" Your Call Is Important to Us "

Whenever I hear that robotic phrase, I can only think of screaming, "Liar! Liar! Pants on fire! Nose as long as a telephone wire!"
I work in a government department that has a call center. The call center's outgoing message is that the call center is very busy. It tells the caller that he (or possibly she) might want to call back later. If you are ALWAYS hearing the message to call back later, you will eventually perceive that your call is unwanted.
Calls are not particularly important (unless someone is being pardoned by the governor or the check is really in the mail).
So often when I make calls to corporations, I am reminded of the importance of my call or of the fact that my call will be recorded to assure quality. Assure quality?! What the heck does that mean? Quality isn't always good on either side of the call.
I consider it propaganda. My least favorite robotic message is from the bank that holds my mortgage. Normally I would have nothing to do with that financial institution, but the mortgage is at 3%. I am asked the usual host of questions; account number, social security number, birth date. Then I'm asked if I want to continue in English or in Spanish. Then I'm asked the nature of the call. When I scream the words, "Operator," or "Agent," I'm threatened with a hang up or I am told the dreaded, "I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble understanding you."
I ABSOLUTELY HATE IT WHEN A ROBOTIC VOICE SAYS, "I'M SORRY," or "I'M HAVING TROUBLE..."
At the end of this dreaded interaction that I have with a robot, I am told that the office is closed. I believe it should be illegal for a robotic device to engage humans if there is no human available to intervene. The stupid machine should be programmed to say that first.
Oh well, that's my 2-cents for the day.