People generally contact customer service when they want to cancel an internet service, complain about missed deliveries, or get help with a process. But making customer service calls can often be frustrating with the never-ending automated call systems and hold music. Only in a few cases are the problems resolved through such systems. Reaching out to a human representative directly is challenging, but there are ways to talk to a real person when calling customer service.

Dial “0” on touch-tone systems
To easily talk to a real person at Expedia or Amazon , one of the quickest ways is to press “0 “ when connected to customer service.

Press symbols like “* “ or “# “ multiple times
Often, many service providers have specific combinations that are usually repeated keys that can be dialed by field technicians or sales representatives to connect with someone without any delay. When there is no time to connect to an automated call, one can dial different combinations of keys to have a better chance of connecting to a human representative.

Dial nothing and wait for sometime
Many customer assistance systems still support older rotary-style phones. These phones do not have the ability to submit a silent tone like the latest touch-tone based phones. Due to this, the system detects confusion and directly connects to a human call agent. Therefore, to trigger this response by the customer support system, dial nothing once the call is connected. The system will assume the call has been made by a rotary phone and will connect the call to a representative immediately.

Pick the option for “cancel account “ or “new service ”
One effective way to talk to a real person during a customer service call is to choose options like “new service “ or “ cancel account, “ when presented with an automated menu. Usually, when either of these options is selected, the call is directly connected to a live operator. This person can provide assistance in resolving the problem, if any. If they are unable to provide any solution, they can redirect the call to an appropriate person for further assistance.

But if choosing “new “ or “cancel account “ does not work, try again and choose an option to check the account. When asked to enter the account number, dial any random numbers. Doing so can trigger a connection directly to a human representative.

Request to speak to a person
Saying “I would like to speak to a person “ works often when connected to a voice-response system. Repeating words such as “representative, “agent, “ or “operator “ may also work in such cases. Alternatively, try saying, “I would like to speak to a human being.” Keep in mind that most systems may miss the initial quarter of a second of a statement, so using complete sentences can improve clarity.

Repeat the word “complaint “ multiple times
Several voice-controlled systems of customer service have checks in place for specific words. When these words are repeated, the system may automatically forward the call to a live operator in place. One such word that may work is “ complaint. “ Try repeating this word about three to four times. The system might directly lead the call to a customer representative.

Try mumbling any random words
While this method may work in some cases , it does not always guarantee the right outcome. When connected to the automated voice-response system, avoid saying anything that is distinguishable. Alternatively, try mumbling random words or sentences. If the system hears the person on the other side making audible sounds but is unable to distinguish the words, it will ask to repeat what is being said. This can happen twice. After this, the system may give up and directly forward the call to the customer service representative.

Call the local branch
Many businesses have local branches in different locations to handle customer service calls directly. One can sometimes get connected to a person quicker if they call the local branch instead of the national customer care number of the business. This is because most national or universal numbers usually have automated systems in place . When connecting to a local branch, ensure that the phone number is obtained from official sources to avoid potential fraud or scams.

Make calls post-work hours
Customer support centers, like most businesses, tend to experience peak call times during certain parts of the day, part icularly between 10 am and 6 pm. During these hours, it can get challenging to connect with a real person to resolve issues. But many businesses often provide 24-hour customer service, allowing customers to try calling during off-peak hours, such as late at night or early in the morning. The probability of getting connected to a real operator during this period is high.