"Your call is important to us."

You would think in the computer age everything would be easier, but it's the opposite. Technology has given us the ability to screw up more than we ever could before. Here's one example. I remembered writing a check to the Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department, but couldn't recall whether I had mailed it. And, if not, where was it? And would I be dunned for non-payment? After a week went by I tried calling SunTrust. My effort was rewarded with a recorded voice whose annoying prompts kept me going in circles until it just hung up on me. My next attempt was to call the Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department. Their recorded message assured me that though they were busy, they would be with my shortly. Twelve minutes later I was still being told, "Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line and a representative will be with you shortly." I was about to hang up when I got this message, "If you would like us to call you back, please leave a message by pressing 5." Eager to put the onus on them to call me, I pushed 5 and this is the message I got, "We're sorry but that mailbox is filled up. Please try again later." These two incidents are not rare. Almost every big company, bank, or utility has a lousy runaround phone system.