Call centers - any insiders care to share what really goes on?

[LivePsy]

Hi All,

Just had 2 days of call center horror. I am sure there's a whole psychology and tactics to managing callers to the point that they shoot themselves. Some things I note:

* You are placed on hold to slow you down and are more 'pliable' by the time a human speaks to you.
* Voice menus are designed to similarly put you in a submissive state, because you have to say what it wants to hear and won't forward you unless you play along. I also think they detect your mood from your voice and act aoordingly.
* You can be given phone numbers which don't actually work if you want to complain about the process.
* You can be put on permanent hold because they can't do anything about your problem - you will eventually hang up.

You'd think I must be a nightmare caller but I am reasonable and patient. Are there any insiders who can tell us the tactics call centers use? How much does an operator know about your previous calls? Can you be flagged as a nightmare person and they won't pick you up in the queue, or you get mysteriously disconnected? Can they really refer to an earlier call you made if you believe the process was not satisfatory?

Yeah, what really goes on in a call center?
B