Our local phone service, the delightful Ameritech, introduced a new feature recently. I first heard it when I was calling someone without an answering machine. Around the sixth ring, I was startled to hear a female voice on the other end. While the phone was still ringing, I heard:
This customer’s line is still ringing. If you would like to receive a phone call when the line is free, and be automatically connected to this person when their line is free, press 1 now. This will cost 75 cents.
Really, have we become so lazy that we can’t just try again later? What if it’s an impulsive phone call? That line might not be free for a while. Maybe you should just, you know, drive over there.
This got me thinking, though: how long is it until we’ve got on-hold quality ads while the line is ringing? Imagine. You call a pet store and get ads for Iams dog food and the like. You call a computer store and get to hear about the hot new technogadget you can’t afford.
I have a feeling it’s just not that far off. -pm
Posted in Miscellaneous