got an agent. It worked with every company I had to call and couldn't reach an agent through their automated menu.

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BigSpoonFullOfSnark OP t1_jdr8hec wrote

Reply to comment by w33dcup in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

>The 'warm xfer' is first agent calling 2nd agent and saying something like "this joker called me to get out of the system

This is not what happens. These people are busy. It's in their interest to transfer you to the correct line and get back to work, not call and conspire with other departments to teach you about the automated menu.

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BigSpoonFullOfSnark OP t1_jdr80n8 wrote

Reply to comment by Wishihadcable in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

The tip is to talk to a human when you're being kept out by an automated menu.

First you'll be transferred to a human in the wrong department. If you are polite and ask them simply to transfer you to a human that can process your request, they will.

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eliseski t1_jdr7vt4 wrote

Reply to LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

I had a bug for a few years with my cell phone plan that meant I got tranfered to a different company the second i inputed my number to the auto system. (new company got assigned numbers to from old company but new company didnt have service in my area so I couldnt switch) As a result I always called as a new customer and then got transfered through to the right department. Now that the new company closed the bug is fixed but going through the regular channels to try to change my plan i gave up it before getting through. I think I might try phoning as a new customer again.

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BigSpoonFullOfSnark OP t1_jdr7quy wrote

Reply to comment by CTGolfMan in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

Not always. Sometimes "speak to a human" prompts the automated menu to recommend you check out the help topics online.

Seems like that's more and more often the case.

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BigSpoonFullOfSnark OP t1_jdr7ixy wrote

Reply to comment by 204gaz00 in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

That's a good one too. They almost certainly have a human handling those calls.

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BigSpoonFullOfSnark OP t1_jdr75zw wrote

Reply to comment by DMOrange in LPT: If you call a company to speak to customer service but the automated menu won't let you talk to a real person, say "Upgrade my account" instead of "Refund" or "Cancel," when the automated menu asks you to state why you're calling. You will immediately be transferred to a real person by BigSpoonFullOfSnark

Exactly. They don't get mad, they just transfer you because they can't help you.

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FactsFromExperience t1_jdr5s4x wrote

Reply to LPT: Turn signal before turning. by Almight_BDazzler

It seems a lot of people do get upset about turn signal usage while other people really don't care but the problem is you really can't make it a blanket statement. When you're simply changing lanes on the roadway or the freeway then yes, all of the comments do apply and you should do it a little on the early side as opposed to the later side and especially not at the last minute. However, there is another time that some people lump into the same mentality which really doesn't matter and that's when you're driving along and one of the outermost lanes and a dedicated turn lane comes along.

There is really little point or need to have your turn signal on for five or six flashes before that lane comes into existence and you merge over into it. In fact, there's really no need at all for you to use your turn signal to enter that lane because if you're going with the flow of traffic to start with you simply move out of the way and the person behind you doesn't really care and they didn't need to know you were going to get over there.

Now, two ways that problems occur. The first would be when someone starts to slow down before they get to that lane which is not proper driving anyways. So at least if your turn signal was flashing they would know why you're slowing down but if you just drive appropriately and maintain the speed until that lane appears they wouldn't know nor would they care and they wouldn't need to see your turn signal because they don't need to know your intentions.

The second what actually be the other driver's fault anyways and this would be for someone would be going ahead and getting over into that lane themselves before the lane actually presents itself!

This is a real pet peeve of mine!!

It's not up to the front driver to signal their intentions that they're going to get over into that turn lane 200 ft before the turn lane so the person behind them who's also going to use the turn lane doesn't get over first but they would probably like it because that way may might not encroach on that person's face but it's really the person in the behinds fault.

Also, don't act like they need to know their intentions because people even do this on the on ramps to the freeway! They know that every car there is going to speed up and merge over onto the highway but STILL many people are so impatient that they will get over into the lane of freeway traffic crossing over the white striped lines and the cross hatched area way before they're supposed to and before the car in front of them does who is properly merging at the end of that on ramp approach lane. It's so bad that many of them will even speed up because obviously they're in a hurry anyways and often they will then Force the person who is already driving appropriately and merging onto the highway to now merge into them when they were originally behind that car!! It's absolutely ridiculous and I see it quite often.

It creates try to conundrum if there is an accident too because there's some technicalities because if they become a car in that lane of traffic regardless of how they got there, you're supposed to yield to them but it can all be about timing and without any proof or video of this it can be complicated and more than likely the person who was in front merging properly would be cited when the entire accident and situation was caused by a person behind who merged too early. Now note that none of this has anything to do with whether they use their turn signal early late or not at all. But when you're driving along and a dedicated turn lane approaches it's a moot point to use your turn signal unless some idiot who is behind you is trying to get into that lane before it begins inappropriately..

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