When calling businesses or authorities nowadays, one seldom speaks directly with a live voice, but must first navigate a labyrinth of choices on several stages before finally often arriving at a dead end. This exercise could be developed into a tele-menu-maze challenge charging callers to try to get to the goal of a non-visible maze by choosing directions via the number buttons.

For example, “Press 1 to turn left, press 2 to go straight ahead, press 3 to turn right or press 4 to turn around.”
“3”
“Press 1 to turn left, press 3 to turn right or press 4 to turn around.”
”2”
”Press 4 to turn around”
…

Solving the maze might mean winning a small prize or no charge for the call or to allow only tenacious or intelligent callers to ring you.
-- FarmerJohn, Apr 28 2004

Nice - only the truly worthy complete the quest and get to talk to a customer services rep.

Also, of course, "You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike"
-- hippo, Apr 28 2024


Farmer John! Welcome back!

This might make dealing with automated systems more entertaining certainly. [+]

Adding a graphic to this might be cool. Hmm.
-- doctorremulac3, Apr 28 2024


A nice whirly, bleepy, goggly jackpot sound effect that goes on for a full three minutes when you finally reach a rep, like when a one-armed bandit is about to spill
-- Edie, Apr 28 2024


The loops where you get back to the beginning are cool but the best one is where pressing 0 repeatedly gets you disconnected.
-- Voice, Apr 29 2024


*Beep* "You have been eaten by a grue."
-- JakePatterson, Apr 29 2024


You emerge from the maze to find that 20 years have passed in the world ouside [+]
-- pocmloc, Apr 30 2024



random, halfbakery