How AT&T is Using Covert Hypnosis Technique With Customers

In my several calls to AT&T's customer service something all the representatives said made me think “covert hypnosis”! It was even more noticeable on the recording for the phone menu.

In a previous post, How to Use Hidden Hypnotic Commands in Normal Conversation, I described how by simply changing the way one says a chosen set of words in a sentence can add a second message that s understood only at the unconscious levels of the mind. The technical term for the second message is “embedded command”.

Apparently, someone in AT&T's marketing department has learned about embedded commands. So, now every customer service representative is saying some variation of, “We want you to be very satisfied with AT&T.” I was asked several times if I was “very satisfied with AT&T's service”.

The AT&T employees are using extra verbal emphasis on the words in bold, which makes them hidden hypnotic commands. I suspect that the embedded commands are the idea of some savvy marketing person, and that the customer service representatives are unaware of how their words are intended to bypass the conscious minds of customers.

The way to prevent yourself from being unduly influenced by embedded commands and covert hypnosis techniques in general is to simply be aware of them. Awareness gives you choice.