Interactive Voice Response systems

Here's something you don't hear very often. I heard an interesting piece on You and Yours today (a tedious Radio Four consumer programme, for those of you lucky enough not to know it). It was about how to get through to a human being when you dial a company and are offered endless options and/or are put on hold forever. The only responses I can remember off hand are to keep hitting zero fast, which confuses the system, or to remain silent so that it thinks you don't have a touch-tone phone. Most companies have specific codes to enable select people (usually those who work for it) to get through.

The piece was based on a website run by a Bostonian called Paul English. His blog is a curate's egg of tips on all sorts of things, many - though not all - good for techy-types. His IVR Cheat Sheet contains ways to get round the IVRs of specific companies. This is very american, but you get the idea and he says he is now getting info from other countries, including the UK. You can also listen to the programme (Automated Phone Systems, 05/12/05), though how long they keep it, god knows.