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Robocaller 2.0

I worked in that industry for a while (mostly for notifications people wanted, not sales stuff).. About 5 years ago there was a computer generated voice (Text-to-speech) that almost sounded natural. Not quite, but a huge improvement over previous versions. Anyone who has played with google translate knows that computer translations still have a long way to go.

I was pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to eliminate the pauses at the end of words or phrases so when spliced together it didn't sound horrible. I'm amazed others haven't done that. I still get calls like this:

"This is a call for... Cynical... Skeptic... if you are not... Cynical... please hang up now. If you are... Cynical... you have a prescription waiting for you at the pharmacy at the corner of... Main... and... First street..."

Maybe I should make a pitch to CVS. They're huge there has to be some decent money in that contract.
 
Anybody want to make up the speeches that will happen when one computer gets connected to another?
 
I just don't answer the phone any more. I don't have a cell, and the land line goes to answer machine. If I am handy, I listen in. Most don't leave a message, they know it is an answer machine by the beep code of 'A' 440. It rings a dozen time a day, most hang up during the message. Yesterday I had 4 messages, only one went into it's speil, the other three were blank.
 
Primus said:
I get a lot of the prerecorded stuff but I've never had one that interacts with you like you're a person. Is that the sort you've been getting?
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That's what we're talking about, yes. Although "TRIES to interact with you like a person" would be more accurate. If you hang on long enough, they'll eventually ask you to press a number and then you'll get a real criminal instead of a coumputerized one. (I'm very fond of pointing out to telemarketers that they are violating federal law, and therefore are criminals. Actually had one of the "windows technical center" guys from India get rather upset about that. I assume he was new there.)
 
I have no idea if I'm talking to robots or not, I just speak over them saying 'I am uninterested in all things!'

On the phone, too.
 
Loss Leader said:
I remember once a guy from the cable company trying to upsell me some more channels. He asked, "What kind of TV programs do you like to watch?" I answered that I watches a lot of the Home Shopping Network. He didn't have a scripted response for that, so he just kept asking me the question. I think he asked me four or five times before he just picked something and started reading it.
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These kind of calls are strange to me. Since all cable companies are now digital, the companies can tell exactly what channels you watch (or are tuned to) and for exactly the time of day and length of session. So why would they ask what programs you watch? It's a lot like the endless L.A. Times subscriptions calls I used to get. They never checked the subscriber list -- it must be cheaper to alienate their loyal subscribers than look up a name.
cullennz said:
Never understood peoples dislike of self checkouts.
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The only self-checkout lane in my town is at Wal-Mart. Trying to deal with a stupid computer that tells me to "place purchase in bag" when it's already in the bag becomes frustrating. Also, the computer won't accept any money marked with Where's George stamps or if too wrinkled, and it won't sell you liquor, glue or paint. Human checkouts are the only way to go if you want to keep your sanity.
 
Trebuchet said:
That's what we're talking about, yes. Although "TRIES to interact with you like a person" would be more accurate. If you hang on long enough, they'll eventually ask you to press a number and then you'll get a real criminal instead of a coumputerized one. (I'm very fond of pointing out to telemarketers that they are violating federal law, and therefore are criminals. Actually had one of the "windows technical center" guys from India get rather upset about that. I assume he was new there.)
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Sorry I wasn't very clear. I get that's the topic of the conversation. I was wondering if those were the calls EDX were received because I've never heard of these happening in the UK.
 
Loss Leader said:
I remember once a guy from the cable company trying to upsell me some more channels. He asked, "What kind of TV programs do you like to watch?" I answered that I watches a lot of the Home Shopping Network. He didn't have a scripted response for that, so he just kept asking me the question. I think he asked me four or five times before he just picked something and started reading it.

This was decades before robots.
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Yes, the technique hasn't changed, but the technology has advanced to the point where automation is possible. The hope at these firms is that now maybe they can fire all those expensive and unreliable human agents, close the call centers, and replace everything with scalable leased cloud cycles from Amazon.
 
cullennz said:
I look at the phone and if it isn't a number I know I let it go to answer machine.

If it is someone worth talking to I'll cut in
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Can't do that on my business line though I don't answer certain callers who I know because they spam so often.
 
Jrrarglblarg said:
I've gotten enough that we, as a family, have decide to Turing test phone solicitations in general. Robots taking jobs from meatbags will not be supported by this household. Humans in boiler rooms get treated with dignity and respect. Robots get interrogated with questions like "are you a pineapple?"
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Sounds like a fun plan, see how many things you can say that confuse the bot.

Also, I refuse to use self checkout lanes at the grocery store.
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Do the ones where you shop talk to you?:boggled:

Speaking of talking to bots, "OK Google" is on my new smart phone. First time I used it was yesterday. It's pretty interesting but of course it means your phone can listen to you unless you turn it all the way off. :eye-poppi
 
Sherman Bay said:
These kind of calls are strange to me. Since all cable companies are now digital, the companies can tell exactly what channels you watch (or are tuned to) and for exactly the time of day and length of session. So why would they ask what programs you watch? It's a lot like the endless L.A. Times subscriptions calls I used to get. They never checked the subscriber list -- it must be cheaper to alienate their loyal subscribers than look up a name.
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Could be two things... they may have privacy limitations on usage. Sales may be allowed to know what you subscribe to, but not what you actually watch if it's not being differentially charged. (an analogy in the phone company is that they're allowed to know your long distance and 900# usage, but nothnig about your free local calls).

Secondly, what the customer is subscribed to and what they watch might be different things. Customer might like to watch a particular show, but they watch it on Hulu. Maybe they didn't know it's in one of the packages the cable co offers. Always worth 'exploring needs' to see if customer is using their account the way they expect. This is especially probable with household situations, where individual users may not be represented in the subscription choices. I don't watch TV but I pay for 3 theme packs because my wife wants them. They can unearth new needs when talking to me.




Sherman Bay said:
The only self-checkout lane in my town is at Wal-Mart. Trying to deal with a stupid computer that tells me to "place purchase in bag" when it's already in the bag becomes frustrating. Also, the computer won't accept any money marked with Where's George stamps or if too wrinkled, and it won't sell you liquor, glue or paint. Human checkouts are the only way to go if you want to keep your sanity.
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The interfaces need work for sure. I'm not even convinced they're economical for the merchant. Every time I'm at the Superstore I can't help but notice there's 6 stations, 2 are out of order, and 4 staff are pretty much attending to these... same ratio as with cash registers, but it takes 15 minutes to process a customer instead of 3. I have no idea why they think that's efficient. Maybe they don't.
 
I object to self checkout for the same reason as robocalls - it puts meatbags out of work. My grocery store and nearest home store have 6 stations supervised by one cashier.
 
Then you could say the same thing about cash machines. They put bank workers out of work.

I take it you refuse to use them
 
Trebuchet said:
That's what we're talking about, yes. Although "TRIES to interact with you like a person" would be more accurate. If you hang on long enough, they'll eventually ask you to press a number and then you'll get a real criminal instead of a coumputerized one. (I'm very fond of pointing out to telemarketers that they are violating federal law, and therefore are criminals. Actually had one of the "windows technical center" guys from India get rather upset about that. I assume he was new there.)
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I promise my response makes them more upset than yours!!!!!!!

Quoting it from the speed-pass thread: Actually, I find diverting those conversations to the recent activities of their parents and siblings with farm animals distracts them quite much!!! I freely admit to enjoying their attempts to respond.
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Primus said:
Sorry I wasn't very clear. I get that's the topic of the conversation. I was wondering if those were the calls EDX were received because I've never heard of these happening in the UK.
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I've had one once in the UK, they're not common yet over here...... Yet.........
 
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