CUSTOMER SERVICE RANT
Often it isn't possible, but I try to avoid doing business with companies:

1) which utilize extensive phone menus. Sometimes it works to continually punch the "0". With the voice recognition systems I've had some success in talking on and on to the point where the system gets confused and directs me to a real person. I did that with SBC on Saturday when I was trying to get the church's DSL back on-line. (How is it that the phone company has the worst phone etiquette? That is major irony.)

2) where the customer service reps don't speak English -- or at least not well enough to get the job done. Usually when I'm talking to someone whose first language is other than mine I need to have full eye contact to pull off a conversation. And I don't mind doing that -- but you can't do that on the phone.

Then, if you're trying to explain a technical problem (as I was doing this morning with the Linksys people when my new wireless card refused to install properly) it's almost impossible to have a fruitful conversation.

I don't mind that I'm talking with someone in India. I don't really mind that they don't comprehend my throw-away line humor. But when I don't know what they are talking about because they can't pronounce the words -- and they keep repeating themselves thinking that I'm an idiot for not understanding, it is enough to make me scream. I suppose I should just be thankful that they don't send customer service off-shore to Alabama.

Hopefully, representatives from the forementioned companies will take note when their PR people are searching for weblinks to their names.