Automated phone systems have become nearly ubiquitous in our efficiency-driven society, and many people frequently interact with them. Even though these phone systems, more formally known as ...

Perhaps automated voice response phone systems should have an extra option that allows callers to listen to meditation tapes. It seems I’m not the only one that gets instantly hot-under-the-collar ...

No customer service task is more obnoxious than wading through a modern automated phone tree system trying to reach a human agent. Today most routine customer service tasks can be completed online, ...

Phone menus, also known as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, could be a blessing when all goes well, but extremely frustrating when all a consumer wants is a human representative. How would ...

In an era marked by technological advances that significantly streamline access to a service across consumer industries —from food delivery to travel to eCommerce—healthcare has found itself ...

Automated phone call programs can be an effective way for health systems to ensure that older adults are getting important information about care plans or to notify them of follow-up appointments post ...

Like self-checkout kiosks—perhaps even more so—automated phone menus are a prime example of shitty automation. They are exemplars of the kind of automated system that no user asked for, that are ...

Running a small business you realize how valuable each hour is, and you try to use that time wisely. And lately, I’ve fallen into various traps that sap this most precious commodity. Consider the ...