Is Voice Recognition Really Worth It?

I just tried to call up SBC's customer service and was greeted by a computer asking me questions and attempting to understand what I was saying. Admittedly the computer understood what I was saying most of the time, but is it really necessary? This system must cost SBC more money then the touch menus of years ago, and it accomplishes nothing new. Speaking to a computer is in no way a replacement for a human.

For that matter are any of these systems really worth it? I mean the customer service experience is significantly affected by these menus and half the time they do not work. Most of the time I don't really know where I am supposed to go to get my question answered. With everyone being routed to the wrong place and the person at the other end of the line becoming and ad hoc operator, routing your call to the right place, I wonder how much money these companies are saving.

Not only that, but when you enter and information about why you are calling or what your customer information is, it seems like this information never translates into time saving measures. I always have to repeat the same information to the human when I finally get to one.

I have no doubt that killing these systems entirely is not an option due to the cost associated with actual operators. Wouldn't it be possible, though, to have a single touchtone menu at the start that has three of four obvious options which lead directly to a human on the other end? The additional human interaction can make all the difference, and in this situation you are far more likely to route your call efficiently and correctly the first time.

I'll get off my soapbox now.