We need to know about this advancement in technology. I honestly wouldn’t have believed it if this hadn’t happened to me…
I stepped into the building around 11:20 am, just twenty minutes shy of when I was supposed to arrive for the interview. Of course I spent the past 25 minutes driving through the maze of corporate buildings looking for this place.
I followed the lunch delivery lady to a locked glass door. Lights on. People working. Locked. Rang the doorbell as she mumbled under her breath: “Beware of employers who lock their door like this.” Great…
The receptionist let us in and I filled out a detailed visitor sign-in sheet. Strange.
The company runs automated phone services for many other services/hospitals/insurance companies in the medical field. The technology is top-of-the-line, award-winning, innovative, conversational, based on logic, responsive to the individual. Voice recognition software, blah blah blah.
The job? Transcription. Type out the messages that people leave during this automated call. No problem.
I was interviewed by a woman who was a Ph.D., author, and instructor at one of the most prestigious universities in Boston: “We have human voice models and scripts that are constantly being improved.” “We tell our executive board that we need to use southern accents when calling the south. People don’t want to talk to a New England voice.” “There’s a database of over 1 million names, recorded by a human voice, each representing a person on our client’s call list.” “The voice recognition only really recognizes yes and no answers.”
Only yes or no? Strange again. Why is that so innovative?! Cell phones can do better than that!
During the interview, I took a quick transcription test. Most messages were about prescriptions or doctors appointments. But one was different: “You obviously don’t have a grasp of the English language. I said ‘Why not!?’ As in ‘Sure! Why not!?’ You asked if I’d rather try X medication instead of Y medication. I said ‘Why not!?” If you go as one of your colleagues, they will tell you that this is an acceptable phrase in the English language.”
Why is he telling a computer to ask colleagues about a phrase?
I tried to shake the heebie-jeebies as I left the building. Called Drew to tell him I was certain they liked me and will offer me the position.
I couldn’t help but wonder what in the HECK was going on in that office!? Something wasn’t right. I rehearsed everything in my head. Then it dawned on me and I was shocked. Scared. And a bit skeptical.
The next morning I talked it out with Drew, who hesitantly said it might be possible. But, by the time I heard from their HR department I’d nearly talked myself out of this theory. There’s just now way. But, I asked… just in case.
And I was right.
“Most people don’t realize they are talking to an application because our technology is so good.”
This means they think they are talking to a human. This is good? Good? Companies want you to think you’re receiving genuine human interest, even though it’s automated? Sounds bad to me. Sounds like they are facilitating a false impression.
The next night, I told this story at Bible Study. One of the women in the group nearly came out of her seat. Three weeks ago she received a call regarding some new children’s movies. “Hi Jessica, my name is Jerry and I’m with ……” She spent ten minutes talking to Jerry before he had trouble with his volume and the call was dropped. When she called back, a telemarketer (surrounded by all the telemarketing chatter) re-connected her with Jerry and they started all over again verbatim: “Hi Jessica, my name is Jerry and I’m with ….”
Same script.
Same tones.
Same interaction.
She was floored. She realized she had an entire conversation with a computer who WAS ANSWERING HER QUESTIONS!!!
I asked her to describe how she felt: “Betrayed, deceived, stupid, embarrassed…”
Has this ever happened to anyone else?
