Well, most automated systems are that way because the company doesn't really want to talk to you. You can't legislate good service if the company has decided that they don't want to provide good service but want (as evidenced by their actions in e.g. phone systems) to provide either cheap service or no service. I mean, having a person that says "fuck you, don't call us ever again" and hangs up the phone without listening would be a technically valid solution to a law that requires "to let me press 0 for an operator".

Honestly, I'll take that over the phone robot telling me "we care about your call" for the 152nd time. At least they're being honest that way.

With most voice-recognition systems if you blow a couple raspberries down the receiver (or rub your finger on the mic or otherwise generate some noise) they'll give up after a couple of tries and take you to a human.

Some just hang up on you when they give up. Quite awful

I usually just tell them "sales" (because sales treats callers the best of all the departments, as they usually want your money) and then wait for the actual person to transfer me to the appropriate department.

...and then wait for the actual person to transfer me to the appropriate department's automated voice system.

* fixed that for you