can we all just agree that voice-activated automated telephone systems suck?

i dislike pretty much everything about them.* the contrived "real"-sounding speech patterns, sometimes complete with faux stutters ("h-hang on. i'm looking that up." "ah, okay." "now, what is it you'd like to do?"), the fact that it often can't understand me (seriously, i don't really have much of an accent), and especially the way that i'm repeatedly asked, "are you there? i can't hear you. could you repeat that?" until i'm holding my phone directly to my mouth and SHOUTING MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER AND CREDIT CARD NUMBER, AUTHORIZATION CODE, AND EXPIRATION DATE AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS. ahem.

*the only thing i like is that if you've called that number before, you can sometimes remember what prompt to say in order to talk to a real live human. but sometimes if you say it too soon, it bounces you back to the beginning of the message. curses!