Let's hire some 'real live people'

Have we, as a society, forgotten what the words "customer service" mean? I have become frustrated today as I had many telephone calls to make to a variety of companies. I could not use the Internet for several of these calls and needed a "real live person."

I made it through all of the prompts. I made it through all of the waiting for "the next available representative." I even made it through repeatedly saying to the available representative "pardon me, excuse me, etc." in order for me to understand what the person was saying to me. I can only assume that this same person probably had difficulty understanding me as well.

I eventually had my issues taken care of with the exception of one company. That company can wait until they contact me with their "necessary service inquiry."

My point of writing this, other than to vent, is to ask, why, in this day of such high unemployment, is it so important to always be talking to a machine instead of to a helpful, caring, understandable and employable human?

Cheri Klumpp

Wheeling