ORLANDO, Fla. – A new consumer reports survey shows 70 percent of Americans are "tremendously annoyed" when they cannot reach a live operator when calling a corporation for customer service.
Now, a new website is offering tips and shortcuts that will get callers to a live person almost immediately.
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It?s called GetHuman.com, and it was just named one of Time Magazine's top 50 websites of 2011.
The site features a list of 3,700 companies in alphabetical order, from health insurance to major airlines and phone companies.
When the company name is clicked, the phone number pops up, along with directions on how to bypass the menu and actually talk to a human.
Local 6?s Mike Holfeld put the site to the test to see just how quickly GetHuman.com could get him to a human.
When calling MBNA, the website?s directions said to ignore all of the automated prompts and simply dial zero four times.
It worked. Within seconds, Holfeld was talking to an MBNA representative.
And it worked for Verizon Wireless, as well. Following GetHuman's directions, Holfeld ignored the prompts and dialed pound, zero. After about 45 seconds, he was connected with a customer service agent.
GetHuman says its list of companies grows by the day with updated phone numbers and is constantly checked for accuracy.
And companies whose numbers are listed on the site are reacting positively. GetHuman?s Chief Operating Officer said it's a good relationship, with some corporations actually contacting GetHuman with tips and extra phone numbers.
And, there is an app for that. GetHuman.com has a mobile app for iPhones and Androids. A BlackBerry app is in the works. Just search "get human" in the app store or marketplace.