> I refuse to believe that multiple people over the course of a year are all incompetent

Those are your words, homie. The parent simply called out call-centers for being ineffective, which I would agree, given my own experience with them. I would contend that the workers are generally skilled and agreeable, rather the hop-skip-dance that needs to take place every time a call-center is used, is painful and ancient. Imagine a situation where your own digital PA already knows your account number, address, phone, etc., allowing you to simply provide a courteous hello before asking your question.