The “Canadian” method is to know enough French to get through the French menus to get to a real person.

They’re almost always bilingual and based in Canada (often New Brunswick, which is the most bilingual place in Canada anyway).

In the US you call the Spanish line. Same thing.

But then when you ask for help they transfer you back to hold...

Sometimes, but I've found it's generally more accurate than trying to figure out the phone tree. Every time I've called my bank about a mortgage issue none of the phone tree options describe my issue at all; a customer service rep usually knows who to send me to.

Sometimes “sales” can’t transfer calls internationally and routes you to the domestic support.

True, _sometimes_ they can't.