Google’s experimental feature could give everyone one of the Pixel’s best tools
A new feature from Google, “Talk to a Live Representative,” could soon help you avoid being on hold and forced to navigate automated calling menus. This experimental feature is available from Google Search Labs now. It can call a company on your behalf and then navigate the company’s calling system for you. You will be notified when there is a human on the line.
This works just like ‘Hold on for me,” a feature introduced to Pixel owners in 2020 and currently exclusive to Google Pixel3 phones and newer. ‘Talk to a live representative’ was noted by X user Sterling, who also pointed out the similarities with “Hold for me”. However, unlike Hold, this new feature also calls a business on your behalf, so you don’t have to activate it as soon as you’re on the call.
#Google Labs added a ‘Talk to a Live Rep’ experiment that sounds like the excellent ‘Hold for me’ feature of the #GooglePixel.CC @9to5Google @NexusBen #GoogleLabs pic.twitter.com/GeW8wbAJRNFebruary 15, 2024
The post shows three screenshots, one from Google Search Labs explaining the feature. The second shows a search page with the “Talk to a Live Representative” option above the “Request a Call” option. Finally, the third image shows several drop-down menus of currently supported companies.
“Talk to a Live Representative” is currently only available in the US. You can also use it for both with the Google app Android And iOSas well as Chrome for the desktop.
To use this feature, simply search for a company’s customer support number. If supported, Google will display a “Request a Call” button. In the example in the original post, several US carriers, phone companies, and retailers were on the list of supported companies.
After Google calls, you’ll receive text updates on progress and your phone will ring when a human representative is available.
It’s unclear when this will become available to all users or if it will ever become a permanent part of Google’s search results. If rolled out to all users, Talk to a Live Representative could become an invaluable tool to help navigate the increasingly robotic customer service phone lines that have become more common.