History Main / ForInconveniencePressOne

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Undergrads}}'': A character attempting to reach his school's Financial Aid office ends up enrolling in Ancient Roman History 101 and buying two tickets to ''Theatre/AnnieGetYourGun'' instead.

* An unusual example from one episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Dilbert}}'' -- the TropeNamer for PointyHairedBoss attempts to check how his IBM stock is performing, but calls Moviefone and purchases tickets for a movie at the local mall. He gives up, stating "that thing never works anyway", then decides to go out and see a movie-- the exact one he just got tickets for. He ends up doing everything you're ''not'' supposed to do at the movies (talk through it, switch theaters, and spoil the endings for people in line), which gets him chased by a horde of angry theater ushers.

* Thankfully, most menu systems have a shortcut to skip the system and go straight to a live operator. Those include pressing a key several times (usually 0, * or #), saying "operator" or "customer service" at every recording (which may or may not work depending on your accent), staying on the line after the system recites every option (which can take a while, especially if it insists on repeating the options again and/or urging you to pick an option several times before letting you speak to an human, which can be very annoying to the very few still using a pulse-dial phone which can't work the touch-tone menu) or even sighing in exasperation in at least one system. Unfortunately, dealing with a live operator can be just as frustrating as with a menu system, since they often have to stick to a script and flowchart and/or may not even be able to help you for some nonsensical reason, and that's assuming you get a competent and compassionate operator.

** In the episode "Bart of Darkness," a RearWindowHomage, Bart thinks Ned Flanders killed his wife and sees Ned arrive while Lisa is investigating. Bart tries calling the police...

''(Bart growls and punches some numbers at random)''\\

''(Bart slams the phone)''

** In "King-Size Homer," when Homer attempts to call the nuclear plant to warn them of an impending disaster ([[http://www.freeaudioclips.com/music1/Comedy_Clips/fat.wav listen here]]):
--->'''Voice:''' The fingers you have used to dial are too fat. To obtain a special dialing wand, please mash the keypad with your palm now."
** And in "Home Sweet Home-Diddly-Dum-Doodly," Homer and Marge try to call their kids while in foster care, only to get an automated message stating that the Flanders' phone number can't be reached and ends with, "You negligent monster!"

** In "The City of New York Vs Homer Simpson".

''(Homer presses 1)''\\

'''Operator 1:''' You will be assessed the full fine plus [[BlatantLies a small:]]\\

'''Operator 1:''' Please wait by your vehicle [[TheNeedless between 9am and 5pm]] for [[OneSteveLimit Parking Officer Steve:]]\\

''(Homer hangs up)''
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Kenny dying (as usual) and being embalmed with Worcester sauce in a freak accident creates a ZombieApocalypse. When the boys call the helpline on the sauce bottle, the third option is "If your town is being overrun by zombies..."
* Happened in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode [[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E9KrabBorgRockAByeBivalve "Krab Borg"]], where [=SpongeBob=] and Squidward thought Mr. Krabs was a robot. Spongebob tries to call the Navy for help, triggering the following dialogue:

* ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse''

* From Music/TheCapitolSteps' album Four More Years in the Bush Leagues:

-->"If you'd like to inquire about portraits or wedding cake toppers, pour vial 1 into the cauldron. If you'd like the menu in Gaelic, [[JustForPun vial 2]]. [[TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat If you're that red-haired lass, vial 3]]. To speak with a live homonculus--"

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' episode "[[Recap/RugratsS3E15NakedTommyTommyAndTheSecretClub Naked Tommy]]," Didi tried to call Lipschitz's hotline for advice on how to deal with Tommy running around nude only to have her wait until "press 9" which only gave her a recorded message what has already been written on his books and charged Didi for every minute she waited on his hotline.

** One strip has this happen [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20030406.html during a riot]] with emergency services.
** [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2010-04-14 Another time]], Legs manages to get past the machine and speak to someone useful by conference-calling a suicide hotline. Poor thing was on the verge of pulling her own plug.

%%* Poor Brenda comes across a particularly absurd example of this in ''Series/LeCoeurASesRaisons''.

* In ''Film/{{Paddington}}'', when Mr Brown tries to call The Authorities.

* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' has a sketch in the episode hosted by Creator/KieranCulkin where he plays an increasingly frustrated customer wanting to cancel his cable subscription, only for the incompetent customer service transferring him from one rep to another, not even helping him canceling his service. At one point they transfer him to ''Domino's Pizza'' of all places.