What I'm saying is that the former case used to be the exception, and the latter two the rule.

I don't know. The "phone runaround" has been a running gag since I was a kid. Only difference now is that instead of being shuttled between ignorant people, you're pressing phone buttons or being shuttled between ignorant people in India instead of Omaha.

Customer service does vary enormously between companies, and I have a lot of examples on both sides similar to yours. But I don't think the advent of the internet has made all that much difference in that area. I suspect the same companies would have good or bad service regardless of the communication method.

I suppose it's made it easier to have non-human service options. I have noticed that a few internet-heavy companies do try to avoid human contact where possible, even resorting to artificial intelligence systems to answer questions. All of them do have a way to get a person on the phone, but you won't find it on a big shiny button on the main page. Look for something in fine print at the bottom called "contact."

Another hint: You can sometimes kick a "press 1 for yes" machine directly to a human by hitting "O," but I'm noticing that this works less often than it used to.

I have found in most cases that once you do get a person, they do a pretty good job of helping me.