Just yesterday my partner and I hit a snafu: Our bank had not paid our homeowners insurance, resulting in a panic-inducing email titled "your policy has expired." The bank's call center was a byzantine maze of pre-recorded messages, and it took three calls just to navigate it to the point of talking to a human being. Just when I was contemplating slamming my phone onto the pavement, I finally reached a person. A person who was clearly chagrined that I'd made it through the labyrinth undeterred. Not finding any help there, I then called my insurance company, which connected me directly to a person -- a real, live person!