Yes Virginia, There are Still Humans Answering The Phone

My annoyance with AI reached a breaking point when I tried to contact Norton support.  I Googled their support number (which turned out to be a scam -a later blog subject) and finally ended up on their chat support. That’s when my “adventure” began.

 I like

using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for certain tasks. It’s convenient, fast, and—though not always right—it helps me with competitive research. However, it can be inconvenient and annoying, especially when companies jump on the AI bandwagon too early, leaving customers (or users) in the digital dust.

Because I find personally find AI support on websites annoying, I never installed an AI chatbot on my company website.  I prefer talking to people directly, as some problems simply need human logic. AI is great at repeating prices, answering basic questions, and giving general advice—but it can also be frustrating or even deceptive when it tries to pass itself off as a human.

An AI chatbot popped up and insisted on looking up my Norton account by my phone number. The issue wasn’t about my account at all—it was on behalf of a friend-of-a-friend: an older gentleman who had been locked out of his iPhone caused seemly by malware. He had clicked on a suspicious link, got an email demanding money, refused to pay, and discovered his phone was locked.  He bought a replacement phone, (you think the Apple sales guy could have helped him, but then again it was a sale).  The problem seemed to follow him via iCloud. He needed help installing Norton (and possibly resetting the phone).  He asked if I could get a phone number for him so he could speak to a real person at Norton.  He couldn't find one.

I spent 20 minutes chatting with the first AI bot. It tried to sell me products.  After telling the bot some not-so-nice words, it finally offered up a link to a form to request “human support.” Enter Katie, on the next screen.  She introduced herself, asked what was wrong, and before I could finish typing, she promptly told me Norton doesn’t handle scams. I explained I wasn’t asking for help about a scam, just needed assistance from someone to help someone remove a virus on a locked phone. She said I’d need an Advanced Technician and admitted she was also an AI. Forty minutes gone.

Next, the Advanced Technician arrived (in chat form, naturally) and again began by looking up my account, suggesting products, and ignoring the reason for my call. Halfway through the chat session I asked if he was human; the answer was no, and I was told I could wait 20 more minutes for a “real person.” By now, it had been over an hour.

Eventually, Shika appeared as the “advanced, advanced” technician. She scanned whatever “notes” she had, declared Norton doesn’t deal with scammers, and tried to sell me LifeLock. No helpful phone number, no instructions for the gentleman with the locked phone—just an upsell to another product.  At that point, it was clear I wasn’t getting anywhere.  Shika insisted a support person could remove the Virus from MY PHONE for $99.   I thanked her for her time and wondered if she worked on commission.

I called Apple support, got a real boy on the phone, who provided a legitimate phone number for my friend. He could now reach out for help with his locked phone—minus the endless AI confusion. 

I understand that an AI saves companies money—no breaks, vacations, or salary raises. But sometimes, you just need a real person to solve a complicated situation.  I only want to speak to someone when I need to. This experience confirmed why I don’t use AI chatbots for my site. Sometimes, good old-fashioned human interaction is the quickest way to get things done.