Customer Service?

I can't tell you how much I despise those company automated customer service phone lines that send you down a chain of automated voice-activated choices. Ugh!

I was about ready to throw my phone last night after dealing with both DHL's and Gateway's "wonderful" automated customer service lines. Gateway by far wins the worst ever automated telephone customer service award cause the system can't even understand you voice. They ask for model number on you laptop and after 5 tries, their system still couldn't pick up the simple 6 digit model number I was saying. So, you just get stuck.... in a endless loop of frustration.

When I finally am headed for the Technical Service department (on my 4th phone call), I get stuck down another endless line of questions about whether my laptop has a harddrive, windows XP or Vista, and other mindless questions. I JUST want to find out what the tracking number of the package they sent me so I can call DHL to pick it up at their facility (since the DHL driver's handwriting is about as good as my doctors). And of course, they don't immediately give you an option to go to a live person. Grrr.

After wasting 45 minutes of my life, I finally get a live person at Gateway and finally get the tracking number. Then I had to call DHL. Ugh!

I just don't see how companies can even imagine this type of "customer service" is good for them. I will honestly think twice about buying Gateway computers in the future because the frustration and wasted time trying to navigate through their customer service help line is so not worth it.