“Your call is important to us...”

Since I moved to Wollongong earlier this week, I have been running the gauntlet of 'change of address' processes with a number of companies and organisations who, for one reason or another, have my address details. This has been surprisingly painless, as they all had either toll free or 13- (local call) numbers and relatively simple procedures for entering the changes into their databases. Unsurprisingly, I have put up with a range of hold music/hold advertising and had to choose the correct option from the 4, 6 or umpteen options available in the automated call directing system. But I think these systems have been developed to a much more user friendly standard than they used to be. For instance, you usually get told how many options they are going to offer you so you can anticipate and use your powers of deduction to work out which of the options your problem fits into. And then I normally got to speak to a real person in the end, all of whom I was able to understand without any problems and who were generally friendly and helpful, and once I had 'proved my identity' they were able to change my details for me quite simply.

The funniest experience was when I went to the bank to register my change of address. Upon entry to the building I was met by a rather intense fellow with a clipboard who wrote down my name and some code presumably corresponding to my enquiry. He directed me to sit down and wait for a consultant to become available. Then I sat there for about 15 minutes waiting with a few other bored-looking people. As I waited I observed the man who had greeted me and pondered the nature of his job. It appeared that his whole job was to wander around in the bank greeting people who came in, writing things in his clipboard, guiding people to cubicles where bank staff attended to their query, and generally trying to maintain an appearance of busyness and importance. I found it all quite amusing. Good on them, I guess, for trying to make the 'bank experience' a personal one by employing someone to be a 'greeter'. But really, I would have been quite happy to just take a number and wait my turn like I did at Medicare!