With some big corporations, it can be really hard to get a real person on the phone. They make you listen to seemingly endless numbers of options and you have to keep pressing options. It can take minutes to get to a real person if you have an issue that can not be handled by their many automated options.

So here's a tip that can sometimes get you to a real person faster: swear. This is especially effective on phone systems that allow you to speak your responses. Most of these systems are programmed to listen for swear words to catch people who are getting frustrated with the system. These people usually get special attention. So next time you are stuck in phone-tree hell, start swearing up a storm. It may get you help quicker. And if not, it still may make you feel better.