Waiting on hold is a great way to hear the over and over again, but otherwise it's an absolute waste of time. Google initially addressed the issue in its via the “Hold for Me” tool, which would wait in the queue and notify you when a real person was picking up. Now a very similar feature is
The aptly named “Talk to a Live Representative” will call a business on your behalf, navigate the phone's various menus, wait on hold, and then notify you when a real human is ready to talk. It is currently available as an experimental feature from Search Labs and was originally spotted by a
This actually goes a little further than the Pixel-exclusive feature. “Talk to a Live Representative” is available on almost every phone and most computers, while “Wait for Me” is only for This will also initiate the call in the first place. Pixel owners must activate Hold for Me after the call has already been initiated.
Here's how it works. When you search for customer service numbers, you will see a “talk to a live representative” prompt. Once you tap the prompt, you will be asked to answer a few questions about the purpose of the call. For example, you may want to update an airline reservation or cancel a flight. The system will ask you for your number and that's it. You will receive text message updates regarding wait times and Google will call you when the service representative is online.
There are some caveats. This is an experimental feature, so it is prone to bugs and does not work for all available customer service numbers. It currently specializes in airlines, telecommunications companies, big box stores, insurers, mail carriers and more, according to a report.
“Talk to a Live Representative” is currently available to U.S. residents through the company's website. If you're a Search Lab user, you can access the tool on the Google app for Android and iOS, as well as through Chrome desktop. The company did not say when the rollout would be wider.