My debit card expires this month, so I just got a new one in the mail. It has a number you have to call to activate it. So I dialed, and it rang twice. (I’m used to auto-answer systems picking up on the first ring, but whatever.)<\/p>\n
I expected something like, “Thanks for calling Visa! To activate a card, press 1…”<\/p>\n
Instead, I got:<\/p>\n
“November 8, 2007!!!”<\/p>\n
[awkward pause]<\/p>\n
[lengthy message in Spanish directing Spanish speakers to press 2]<\/p>\n
“Here’s how I can help you.”<\/p>\n
[awkward pause]<\/p>\n
[To activate a card, say “Activate a card.” To report a lost or stolen card…]<\/p>\n
Me: “Activate a card.”<\/p>\n
“Okay.”<\/p>\n
[awkward pause]<\/p>\n
“Please say the last four digits of the card.”<\/p>\n
Me: [does so]<\/p>\n
“All cards associated with this account have been activated. Goodbye.”<\/p>\n
It was the strangest thing. And while “normal people” may like it, I find it extremely<\/em> awkward to speak to computers on the phone. I’d think it would be less error-prone if I was asked to dial<\/em> the last four digits. And it would certainly feel less awkward than me sitting in the living room saying, “Activate a card! 1-2-3-4!”<\/p>\n The worst is the greeting. Especially when it comes to credit cards, it’s important to at least pretend you’re a real company. Shouting (excitedly) a date and then having a couple seconds go by doesn’t inspire too much confidence.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My debit card expires this month, so I just got a new one in the mail. It has a number you have to call to activate it. So I dialed, and it rang twice. (I’m used to auto-answer systems picking … Continue reading