I have a Maytag refrigerator that is a couple of years old and is starting to cool unevenly. Sometimes, I open the fridge and there's ice at the bottom of the bottles that are near the back of it. Other times, I open the fridge and it seems like nothing is cold. This is an issue that needs to be resolved, so I figured I would just call the company and talk to support. Either I needed to get someone out for repair or a part needed to be replaced. Either way, Maytag should help me. I haven't had the fridge long enough to be experiencing these types of issues.
When I called, an automated voice picked up, greeted me, and then immediately launched into a directory list. It said, "Hello, welcome to the Maytag customer experience. For English, please stay on the line. If you are calling about service or product help, press 1. To order parts or for part order status, press 2. For assistance with an appliance order, press 3. To schedule service under an extended warranty or for questions about an extended warranty, press 4. To register a product, press 5. To hear these options again, press 0."
For a second, I paused to think about my options, but then I went with the first option, since I needed help with my product. After pressing that, I had to listen to another speech with the automated voice stating, "Your safety and the safety of our service network is the number one priority. By scheduling service with us today, you are confirming that you have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 5 days. If you are calling to schedule a new appointment, press 1. If you are calling about an existing appointment, press 2. For product support, press 3." This time, I knew to choose product support. After pressing 1, I had two more options, "For help with products you have already purchased, press 1. For help with products you have not purchased, but are thinking about purchasing, press 2."
This seemed odd, since there was no reason the company would have my phone number on file, but I entered it anyway. It then made me try again, which was annoying, but after that, it sent me to a hold line. I had to wait about 10 minutes. Finally, I was transferred to a customer representative who gave me an appointment with a repair person to figure out what was going on with my fridge.