[X]
Write ReviewJump to 
4
Helpful
Votes
Votes
Fidelity Investments Complaint - Voice automated customer service fiasco
Complaint
I just had to vent my recent experience with Fidelity. I needed to talk to someone about transferring some assets, so I called their 1-800 number.
I was greeted by an automated system that gave me the standard set of questions to help narrow down where they needed to send me.
This is where it got tricky, and I started to get annoyed. After providing my account number, they wanted me to provide my password as well from my online account. No problem, but they wanted me to "speak it" into the phone. No option to type it in. So I said it out loud as a phrase first. Their system failed (of course) to recognize it. So they said try again, I spelled it out very clearly this time. Once again, the system could not recognized what I was saying. It now told me my account was locked and I needed to reset my password.
Great. I just want to speak to someone about a question, and now my account is locked. Okay, fine, next it asks me some security question I must have put in years ago. I knew the answer, but this time it wanted me to type it using the phone pad. It was not a short answer, so I tried my best to type it in, not knowing what to type for spaces in the answer. Finally after 3 attempts I get past.
Now it wants me to reset my password, again using the phone keypad... Why is all this necessary for me to talk to a customer service rep? I just wanted to call and ask a simple question?
So I change my password, update my files so I know what it is next time (not that it will help, since their voice automated system could not recognize it the first time around).
At last I'm in!! Once talking to an actual live person I must say I was impressed with their level of customer service. But getting there was an entertaining mess...
I was greeted by an automated system that gave me the standard set of questions to help narrow down where they needed to send me.
This is where it got tricky, and I started to get annoyed. After providing my account number, they wanted me to provide my password as well from my online account. No problem, but they wanted me to "speak it" into the phone. No option to type it in. So I said it out loud as a phrase first. Their system failed (of course) to recognize it. So they said try again, I spelled it out very clearly this time. Once again, the system could not recognized what I was saying. It now told me my account was locked and I needed to reset my password.
Great. I just want to speak to someone about a question, and now my account is locked. Okay, fine, next it asks me some security question I must have put in years ago. I knew the answer, but this time it wanted me to type it using the phone pad. It was not a short answer, so I tried my best to type it in, not knowing what to type for spaces in the answer. Finally after 3 attempts I get past.
Now it wants me to reset my password, again using the phone keypad... Why is all this necessary for me to talk to a customer service rep? I just wanted to call and ask a simple question?
So I change my password, update my files so I know what it is next time (not that it will help, since their voice automated system could not recognize it the first time around).
At last I'm in!! Once talking to an actual live person I must say I was impressed with their level of customer service. But getting there was an entertaining mess...
Comments:
Posted by Lidman on 2007-02-03:
Sparticus I know what you are talking about and it is a mess when trying to deal with the machines. It makes you wonder if they even want your business.
Posted by tander on 2007-02-03:
My cell phone has that automated voice dialing, and it never understands me and calls the wrong numbers.
Posted by amaniR on 2007-02-03:
I hate talking to an automated voice system! Sometimes if you type # a bunch of times or # 0 you confuse the system and get a person (sometimes they just cut your call off though.)
What makes me mad is if you are patient enough to type or say all that information to the automated system you have to repeat it to the operator (when and if you are blessed enough to get connected to one.) What the heck is that all about?
What makes me mad is if you are patient enough to type or say all that information to the automated system you have to repeat it to the operator (when and if you are blessed enough to get connected to one.) What the heck is that all about?
Posted by Sparticus on 2007-02-03:
Good point amaniR. That does happen often. Why make me spend 5 minutes punching in all my info in a phone pad when you are just going to ask me for the exact same info when I finally get through to someone?
Posted by chow on 2007-06-07:
fidelity automated answering system is not design correctly.
the company needs to program their system with a way that customer can talk to a real person if the machine fail to understand.
the company needs to program their system with a way that customer can talk to a real person if the machine fail to understand.
Note: All comments are reviewed by a moderator before being published. Please be sure to read our guidelines before commenting.
Company Reps: Post your company response!
