A Toll-free Story!

I perched the cordless phone between my ear and shoulder after punching in the long number and continued dusting my furniture. 10 a.m. on a friday morning when the cleaning bug bit me. A voice answered. A new-comer to this invention would think he has got through to speaking to someone for his needs in less than a ring. Unfortunately, for us it happens to be a recorded voice. I pressed the right options as the voice guided me balancing my duster and the phone and umpteen other items that lay on my book shelf... and then it began... Music!

I switched on the speaker phone for I knew we're going to have a long.. umm... conversation(?).. and lay the phone down. Some soulful orchestral piece poured into my living room. Then, I heard another voice. But again, sadly enough she informed me that all their 'representatives' were busy. I had to wait for Lady Luck to strike. I continued my dusting, sometimes almost swaying to the music. And then she came on the line again to inform me that my call was 'important to their business'. Ok, so far so good - but I am far from impressed! I reached for my vaccuum cleaner and began my run around the house. The music still playing in the background (or should I say foreground?) for my vaccuum cleaners whirring had began competing with the phone. I must admit, the sounds did get on my nerves!

10:23 a.m. Ok! Now, what WAS it with this number? I stopped my cleaning momentarily and picked up my phone that seemed to so obidiently play along all this while. But my temper said otherwise. Enough! I pressed the little red button and hung up. So much for the information I wanted. I picked the phone off the floor and yanked it on the couch. I completed my cleaning and sat down with a glass of water thinking to myself how much longer I would have to wait on hold to get the information I wanted. Sometimes it makes me wonder if these so called toll-free numbers are put in place only to make you listen to music. In fact, I think people must change their strategy. Oh by people, I mean musicians. They could possiblly begin selling their music on toll-free numbers by putting it up as the hold tone.

I wonder if it even bothers the company's higer officials if a customer is not getting the information he wants from a number that is supposed to help him with it. I truly wonder, if it even matters to them. And sometimes I wonder whether they themselves are'nt in situations like this - banks, insurance, ticketing etc. OH! Oh! oh! I forgot.. they have secretaries... Hmm.. There goes my chance of complaining to them. At this point in time if there is ONE thing I wish to do it would be to call the CEO of some firm who has a toll-free number and play the worst CD I have in my house for a good 30 mintues. Is it worth you ask? But at least revenge is sweet.