Pocket dials – or butt dials as our American friends call them – are doubtlessly annoying. But they are also becoming a strain on the emergency services.
Google workers were called into investigate 911 calls in San Francisco, after the city’s Department of Emergency Management discovered a 28% hike in calls from 2011 to 2014.
They found that, in one sample of 197 calls made, 30% were pocket dialled. Of these, 88% received a call back, a process that can took on average 1 minute 14 seconds. You can see why 39% of dispatchers surveyed said that pocket dials were the biggest problem they faced.
Google’s recommendations included automating the callback process for dispatchers. “Automating the callback process, by either automating the voicemail message left by the dispatcher or sending an automated text to the caller, would improve consistency in the callback process and improve call centre service levels,” the report claims.