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Note: this is a copy of an article which appeared on wsj.com but until I figure out how to link to it, I just copied it here....

Bypassing Phone Trees, November 22, 2005; Page D1

The Problem: Getting a person on the line when calling customer support.

The Solution: Consumers looking for shortcuts to reach customer-service representatives can check the Interactive Voice Response cheat sheet (named for the technology in automated calling systems) at www.paulenglish.com/ivr/.

The site, started this year by Paul English, co-founder of travel search engine Kayak.com, has phone numbers for 110 organizations and tips on bypassing the touch-tone or voice-recognition process (such as saying "representative" when calling FedEx, or hitting "0" many times quickly for Ikea.) The site is constantly updated with numbers suggested by the site's supporters. A handful, including one for Best Buy, are unpublished internal numbers given anonymously by employees.

For numbers not on the list, try a search engine. Entering "Amazon customer service," for example, brings up a Web page by ClicheIdeas.com, dedicated to contacting customer representatives at Amazon.com. Mr. English also suggests a common trick: Don't press any keys and wait until a person picks up the call.

---- Loretta Chao

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