You just have a quick question. It might be about your credit card statement, your phone service or that new wireless router for your computer. It should take about 30 seconds to get an answer. But when you call for help, you end up in automated phone system purgatory. If you’re particularly unlucky, you may even encounter a voice recognition system, which, if you’re in a public place, allows all the people around you to become witnesses to your utter humiliation at the hands of a talking computer.

Luckily there’s help. Surf over to GetHuman.com and you’ll find codes that crack the computerized phone systems at many U.S. and Canadian companies, allowing you to reach a live human being fast. It used to be that you had to do was hit “0” — but as you can see in the chart below, those were simpler times.

 

COMPANY HOW TO REACH A HUMAN CUSTOMER SERVICE
Air Canada Press 1,0,0,0,0 888-247-2262
Bell Mobility Press 0 at each prompt, ignore “Emily” 800-667-0123
Canada Revenue Agency Press * at each prompt 800-959-8281
FedEx Press 0 three times 800-463-3339
HBC Rewards Press 1 for English, then 0#0#0# 800-444-8131
President’s Choice Financial Press 0,0,0 888-723-8881
Sun Life Financial Press 1,0,0 800-786-5433
Source: gethuman.com (choose “Canada” on country menu in search box)