Say “agent” plainly before you try anything else

The menu has asked you to describe your problem a third time, it still has not understood you, and you are now angry at a recording. People who have been in this spot share a long list of tricks, and the tricks contradict each other. Some of them can get you hung up on.

To reach a person, say “agent” or “representative” calmly and plainly, and if the system loops or cuts you off, hang up and try another route instead of escalating.

This page is for ordinary customer-service calls. If the call is about your health, an insurance claim or an emergency, see the last section before you try anything here.

Start with the plain words

Some people say many systems pass you to a person after they have failed to understand you three to five times, or when you say a word such as agent, representative or operator. One person says that saying “agent” still works nearly every time, even where pressing 0 no longer does. Another says repeating a word like “representative” or “agent” brings a transfer. Have your account details ready, because one person warns that some companies ask for them before they will transfer you at all, which cancels the time you saved.

Some people say certain words, such as “cancel my service”, send the call to a retention or support agent. One person says that asking for the retention department reaches agents who hold more authority. One person warns that an automated system may carry out a request to cancel without a person ever checking it, so say that word only if you mean it. The page on saying cancel covers what to do with it.

Pressing 0 and other buttons

Many people say pressing 0 is a common way to reach an operator, and some people say pressing 0 or # repeatedly can force a transfer or end the call, depending on the company. Many people say newer systems treat 0 as an invalid choice and either loop the menu or hang up. What decides it, they said, is the age and set-up of the particular system. A press or two can cost you the call if that system hangs up, and then you ring again. Mashing buttons is the move some people warn against: too many presses on 0 or # can drop the call.

This page leaves out typing random numbers. One person pointed out that typing random numbers is often the worst approach because it can send you to the wrong queue, and some people say modern systems now hang up on callers who do it.

One person says doing nothing and letting the menu time out can eventually connect you to a person, because the system has to account for callers who cannot use it. Some people say other systems hang up if you give no valid answer, so this is one more try, not a promise.

Shouting, swearing and nonsense words

Many people say that shouting or swearing at the system, or speaking nonsense words, can get you to a person. Many people say newer systems cut the call off instead of transferring when you shout, swear or give nonsense: the system hangs up, tells you to calm down, or tells you to call back later. One person says that a live agent may hang up on swearing right away. One person warns that swearing at a company’s system can bring consequences for your account.

Which one happens depends on the company’s system, and this page cannot tell you which company’s system will do which. What the loud methods cost is the call itself: if the system or agent hangs up, you are back at the start. That is why this page starts with the calm words.

Once a person answers, some people say a friendly word helps and aggression can backfire. One former tech-support worker said callers who had cursed at the system usually apologised once a person came on. One person says the person who answers had no say in how the menu was built.

Other doors

Some people say calling the sales line is more reliable because it is staffed, and the person who answers can often answer technical questions or send you to the right department. One person says to ask the agent for a warm transfer, where they connect you straight to the right department so you do not go through the menu again. One person says live chat on a company’s website is often quicker than a call for a simple issue. Some people say that when a company’s phone line does not respond, a message to its corporate offices can reach people. The page on going one desk up, in writing, covers how.

Some people point to websites that list direct numbers and button sequences for big companies. Because methods vary by company, treat what you find as a starting guess. Some people save the number with commas between the digits, so that the phone pauses and presses the menu choices for you once you know the sequence.

One person warns that skipping the menu can leave you waiting in a general queue and then passed on again, which can take longer than choosing the right options, and says it suits basic support only.

What this page leaves out

Many people say picking another language from the menu can shorten the wait. Some people argue it takes help meant for people who need that language. This page leaves it out. It also leaves out tricks that involve saying something untrue, such as claiming an emergency or a job at a competitor, or threatening a lawsuit.

Who this page is not for

If the call is about an emergency, the safety note at the top comes first. One person warns against using bypass tricks for calls about a hospital, medical insurance or pharmacy assistance, because you may be routed to staff who cannot help or lose access to the service you need. That person’s advice for those calls is not to game the menu.

If you are calling a company where you want to keep a good standing, one person warns that using the random-number trick can mark you as difficult, which may affect favours later, and another that swearing can put your account at risk. One person says that in some countries, Romania for one, invalid input makes the system hang up outright, so these methods may behave differently where you are.