For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By ROG
#1885669
As the weather was not up to much yesterday I decided to sort/renew my gas/leccy supply.
After waiting 20 mins I finally spoke to a robot. He asked me to say in a few words what I wanted..(*male robot)
"discuss renewing contract"
say again-do not understand.
I then shouted at him--no good .
I will put you through to an operator Then went through it again with someone with an accent I struggled to understand.
In the end I pushed the bell on my desk--said sorry someone at the door and put the phone down.
Tried again yesterday and by chance spoke to their uk call centre--but had the robot torture again first.
Why on earth can"t one talkj to a live person in the first place.
Other worst invention are hand driers in gents loos--where you always end up drying your hands on your jeans.
I feel better now.
#1885681
@JAFO wins by a short head.

ROG wrote:Other worst invention are hand driers in gents loos--where you always end up drying your hands on your jeans.

The most perverse invention is the paper towel dispenser that is constructed to look like an electric hand dryer. How many times have I stood there wafting my hands under something which is never going to spring into life?

Rob P
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By kanga
#1885751
Pete L wrote:.. most of the time someone else typed it for you. :D


and that someone was called a 'typewriter', just as someone who did sums for you was called a 'computer': they were, initially, people, not, things. :wink: A 'secretary', however, was initially a piece of furniture ..

[ I joined my first fulltime large employer after graduation, ~50 years ago, as a 'management trainee'. We then still had 'typing pools' to whom one would send handwritten drafts, and get back typescripts to check; a process to be repeated until the script was satisfactory, but it often was, first time. The employer was so large that we had our own typing school, which would usually take CSE-level school leavers and train them to pool competence.

Quite soon after I joined, 'management' decided that we had enough typists, and could shut down the school, expecting to be able to recruit trained typists on the open market when we needed more. There were some vacancies on the last course, and a memo went round inviting people to apply to be taught to type. I asked my area's (non-technical) training coordinator if I could apply, as I was one of those already using keyboards such as Hollerith card punches and early computer terminals. These I used 1-fingered (although quite quick for 1 finger!). She firmly told me that I should not: the course was intended for junior clerical staff who might want to add an extra skill, and as future 'management' I would never need to use a keyboard .. :?

I still type 1-fingered (as now), still fast :roll: My children, who taught themselves to touch type before Primary school, called my style 'mad woodpecker' :wink: ]
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1885786
Rob P wrote:@JAFO wins by a short head.

ROG wrote:Other worst invention are hand driers in gents loos--where you always end up drying your hands on your jeans.

The most perverse invention is the paper towel dispenser that is constructed to look like an electric hand dryer. How many times have I stood there wafting my hands under something which is never going to spring into life?

Rob P


Could be worse, you could be wafting them over something that is never going to spring into life ....
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By Milty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1885940
I went to a technical college and did an engineering BTEC in the early 90’s. One of the best things we did was a couple of hours a week for a term in the secretarial department learning how to touch type. As a young lad, spending time in the secretarial department was great in its own right. Thirty years later, it’s one of the best skills I have ever been taught. Useful pretty much every day.

Back to the OP, whilst I share your frustration, I fear we only have ourselves to blame. Big generalisation alert, but society as a whole wants things to be as cheap as possible, especially commodities. So, providers have had to save money wherever they can at the expense of customer service. Shame really that people are continuing to understand the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1885969
Milty wrote:I went to a technical college and did an engineering BTEC in the early 90’s. One of the best things we did was a couple of hours a week for a term in the secretarial department learning how to touch type. As a young lad, spending time in the secretarial department was great in its own right. Thirty years later, it’s one of the best skills I have ever been taught. Useful pretty much every day.

Back to the OP, whilst I share your frustration, I fear we only have ourselves to blame. Big generalisation alert, but society as a whole wants things to be as cheap as possible, especially commodities. So, providers have had to save money wherever they can at the expense of customer service. Shame really that people are continuing to understand the cost of everything and the value of nothing.


Yes but.... it's not just about saving money to keep prices down, too often it's about cutting costs to greatly increase profits.
Eg, they get multi-million pound bonuses for building outrageously priced carp new houses.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against profits, I am against the end consumer being taken for a mug.
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