I'm willing to bet there are huge sections of the population who will insist on talking to a real person, no matter how mundane or trivially automated their req

I'm willing to bet there are huge sections of the population who will insist on talking to a real person, no matter how mundane or trivially automated their request. The 20 minute hazing ritual exists to deter them, not you. The more of a pain in the ass it is, the lower the call volume they have to deal with.