When you think about things you dread, how high on your list is waiting on hold with customer service or dealing with a phone maze of automated voice prompts?
A recent survey found many people just hang up in frustration, but we found a new high tech assistant that's going to help you.
Cara Maltz dreaded the thought of being stuck on hold with the cable company. So instead, she decided to try this app called "Owner Listens." Maltz just looked up the company she was trying to reach and typed in her question. The app contacts businesses, relays customer messages and zaps their responses back to user's phones.
"Within two hours I got back a response, directly from the cable company. It was a long message that listed all of the details, answering all that I had asked," she said.
Not waiting on hold to get answers is what experts believe is contributing to a growing number of similar apps and websites.
Apps like "Get Human" can show you the most immediate way to work through a company's automated phone maze to reach a live person and for those times you can't get that live person, the Lucy phone app waits on hold for you an calls you back when the company answers.
Even some big name businesses are using apps to communicate with customers. You can instant message some companies through Facebook's messenger app.
Consumer watchdogs say these apps can certainly ease phone frustration, but like any other app you download, check the ratings and privacy policies.
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