Agree 100%. I have never yet benefited from “automated help”, the reason being that if it was a simple issue I had - that automated help might actually be able to help with - then I’d have worked out the solution myself already. If I am having to ring or email then the answer is NOT obvious so it is NOT going to appear in any pre-written menu or help file. By the time I’ve decided I need to ring someone for help, I know I need to actually speak to someone, but then they hide the number until you’ve wasted 15 minutes delving through menu’s, or worse, make you converse with a chatbot before offering human help, which normally goes something like:
ME: I’m trying to track an order but your website displays an internal error message.
CHATBOT: Here’s a walkthrough on how to track an order… ….
ME: I cannot get that far. Your website is faulty.
CHATBOT: If you’ve purchased an item that is faulty, follow our returns procedure… ….
ME: I want to speak to a human
CHATBOT: Did you know you can use the CHATBOT to get assistance with your queries? What can I help you with?
