It's a real pain to deal with the computerized gatekeepers these days. I have a question your computer doesn't offer a key to: "How do I talk to a real human being?"

Obviously, this list is for English speakers - any Spanish speakers that wish to add content, please contact me.

If you don't find what you need here, you may want to visit the Get a Human Project, which appears well kept. It likely has more good information than this page, but on the other hand it has a heavy flash script which may drive you a little nuts if you're using a Firefox browser (I'm sure they'll correct that at some point).

This was an abbreviated list, gleaned largely from Paul's old site (the gethuman.com project owner/manager) just in case it disappeared. This information will age and become useless unless folks share information with me about changes or new company listings. It already contains several edits. Keep them coming in. Viva la humans!

Banks

Astoria Federal Savings 800-ASTORIA press 9 (not recently tested)
Bank of America 800-900-9000 00 after menu (not recently tested)
Bank One 877-226-5663 0 continuously through each option offered (not recently tested)
Chase 800-CHASE24 5, wait a few seconds and then 14*0 (not recently tested)
CIBC 800-465-2422 enter card number, your pin, then 0 (not recently tested)
CitiBank 800-374-9700 0 (not recently tested)
Commerce Bank 800-YES-2000 0 [after prompt] (not recently tested)
MBNA 800-421-2110 00 when menu begins (not recently tested)
Sovereign Bank 800-SOV-BANK 1 for english, 1 for personal banking, 3, then social number, #, passcode, #, then 0 (between 1-3 times) (not recently tested)
Sun Trust Banks 404-588-7815 Yes (not recently tested)
US Bank 800-872-2657 00 (verified April 08)
Wachovia 800-922-4684, press 0 only once; their website is actuall very useful (verified April 08)
Washington Mutual 800-756-8000 -- no present solution
Wells Fargo 800-869-3557 0 wait until a human answers (verified April 08)

Cell

AT&T Wireless 800-888-7600 press 0, wait, then press 0 again for any question that requires a touchtone response (verified April 08)
Cellular One 888-910-9191 4, say "agent" - apparently, Cell One is now ATT, but this works (verified April 08)
Cricket 800-274-2538 when prompted, press 6 to speak to a representative (verified April 08)
Nextel 800-639-6111 0 five times (not recently tested)
Sprint PCS 888-788-5001 00, say "agent" (not recently tested)
T-Mobile 800-937-8997 Enter your phone number (not recently tested)
T-Mobile 800-TMOBILE say "representative" (not recently tested)
Verizon Wireless 800-922-0204 #00 (not recently tested)
Verizon Wireless 800-922-0204 enter phone # then 0 then 4 (not recently tested)

Computers & Internet Services

AOL 888-346-3704 0 (not recently tested)
Apple 800-275-2273 000; if virtual rep answers, say "operator" (not recently tested)
Compaq is now HP
Dell 888-560-8324 00 -- Dell has offered direct North American tech support for all business class customers- direct dial so you can call someone by name directly, log into your online Dell account and use the "Call me" function (not recently tested)
Dell Customer Service - Dell has a lot of numbers
Earthlink 888-earthlink 0 sometimes works (not recently tested)
Epson 800-922-8911 yes (not recently tested)
Gateway 800-846-2301 0# (not recently tested)
HP 800-474-6836 Say "agent" or 888-560-8324 00 (these methods not recently tested)
NOTE ABOUT HP: I called the company's listed number in their support pamphlet (2008) which is 800.474.6836 (USA) to obtain an Operating System disc, and the operator (think it was India) forwarded me to support in the US when I said "Oder Operating System Disc." 00 doesn't work at that number.
IBM 800-426-4968 humans answer, direct dial computer support at 800 426 7378
Paypal 1-888-221-1161 say "agent" but you will have to answer what your problem is (or just randomly pick one), and after you listen to their recorded solution say "agent" again (verified April 08)

Credit Cards

American Express 800-528-4800 0# 0# 0# (ignore prompts that it's an invalid entry) (not recently tested)
Capital One Visa 800-867-0904 wait past request for card number, then 00 (ignore prompts) (not recently tested)
Citibank and ATT Universal 800-950-5114 ## (not recently tested)
Discover 800-347-2683 say "yes" (not recently tested)
MasterCard 800-MC-ASSIST 000 on each menu (not recently tested)
MBNA 800-421-2110 00 when menu starts (not recently tested)
Visa 800-847-2911 000 (ignore prompts saying that it's an invalid entry) (not recently tested)

Financing

Charles Schwab 800-435-9050 3 then 0 (not recently tested)
E-Trade 800-387-2331 #### (not recently tested)
NOVA Information Systems (800) 377-3962 2,2 (not recently tested)
Western Union 800-325-6000 # (not recently tested)

Government - Good luck :)

Department of Veterans Affairs 800-827-1000 1,0 (not recently tested)
Social Security 520-364-1241 At prompt 0 (not recently tested)
USCIS (the INS) 800-375-5283 After selecting English, (with a 2 second delay between) 2 6 2 4 (not recently tested)
USPS 800-275-8777 7-3-2 (not recently tested)

Hotel

Motel 6 800-466-8356 reservation agents answer in queue (verified April 08)

Insurance

Aetna 800-680-3566 * then 0 anytime (not recently tested)
Aflac 180099aflac *** (not recently tested)
BlueCross BlueShield 800-800-4298 Series of Menus to choose from (not recently tested)
Ameritas 8007451112 00000 (not recently tested)
CIGNA 800-516-2898 REGARDING A BILL (not recently tested)
Cigna 8008499000 ## (not recently tested)
FedEx 800-GO-FEDEX At message say "Representative" (not recently tested)
GEICO 800-841-3000 Wait for prompt then 6, 1, 5 (not recently tested)
Humana 800-4-HUMANA After entering insurance number and details, 0. (not recently tested)
Medicare 800-633-4227 After the opening prompt say "agent". (not recently tested)
Principal Life Insurance 800-247-4695 1 for english, 2, then 0 several times until it redirects you to an operator. (not recently tested)

Pharmacies

Eckerd 800-eckerds 0 for pharmacy, 8* for manager (not recently tested)
Walgreens local store 0 for a pharmacy employee (not recently tested)

Walgreens - call local number, wait for the prompt, select "1" for Pharmacy. Wait for the next prompt and select "0" to "speak to one of our pharmacy staff."

CVS - call local number, wait for the prompt, select "3" for Pharmacy. Wait for the next prompt and select star (*) to speak to a live person.

Wal-Mart - call local number (in the phone book, make sure and locate the "pharmacy" listing - ANSWERED BY A HUMAN!! :)

Products

Bose 800-444-2673 customer services answers (verified April 08)
Sonos 800 680 2345 1 for technical support or 2 for sales (real live people answer the phone immediately) (not recently tested)

Retail

Advance Auto Parts 800-314-4243 0 when the automated message begins (not recently tested)
Amazon.com 800-201-7575 customer service answers (not recently tested)
Best Buy 800-365-0292 say "sales" (not recently tested)
Best Buy local store wait for extension prompt (sometimes must 4), then ext. 2021 (not recently tested)
Best Buy local store 2180 or 2021 for manager (not recently tested)
Circuit City local store 0 for customer service or 218 for store manager (not recently tested)
eBay 800-322-9266 0 (not recently tested)
Home Shopping Network 800-284-3100 0 (not recently tested)
K-Mart local store 0 (not recently tested)
Lowes Home Centers local store 0 for customer service or #450 for commercial sales (not recently tested)
Old Navy 800-OLD-NAVY 0 (not recently tested)
Overstock.com 800-843-2446 At the main menu, 0 three to four times to bypass the menu (not recently tested)
QVC 800-367-9444 0 (not recently tested)
Safeway Grocery Stores local store As soon as voice prompt starts type 1200 to get human (not recently tested)
Target local store 0 during greeting. (not recently tested)
Toys "R" Us local store 0 (not recently tested)
Wal-Mart 800-546-1897 0 (not recently tested)

Satellite Service

Comcast 800-266-2278 Customer service, but an IVR wants your number first. (not recently tested)
Direct TV 800-347-3288 0 repeatedly (not recently tested)
Dish Network 800-333-3474 0 during menu (not recently tested)
TiVo 877-367-8486 service personnel will answer, just wait (verified April 08)
XM Radio 800-998-7900 customer service answers (not recently tested)

Shipping

FedEx 800-GO-FEDEX 0 or say "REP" during msg. (not recently tested)
UPS 800-pick-ups Intuit said to say "yes," but this doesn't work. You just keep saying something that's not in the computer's list until it gives up (five or six tries did it for me) and hands you off to a human. (not recently tested)

Telephone Companies

AT&T 800-222-0300 .. (not recently tested)
BellSouth 877-678-2355 *0 (not recently tested)
SBC 800-585-7928 Again, an (intelligent, this time) IVR wants YOUR phone number first. (not recently tested)
Verizon On Line 800 567 6789 Say "I don't know it" then "technician" (not recently tested)

Travel

American Airlines 800-433-7300 00, then say "agent" (not recently tested)
Amtrak 800-872-7245 0 or say "agent" (not recently tested)
Continental 800-523-3273 Three Delta 800-221-1212 0 then say "operator" (not recently tested)
Delta 800-221-1212 say "agent" four times - every time it asks for a response from you (not recently tested)
Kayak.com 203 899-3120 0 (not recently tested)
Northwest 800-225-2525 Star, 0, after initial greeting (not recently tested)
Southwest 800-435-9792 Calls answered by operator; during busy times you might have to hold (not recently tested)
United 800-864-8331 Do nothing, wait for human. (not recently tested)
US Airways 800-428-4322 4, wait, 1 (not recently tested)