Netizen shares frustration over lack of human customer support at Singtel, says chatbot ‘Shirley’ is only one available
A Singapore netizen has taken to Reddit to vent their frustration over Singtel’s customer support, saying it has become nearly impossible to speak to a real person.
Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit on 11 Dec, the user asked bluntly: “Is it impossible to speak to a real human being at Singtel these days?”
The post quickly gained traction, with other netizens chiming in to share similar complaints.
Is it impossible to speak to a real human being at Singtel these days?
byu/iamhereunderprotest inaskSingapore
Netizen says Singtel’s chatbot is impossible to escape
In the post, the Original Poster (OP) described the experience of trying to get help from Singtel as “infuriating”, starting with what they said was a frustrating phone tree that led nowhere.
They added that they could no longer find a callback option and were repeatedly redirected to Shirley, Singtel’s AI-powered chatbot.
Source: Singtel
“The app just sends me to Shirley,” the OP wrote, calling the chatbot “entirely useless”.
According to the OP, even Singtel’s WhatsApp support offered no alternative, as it too was handled solely by the chatbot.
They said they had repeatedly asked to speak to a human customer service officer, but all attempts were unsuccessful.
Source: Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash, for illustrative purposes only
Netizens echo frustration, share tips to reach real staff
Many netizens sympathised with the OP, agreeing that speaking to a real person was often preferable, especially for complex or urgent issues.
One commenter said companies should stop “hiding” human support staff behind automated systems.
Another replied that it might not be a case of hiding staff at all, but rather that customer service teams had been drastically reduced.
Source: Reddit
Others noted that Singtel was not alone, pointing out that chatbot-heavy support systems were becoming increasingly common across various services.
Source: Reddit
Ironically, one netizen shared several tips on how to reach a real customer service agent, noting that they had used AI to find those workarounds.
Source: Reddit
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Featured image adapted from YuriArcurs on Canva, and Andranik Hakobyan on Canva. Both for illustrative purposes only.
