A reporter's plea to modernize your phone system

Right now I'm working on a story about some federal stimulus dollars that a number of health clinics in Illinois received. Nearly 20 clinics in Chicago are on the recipient list, and given the state of the Illinois budget, I would imagine they're pretty excited to be getting these funds.

And, as I seek to add at least one local voice to a story, I'm striking out more than Milton Bradley.

See, most of the agencies I've called today have funky phone systems that tell you to do one thing, then do another. They zig when I need to zag. When I'm prompted to enter someone's last name, say Joe Smith, I generally expect to be connected with Joe Smith. Not Monique Gomez. Not with Arthur Martin. Joe Smith.

But, thanks to the miracle of dysfunctional phone systems, I'm apparently destined to be bumped from one voicemail to another.

It's entirely frustrating.

So if you happen to be the proprietor of a business, for the sake of this reporter and anybody else who may need to contact, I beg of you, update your phone system. Troubleshoot it and make sure it works.

And, Joe Smith, I'd really like to talk with you.