No truthful multiple choice option available...

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I get really stressed when, in a form, or on an automated phone service, there's no option I can honestly pick. It forces me to lie and pick something not true or to try to break or circumvent the system, or (in phone calls) press the number 5 repeatedly until a person comes on the line.

On the "Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs" phone line, the automated robot woman gets me so upset I melt down several times over several days before I can get to a person to sort out my tax. Then when I do get to talk to someone I am so stressed and near the edge of being able to manage that I can hardly talk at all.

Anyone else hate multiple choices without a "catch all" option?

I don't feel as strongly as you do, but yes, it does my head in. To the point that sometimes I refuse to use such services altogether.

I've run into some automated multiple-choice phone systems that were just a nightmare. No selection that is remotely like what I need, no option to speak to an actual person, finally getting forwarded to another system only to have the call drop after five minutes of fruitlessly ringing... And yet somehow NTs use the system easily without a second thought...

I think if I'm doing a survey or something I usually end up taking much longer than most people because I have to explain to the person giving the survey what my answers mean and why it's not quite the same as what I'm choosing.


A bit off topic, but I also think that waiting on hold, even with speakerphone or a callback option is harder for me than most people because I have to constantly be ready to talk at a moment's notice for an extended period of time, resulting in me starting from a point of stress when I actually get through to a person.

I'm wondering whether NTs might be better at waiting on hold because they are better at multitasking and being able to switch mental sets when being on hold ends and a person finally answers.