Stop Automated Phone System Runaround!
We have all been frustrated trying to reach a live person when we call a business number - if we can even find the phone number to begin with! In this lens I will share how to (easily) get the phone numbers to many major corporations, and ways to circumvent automated voice systems.
Lists of Business Phone Numbers
Lists with direct phone numbers so you can talk to a live person.
PayPal Phone Numbers
Get 'em while they're hot!
Need to talk to a live person at PayPal? Here's the list!402/935-2000 through 2319 will generally get you to someone
Sandra in Executive Office 402/935-2310
Chris wth Seller Protection 402/935-2302
ACH Department 402/935-2205
Mary Joe 402/935-2206
Michelle in Finance 402/935-2212
Brandon 402/935-2209
John 402/935-2303
Dennis 402/935-2304
Erica 402/935-2308
Gloria in Finance 402/935-2208
Patrick 402/935-2301
Sandy 402/935-2311
Betty 402/935-2207
Free Blackberry White Pearl Cell Phone
See my lens on the Free Blackberry Pearl or the Free Blackberry 8700.
BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Phone, White (T-Mobile)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/29/2009) 
Talk to a Human Being - Here's How!
Getting to a human...
Once you have a phone number, here are some tips to try to get through the computer to get to a live human:
1. 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. :-(
2. 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.
3. Just hold, pretending you have only an old rotary phone.
4. Connect to account collections or sales or account cancellation; they always seem to answer quickly. First ask them for their name and rep number (so they know you are writing it down, and thus so they are more likely to help you.) Then ask them to transfer you to the department you need. Sometimes they will put you ahead of the queue, although sometimes they will send you to the end (and thus in those cases this tip is useless).
5. Toll call. For credit cards, if the expected wait time is too long, hangup and try to call back on their non-toll-free number, as they often have shorter queues.
6. Selecting the option for Spanish will sometimes get you a bilingual human more quickly than if you just waited for an English-only operator.
When you do finally find a human, ask them how to connect directly the next time (in case your call gets disconnnected etc), and be sure to tell us so we can then list their number here.
1. 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. :-(
2. 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.
3. Just hold, pretending you have only an old rotary phone.
4. Connect to account collections or sales or account cancellation; they always seem to answer quickly. First ask them for their name and rep number (so they know you are writing it down, and thus so they are more likely to help you.) Then ask them to transfer you to the department you need. Sometimes they will put you ahead of the queue, although sometimes they will send you to the end (and thus in those cases this tip is useless).
5. Toll call. For credit cards, if the expected wait time is too long, hangup and try to call back on their non-toll-free number, as they often have shorter queues.
6. Selecting the option for Spanish will sometimes get you a bilingual human more quickly than if you just waited for an English-only operator.
When you do finally find a human, ask them how to connect directly the next time (in case your call gets disconnnected etc), and be sure to tell us so we can then list their number here.
Free Blackberry Pearl from T-Mobile
BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Phone, Black (T-Mobile)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/29/2009)
Business Phone Standards
Core principles good businesses should adopt.
* Humans first - In cases where a human is available, a human should quickly answer the call and determine the caller's need.* Make it easy - The system should be so easy, convenient and efficient to use that people will willingly choose to use it.
* Efficient prompts - No prompt content should be included unless it improves efficiency of task completion for the user.
* Logical flow - Self-service applications should have logical flow. For example, it is unacceptable to obtain a caller's account number, and then ask if he/she would like to open an account.
Free Blackberry Pearl from Cingular
BlackBerry Pearl 8100c Phone, Slate Grey (AT&T)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/29/2009)
The gethuman project
Making the customer service experience for consumers easier, more effective & more efficient.
Information in this lens is shared with the permission of the gethuman project, a consumer movement to improve the quality of phone support in the US. Their free website is run by volunteers and is powered by over one million consumers who demand high quality phone support from the companies that they use.
Almost Free Blackberry 8700g from T-Mobile
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- warriormer warriormer Jan 7, 2009 @ 1:16 am
- Very nice lens lots of good info I gave you 5 stars.
reverse cell phone number look up
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- Bob Bob Jul 24, 2008 @ 2:36 pm
- Thanks for the tips. I got straight through to a human at T-mobile, no computer bs.
Free Blackberry 8700c from Cingular
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An SEO specialist, I think Squidoo is awesome! Not only is it fun to make lenses, they help my web sites in the search rankings. (more)
