Why I vehemently dislike having to deal with companies, services by telephone
Company, government insistence on 19th century technology for communication confounds me
The telephone is commonly believed to have been invented by Alexander Graham Bell, though, more accurately, its creation resulted from the work of several individuals through the 19th century, including that of Antonio Meucci and Johann Philipp Reis (reference Wikipedia). Telephony has not changed much over the last 150 years (Bell first demonstrated his system for communication by wires in 1873).
In my lifetime of more than a half-century, I have seen telephones lose their rotary dialer, adopt touch tones, become freed from the wall and evolve to be cordless and then wireless through cellular technology. But fundamentally, the concept of voice communications through a device to another human remains the same.
Despite all the fascination with modern technologies, artificial intelligences, automated digital assistants, widespread Internet use, and so on, most companies and government agencies seem steadfastly stuck in the past, requiring us to call them on the telephone to accomplish most tasks.
The federal government, for example, has spent billions on modest movement towards digital services for Canadians. We can file our taxes online and apply for some services online, but any questions or follow-ups must be handled by telephone. There is no online secure communication service available, which to me seems bizarre, especially in this age of fraud. If the tax man has a question, he calls you, and we are supposed to trust that this random telephone call is really from a government official. For calls we initiate, good luck. Either you will be on hold endlessly or not get through at all. This is progress?
Most companies are no better. While many offer some digital services, the tools are typically incomplete, forcing the user back to 19th-century technology.
For example, my TV satellite service provider, Shaw Direct, allows a customer to subscribe entirely online and to pay bills online, but if you want to remove even a single channel, let alone cancel your service, you are forced to call them on the telephone.
Bell, Canada’s tech behemoth, still pushes the telephone too. While some actions can be completed online, just try using their web chat service to ask questions. The rep from the other side of the world will insist on transferring the discussion to the telephone.
I hate the telephone. I hate everything about it. No one should force me to use it.
It’s the 21st century, and I should not have to use a telephone to accomplish tasks if I don’t want to.
The technology to avoid it has existed for years, so why are companies and governments here in Canada so slow to adopt it?
I’ve been told that e-mail communication isn’t secure and can easily be read, tampered with, etc. That is true of the telephone as well. So?
Is traditional letter mail better? Important documents, such as bills and new credit cards, seem to be sent by mail, even though the system is open to interception and loss. Just try sending a letter to a company or government agency, though. If they respond at all, they likely will revert to the telephone “for security reasons.” Oh sure.
Every government service, corporation, and organization should immediately set up a secure online portal for communications. It is simple, and most importantly, it is secure. Both sides know who we are communicating with. We can share documents and images, we can write words back and forth. And, importantly, there is a digital record (proof), of the communications, which can be useful for many reasons, for both parties of the communications.
But maybe that is exactly the point. Governments and companies don’t want to be held to account. If the communication takes place on the telephone, it is fairly easy to simply, say, “No, we never said that,” or, “You misunderstood us.” (Few individuals record their phone conversations, though many companies claim that they do on their end if you contact their call centres.)
I want a record of my communications.
One of the main reasons I prefer to communicate in writing with government services, organizations and corporations is so I will have a record of what is “said” and who “said it.” This can be helpful to refer back to later, but is also essential for legal reasons, should that ever become necessary.
But I also just don’t want to use the telephone. A good friend of mine joked for many years that I never answer the phone when he calls, and the odd time that I did pick up, he genuinely seemed shocked.
It’s not that I don’t want to talk to people; it’s more like I don’t feel comfortable talking on the telephone. There are many reasons, aside from the record-keeping issue highlighted above.
Here are some…
I am afraid that I will be lost for words or forget what I need (or want) to say.
I worry that I won't be prepared with the necessary answers/information.
I am shy.
I am unmotivated.
I am sad.
I don’t have the energy for a lengthy phone conversation.
My mind often gets foggy. (I think this is one of my long COVID symptoms, but who really knows?)
I dislike most people. (Sorry)
Cellular service from home is poor so conversations at times can be difficult. (This is a practical excuse. Trying to talk on a bad cellphone connection is horrible for both parties. And yes, I have tried multiple companies where I live, and none is reliable.)
I want to avoid potential conflict (and the resulting added stress).
I fear that my mental health state will show through the telephone conversation. It is easier to avoid this chance with text messages, letters, and e-mails.
Dealing with most companies and government departments has become a hassle, both from the time wasted waiting for the service and the drawn-out procedure to accomplish anything. (Your estimated wait time is 3 hours… 😡)
I do want to talk with you, just not on the phone.
Please don’t be disheartened or think that I don’t want to talk with you. That’s not true. I do. Just not on the phone. Please. I beg of you.
Sean can be reached on Mastodon and Bluesky, as well as via Telegram or SimpleX. For a complete list of connections, please see my Bio Link page here.