| Author | Message | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1846 Registered: 6-2008 |
Or at least that accommodating. At least I tried, and it's not like I offended anyone. NOTE: This is not a very good lateral puzzle. It's more to see how good the memory of some of the people here is. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4093 Registered: 9-2009 |
They: human? Adult? Male? More than two? 5? 10? A group? LTPFers? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1847 Registered: 6-2008 |
They: human? Adult? Male?No to all. More than two?<b>In the world, an indeterminate large number. But only one is directly relevant to this puzzle, and another is somewhat related. 5? 10? A group?They are all of the same "kind", but you would not ordinarily call them a "group". LTPFers?No | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4117 Registered: 9-2009 |
They: alive? Animals? Computers relevant? Offended anyone: anyone of "them"? Or any person? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1570 Registered: 2-2011 |
are they smart phones? smart cars? | ||
| Vesica (Vesica)
New member Username: Vesica Post Number: 1808 Registered: 8-2001 |
Are they something that has "Smart" in their name? Another word that implies smart? Are they an object? Animal? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1849 Registered: 6-2008 |
They: alive?No Animals?No Computers relevant? Yope Offended anyone: anyone of "them"? Or any person?This, "they" cannot be offended, see below. are they smart phones?No, but... smart cars?No Are they something that has "Smart" in their name? Maybe some brands of them do, but irr. Another word that implies smart? Are they an object?Yes Animal?So no | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14446 Registered: 4-2010 |
Are they non-smart cell phones ("dumbphones," as I call them)? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1852 Registered: 6-2008 |
Are they non-smart cell phones ("dumbphones," as I call them)?No | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1686 Registered: 2-2011 |
are they ipads? dongles? memory sticks? Blackberries? | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4256 Registered: 9-2009 |
Are they electronic? Electric? Mass-produced? Stupid? Flammable? Popular? Annoying? Made from: plastic? Wood? Rubber? Ceramics? Glass? Gas? Liquid? Metal? Leather? Bone? Food? Fiber? Paper? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1853 Registered: 6-2008 |
are they ipads? dongles? memory sticks? Blackberries?No Are they electronic? Electric? Mass-produced?All 3 Stupid?Well, would you call an electronic device "stupid"? Flammable? Popular?Popular among those who would buy them, I guess. But very unpopular with everyone else! Annoying?YES, rest are irrel. Made from: plastic? Wood? Rubber? Ceramics? Glass? Gas? Liquid? Metal? Leather? Bone? Food? Fiber? Paper? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14582 Registered: 4-2010 |
Are they beepers? Pagers? Cell phones? With annoying ringtones? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14583 Registered: 4-2010 |
CB radios? Walkie-talkies? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1855 Registered: 6-2008 |
Are they beepers? Pagers? Cell phones? With annoying ringtones? CB radios? Walkie-talkies?No to all. HINT: most buyers of these would be companies, not individuals. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4263 Registered: 9-2009 |
Advertising relevant? Are they electronic signs? Do they make: light? Images? Text? Noise? Smell? They are physical objects, right? Not popup ads or anything like that? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1717 Registered: 2-2011 |
smartcards? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1857 Registered: 6-2008 |
Advertising relevant? Are they electronic signs? Do they make: light? Images? Text? Noise?Yesish to this, no to all previous. Smell? They are physical objects, right?Yes Not popup ads or anything like that?No HINT: "They" are only useful because people use telephones, yet they are only yopishly telephones themselves. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14730 Registered: 4-2010 |
Cell towers? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1864 Registered: 6-2008 |
Cell towers?No. Remember, they yesishly make noise. I.e., not literally in the room where they are, but they generate/synthesize sound. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4387 Registered: 9-2009 |
Do they transmit sound electronically? If so: through wires? Via radio waves? Do they generate dial tones? Or other tones? Are they phone keypads? Do they generate DTMF tones? Are they bigger than: pills? Golf balls? Computer mice? Bowling balls? Microwave ovens? Washing machines? Cars? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1907 Registered: 2-2011 |
Tannoy systems? loudspeakers? alarms? intercoms? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1868 Registered: 6-2008 |
Do they transmit sound electronically?Yes If so: through wires?This. Via radio waves? Do they generate dial tones? Or other tones?Certainly sometimes make tones, and maybe dial tones, but are best known for some other sound. Are they phone keypads? Do they generate DTMF tones? Are they bigger than:To tell you the truth, I don't know how big they are. But I'd say somewhere between computer mice and microwave ovens. pills? Golf balls? Computer mice? Bowling balls? Microwave ovens? Washing machines? Cars? Tannoy systems? loudspeakers? alarms?No to all. intercoms?No, but in some modes of operation they function as "yopish" intercoms. Remember, they are useless for businesses to use unless the general public uses telephones. | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1869 Registered: 6-2008 |
Do they transmit sound electronically?Yes If so: through wires?This. Via radio waves? Do they generate dial tones? Or other tones?Certainly sometimes make tones, and maybe dial tones, but are best known for some other sound. Are they phone keypads? Do they generate DTMF tones? Are they bigger than:To tell you the truth, I don't know how big they are. But I'd say somewhere between computer mice and microwave ovens. pills? Golf balls? Computer mice? Bowling balls? Microwave ovens? Washing machines? Cars? Tannoy systems? loudspeakers? alarms?No to all. intercoms?No, but in some modes of operation they function as "yopish" intercoms. Remember, they are useless for businesses to use unless the general public uses telephones. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 14868 Registered: 4-2010 |
Microphones? Megaphones? PA systems? Is mass communication relevant? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1870 Registered: 6-2008 |
Microphones? Megaphones? PA systems? No to all. Is mass communication relevant?Noish. They communicate with the general public, but one person at a time rather than broadcasting information to many. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15135 Registered: 4-2010 |
Walkie-talkies? Telephones? Telegraphs? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 2081 Registered: 2-2011 |
those telemarketing things that phone people with a recorded message? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1875 Registered: 6-2008 |
Walkie-talkies? Telephones? Telegraphs?No to all those telemarketing things that phone people with a recorded message?No but VERY close... | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15167 Registered: 4-2010 |
Answering machines? Voicemail? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1876 Registered: 6-2008 |
Answering machines? Voicemail?THIS! Now, if you look through the archives at my old puzzles, you will get a huge hint. But if you'd prefer to solve without that, such is fine too... | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15175 Registered: 4-2010 |
Personalized greetings relevant? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1878 Registered: 6-2008 |
Personalized greetings relevant?No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15327 Registered: 4-2010 |
Length of messages relevant? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 2186 Registered: 2-2011 |
were you trying to leave a voicemail message? change a message? delete a message? record your name? or the outgoing message? listen to a message? delete a message? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1880 Registered: 6-2008 |
Length of messages relevant?No Shez: No to all. I think I may have been misleading when I said Yes to "voicemail". Many would use the word "voicemail" to refer to the relevant type of system, and it often interoperates with a system that receives voice messages, but this puzzle is about a feature unrelated to such messages. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15453 Registered: 4-2010 |
Are company telephone lines relevant at all? Being transferred? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1885 Registered: 6-2008 |
Are company telephone lines relevant at all? Being transferred?Yes to both. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15465 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is it one of those systems where you say the name you want to be transferred to and it does that (I don't know what they're called), or rather, tries to do that because it completely misheard you? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1887 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it one of those systems where you say the name you want to be transferred to and it does that (I don't know what they're called),It does do that, but to a department of the business rather than a name, and also... or rather, tries to do that because it completely misheard you?It didn't misunderstand me, really. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15846 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is it a 411-type system? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1926 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it a 411-type system?I don't know what you mean by this. But the system is one of those where it says, for instance, "For bill pay, press 1..." etc. HINT: From a previous experience with such systems, which I once documented in a puzzle on this forum, I got the impression that these systems may have a kind of voice recognition feature that one would probably not expect them to have. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15889 Registered: 4-2010 |
I meant "Is it a system similar to 411", that's all. So the system directs to departments, correct? Just making sure...I'm really not sure what to ask... | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1927 Registered: 6-2008 |
So the system directs to departments, correct?Yes, but rather irrel. It IS quite relevant that it acts as an intermediary between (potentially frustrated) customers and live humans. | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1928 Registered: 6-2008 |
Oh, and to clarify, I mean human employees. Not to imply that customers are anything other than live humans! | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 2357 Registered: 2-2011 |
did you swear at it instead of giving it your menu option? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1929 Registered: 6-2008 |
did you swear at it instead of giving it your menu option?YES. Now what "feature" was I testing for? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15935 Registered: 4-2010 |
If it would recognize that you swore at it? Or would think your expletive was a menu option (similar to one of Peter365's old puzzles)? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1930 Registered: 6-2008 |
If it would recognize that you swore at it?Yes, and... Or would think your expletive was a menu option (similar to one of Peter365's old puzzles)? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 15940 Registered: 4-2010 |
And chide you for it? | ||
| Andy_hornby (Andy_hornby)
New member Username: Andy_hornby Post Number: 145 Registered: 11-2011 |
end the call? take through to specialist team for dealing with irate customers? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1932 Registered: 6-2008 |
And chide you for it?No! end the call?NO! take through to specialist team for dealing with irate customers?No, but close enough... *********************SPOILER******************** Over a year ago, when trying to contact a company about a particularly frustrating mistake on their part, every time I selected the automatic menu option to wait on the line for a live person, the system only waited for a minute or so before kicking me back to the main menu. However, after several repetitions of this, I finally cursed at the machine, and lo and behold, within 2-3 seconds I was transferred to a live person! I was intrigued by the slight possibility that automated phone systems could have a "curse detector" that moves particularly irate callers to the front of the answering queue. So a few months ago, when I had to wait for over an hour on the phone to make a ridiculously simple request (namely, to disconnect a phone line), I tried cursing at the system progressively louder each time it told me that all representatives were busy. Nothing happened, however, no matter how loudly I yelled, although there was of course nobody to be offended (except maybe the people in the apartment next door). The final outcome was that I found this site, which ended up saving the day: http://www.lucyphone.com/ | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 578 Registered: 8-2011 |
That's certainly an interesting idea. My husband used to work for a call center, and one odd thing they did was employ "quality assurance technicians" that would listen in on calls (even while the customer was on hold) so that they could give the representative answering the phone feedback on his or her performance. ("Your call may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance purposes...") Sometimes they actually spoke to irate customers or performed other actions during the call or while the customers were on hold. This may have been the case with your first call, or it may have just been coincidence. For my part, I always wondered why they didn't just hire more representatives to answer phones- then customers wouldn't get irate waiting on someone to answer the phone call! | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1939 Registered: 6-2008 |
For my part, I always wondered why they didn't just hire more representatives to answer phones- then customers wouldn't get irate waiting on someone to answer the phone call! Yes, or have the representatives specialize, so people who were calling in with simple requests didn't have to wait in the same "line" as people with more complicated requests. In the example that prompted this puzzle, I was trying to get a phone line disconnected, which takes considerably less time than, for example, receiving tech support about an internet connection. In addition, many tech support questions can be answered over the company website, whereas disconnections are one of the few matters that can only be handled by speaking with a human representative. In the first example, the one where my swearing seemed to have an effect, I was dealing with a company that was terribly incompetent about delivering packages. They had incredibly restrictive and asinine policies about what they could and couldn't do when leaving packages, which meant that if you weren't waiting by the door of your apartment building, packages would never arrive. This would have been a relatively simple matter to fix with some changes to their internal policies. |
