Wading through unnecessary paperwork is no fun way to spend your time. The same goes for being forced to listen to a dreaded loop of background music while you’re on hold for what feels like an eternity.

In the hope of alleviating some of the inconvenience of customer service interactions, Biden administration today announced a new government package of measures called “Time is Money.” The administration says the problems facing Americans are often designed to deter people from activities that could harm a company’s bottom line, such as issuing refunds or canceling subscriptions.

“This work came out of a lot of conversations with people – consumer advocates and others – about practices that are really designed to drive people crazy and, frankly, really designed to get you to give up,” says Neera Tanden, director of the Domestic Policy Council of the United States.

During his presidency, Biden has addressed a number of corporate-caused annoyances facing ordinary Americans, including things like Junk feesThese new measures also provide insight into the areas of consumer protection Vice President Kamala Harris will probably emphasize this during the election campaign.

The issues the government is raising with consumers include things most people are already familiar with, such as chatbots, vicious phone menu cycles, fake reviews and mysterious subscription cancellation practices.

But first, a caveat: When the White House announces “action,” it can take a long time for it to actually be implemented. Certain actions may need to be channeled through regulatory processes, other agencies, or Congress. Businesses may have perfected the bureaucracy, but the government invented it.

The path from customer to human customer service representative is often filled with unhelpful robot menus that don’t recognize when you helplessly shout “customer service” into the phone.

“I’ve had experiences myself where you call and what you need isn’t in the recommended options,” Tanden says. “And then you press a button that sounds like it’s nearby – like it might connect you to a human – but it’s not nearby. And they give you the same list over and over. Basically, they’re wasting your time and making it harder for you to make the selection you want.”

To address this frustrating experience, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is expected to issue a rule requiring the companies it oversees – such as banks and lenders – to make it easier for consumers to connect with human customer service representatives.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering requiring the same of telephone, broadband and cable companies. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor are also expected to ask health insurance companies to improve this path.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a rule that would require companies to make canceling a subscription or membership as easy as signing up.

The “Click to Cancel” proposal was first made in March 2023 and is still in the “rulemaking process,” which Tanden said should be completed sometime this fall. The measure does not require congressional approval.

The FTC has also proposed a rule that would prohibit marketers from engaging in deceptive review practices, including suppressing honest negative reviews and encouraging fake positive reviews. This rule was proposed in June 2023 and is in the legislative process.

The CFPB is expected to issue rules or guidelines against the use of automated chatbots or artificial intelligence voice recordings in customer service in scenarios where people are given the impression they are communicating with a human.

According to a White House press release, HHS and DOL are calling on health insurance companies to “take concrete actions to save people time and money when interacting with their health insurance.” This proposal is as opaque as the next promise that these departments will find additional ways to improve how the health care system interacts with people.

Tanden says one practice the Office of Personnel Management wants to address is making it easier to submit paperwork online rather than by mail or fax. “Some people don’t have access to a fax machine,” Tanden says. “These practices actually seem designed to make it difficult to get prior approval or apply for a specific benefit.”

The Office of Personnel Management also plans to require all federal and postal health insurance carriers to make it easier to file out-of-network claims online, provide information on how to appeal denied claims and help people find out which providers are in-network.

The Department for Transport now requires airlines to refund their customers if a flight is cancelled or significantly changed for any reason. A passenger would be entitled to a refund if they do not rebook their flight. All refunds must be automatic. This rule was announced in April and will be implemented soon, according to Tanden.

The Department of Education is expected to issue guidelines for schools to make communicating with teachers and completing required forms and permission slips easier and less time-consuming for parents and schools. What those guidelines will look like is still unclear, but the White House says they would include “new resources for schools to address time-consuming technology and offer more streamlined processes for engaging and communicating with parents.”

Tanden says the administration wants to do more to ensure that consumer choices “drive the market” and prevent companies from gaming the system at consumers’ expense. The White House is asking Americans for suggestions on how they would like better customer service, including things like refunds, dealing with human agents instead of robots, easier cancellation of subscriptions and how technological features can actually make their lives easier. They can Submit your suggestions here.

(Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images News via Getty Images)