Twenty minutes. You have spent twenty minutes explaining your billing problem to an assistant that replies politely: "I didn't quite understand your request. Could you rephrase that?"
You don't want to rephrase anything. You want to talk to a person.
This moment is going to become more and more common. Large companies are handing a growing share of their customer service to AI, as Deutsche Telekom has just set out in detail. For simple requests, it is often faster. For situations that fall outside the ordinary, it is sometimes a dead end. Here is how to get out of one.
Five ways to reach a human
1. Ask for one clearly. Simply write or say "I want to speak to an adviser". Many assistants are designed to hand over the conversation when asked. If it doesn't react, repeat the request, plainly.
2. Name what doesn't fit the script. A complaint, a dispute, an error on a bill, a problem that has been dragging on for weeks. These words signal a situation the assistant is not built to resolve on its own.
3. Switch channel. If the online chat is going round in circles, try the phone, email, a callback request, or even a physical shop where there is one. Not every channel runs through the same assistant.
4. Keep a record. Take a screenshot of the conversation, note the date and the case number. If the problem drags on, that will be your proof that you tried.
5. Put it in writing. A written complaint, ideally by recorded delivery, forces the company to take your request seriously. It is also the essential step before you can go any further.
Your rights
Knowing you are talking to a machine. Since 2 August 2026, the European AI regulation requires that a system conversing with you tells you it is an AI, unless that is obvious. We explained this in our article on the European transparency rules.
Not being subject to a fully automated decision. If an important decision about you, such as a refused loan or a closed account, was taken solely by a machine, the European data regulation gives you the right to request human intervention and to contest the decision.
In France, every professional must allow their customers to use a consumer mediator free of charge. Their name normally appears in the terms and conditions of sale or on the company's website. For telephone and internet operators, this is the Médiateur des communications électroniques. You must first have sent a written complaint to the company. If it remains unanswered or unsatisfactorily answered, the mediator can be contacted, at no cost, and will examine the case with an outside eye.
What to take away
An AI assistant can handle a simple question perfectly well, at any hour, with no waiting. There is no reason to deny yourself that.
But for what really matters, a disputed bill, a service cut off, a dispute, you have the right to insist. Behind the assistant there is a company, and that company has obligations towards you. Don't let a polite robot make you forget that you are a customer.