How to get a real person on the phone

In the phone menu

Choose sales or billing when no option fits, because those lines tend to reach a person.

• Press 0, or say "agent" or "representative". Repeat it if the menu loops.
• If the menu listens for speech, answer in a few words, like "billing question".
• Answer every prompt. Some menus hang up if you stay silent.
• If the menu asks for an account number, type it in.
• If a callback is offered, take it. You keep your place without holding the phone.

When to call

Call mid-week, in the morning.

• Mondays and lunch hours are usually the busiest.
• Check the website first for hours, a posted wait time or a callback option.

What to have ready

Have your reference number and a one-sentence version of your question.

• Your account, order or reference number.
• The name on the account.
• A pen, for names, reference numbers and next steps.
• Your PIN or security answers, only if you are the account holder.

Calls you need to make yourself

Anything behind an identity check is a call for the account holder. That includes account changes, payments, benefits and tax files. Phone Bud won't pretend to be you, and it can't transfer the call to you. It can still ask the general steps first, like which documents to bring, so your own call is shorter.

Let Phone Bud wait for you

Phone Bud works the menu, waits on hold for up to 30 minutes, asks your question and sends back the answer. It works well for general questions:

• Hours and locations.
• Which documents to bring.
• How a process works.
• Order status, with a tracking number in your request.

Here's a made-up example.

Limits

• Calls end at 30 minutes, hold included. The free first call ends at 5 minutes, so try it on a shorter line first.
• If a menu or agent asks for a PIN or security answers, it says it can't and reports back.
• It can't transfer the call to you.
• It calls US and Canada numbers only.

More on waiting on hold and getting through a phone menu.

Related

See the hold-line page, phone call scripts, or how to leave a voicemail.

FAQ

What's the fastest way to reach a person through a phone menu?

Choose the sales or billing option, or say "representative" when the menu listens for speech.

Is there a best time to call customer service?

Mid-week mornings usually have shorter queues than Mondays and lunch hours.

Can an AI wait on hold and then transfer the call to me?

Phone Bud can't transfer calls. It asks your question itself and sends you the answer.

Can it get through a menu that asks for my account number?

Include the number in your request and it can enter it. It won't answer security questions or claim to be you.

Can it call a government office for me?

For general questions like hours or which documents to bring, yes. For anything about your own file, call yourself.