Phone calls make sure I waste my time trying to get your attention via low-paid level one staff who have minimal training and who possibly hate me and all other customers; until I give up navigating your awful phone-menu system and getting misunderstood by aforementioned staff and being put on hold for hours

So you think the staff replying to your emails are highly paid and love you?

No, but it doesn't cost me money to send an email. I'm in the UK. We tend to have to pay to call companies. Where a company has a "freephone" number that's only free from landlines (and possibly a small number of mobile tariffs) - anyone calling from a mobile will have to pay lots.

The combination of poor customer service, and not getting the problem resolved, and having to pay for it, is horrible.

I'm sorry, I didn't catch that, I was (driving|reading a website|talking with a co-worker|playing a game|watching a video|doodling|handing the phone to my baby).