I can understand bad design decisions and business card websites. But for websites that rely on online sales above all else? I simply cannot believe the amount of stock photography of smiling phone operators and, worst of all, the number of websites happily using those photos.
Like it or not, the headset girl has turned into the universal symbol for "here's how to contact customer support". It's not cool, and it's not creative -- but it's a very effective way to be sure that people (who can't be bothered to read) find your support number.
Even more than that, it's a quick way to show that you have phone support, which can boost customer confidence even if the customer doesn't need to use it.
