> Companies set up automated phone trees to reduce costs, at the expense of frustrating customers
I'd modify that slightly to say they set up phone trees to reduce costs by frustrating customers. Adding friction to prevent people from getting refunds or other concessions, or getting them to give up without speaking to a human, is a big reason for these systems. They could easily make them better, but there is no incentive. That's why (usually) monopolies or places like rewards programs that don't want you to use them have the worst service, but if you ever call in to get a new insurance policy you'll be talking to a human in seconds.
True. Reducing customer support calls that get to a real person contributes to the performance and cost metrics for a call center. Some companies may try to make a useful phone tree. Some may use it to introduce friction and cut off nuisance calls. I won’t say the companies always have nefarious or uncaring intentions but it can feel that way from the customer end.
I'd modify that slightly to say they set up phone trees to reduce costs by frustrating customers. Adding friction to prevent people from getting refunds or other concessions, or getting them to give up without speaking to a human, is a big reason for these systems. They could easily make them better, but there is no incentive. That's why (usually) monopolies or places like rewards programs that don't want you to use them have the worst service, but if you ever call in to get a new insurance policy you'll be talking to a human in seconds.