Who likes automated phone menus? Due to my somewhat misanthropic nature, I actually don’t mind talking to a computer for simple tasks like paying a bill, but I hate having to press a gazillion buttons to get there. Also, when I need to talk to a human, I don’t want to have to spend the first 5 minutes of my call chatting with a robot instead. And some companies have menus that seem to be operated by HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

That’s why I’m enthralled with Fonolo, an application that handles navigating those obnoxious phone menus for you.  Here’s how it works: you sign up for an account with Fonolo and give them your phone number. Then, when you need to call a company, check and see if Fonolo has their phone menu indexed.

If they do, you can find the part of the ph0ne menu you need and click on it. Fonolo dials the company you’re calling, navigates the phone menu, and then calls you.  By the time you pick up the phone, Fonolo has already taken you to your destination.

But wait…there’s more! If all Fonolo did was navigate phone menus, it would be a cool app but I wouldn’t be giving it a perfect rating for usefulness. After all, on most phone menus, pressing 0 a couple of times takes you to a representative. Fonolo also keeps a record of the companies you called, when you called them, and lets you make notes about who you talked to and what was said.  As a former customer service rep, I can assure you that knowing these things greatly increases your chances of coming out on top in a dispute.

Fonolo will also record your calls if you enable the call recording feature. However, the long legal disclaimer leads me to believe that this may be more trouble than it’s worth, and some companies will flag your account as “written correspondence only” if they find out you’re recording phone calls.

Fonolo scores high in innovation because I could not find another company that offers a similar service. Dialahuman.com and GetHuman.com have databases of phone menus for major companies, but they don’t do the dialing for you and they don’t keep records of your calls. The user interface is attractive and intuitive, and the service greatly simplifies the hassle of trying to get customer service from a major corporation. It’s easy to see why they were named one of the “Top 25 Canadian IT Up and Comers” recently. Check out the blog of Fonolo’s founder, Shai Berger, for details.

Now if only they could guarantee a competent customer service rep on the other end of the line…

What’s the most annoying phone menu you’ve ever dealt with? And what do you think of Fonolo? Discuss in the comments.

Our Rating of Fonolo

Tags: Communication

Categories:web