For many of us, a human voice seldom sounds more beautiful than when it emanates from a real person via a telephone after you have called some agency for advice or assistance. Such a voice can be loud or soft, melodic or raspy, male or female, any contrast imaginable, yet it projects as glorious because there is a flesh-and-blood person, ideally patient, well-schooled and knowledgeable, with whom you can converse.

A few businesses have the right idea, making it relatively easy to access a real question-answering person. These are a marked contrast, however, to those phone destinations where three or four number-pressings are required before you can even get near what you need to know. One punch alone just to make contact in English. Then there are requests for ZIP codes, Social Security numbers (which many of us would prefer not to be turned loose into the ozone), telephone numbers, account numbers, mothers’ maiden names and other secret passwords.

Then often comes one of those messages that tries to assure you that “your call is very important to us” but, first, there will be a waiting period for an available operator, whose number you already have punched in desperation. Then you find you are No. 23 on the waiting list. Ah, yes :

Then comes that background music, which can range anywhere from classical performances, smooth jazz and perhaps even an old Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilyard recording, or something from the archives of Caruso. Nothing wrong with such performances and artists, except when you are pressed for time or are in some kind of bind.

Most disconcerting are those waits for someone to help you when you truly need “repairs” right away. So in desperation, you switch to a speaker phone, put down your handset and wait, and wait, and wait some more.

Then, carumba! There is a buzzing and a person actually speaks up to ask what you want. Wonder of wonders, there truly are human beings involved in this operation. So you start out with, “Say, my XXXX is not working and I need :” and, bam, the connection is broken. That means, of course, you have to start the entire process all over. Sometimes you decide “what’s the use?” and other times you have no choice because you really need something. God forbid it involve a medical or personal security matter.

Sometimes you luck into getting the right person about the right issue and get a matter resolved. But by the time that happens, you can be so worn out and frustrated that you wonder whether you need this firm’s goods or services at all.

Fact is, “the age of miracles” has brought us many wondrous things, and how could we survive without various degrees of electronics? But amid all the electronic convenience, there’s nothing more precious than a pleasant and knowledgeable human voice on the other end of the line!