So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[Trenchfriend]

A little kindness with drive-thru workers goes a long way, especially at this time of year. It's never a good idea to act the jerk when you're the one getting food thru a hole in the wall.

And don't fall asleep at the candy shop...

 

[Edward]

^^^^^^
I find myself telling the frontline workers that I in no way blame them for management’s policies and poor decisions, along with my hopes for them to pass up the chain my frustrations with the company’s ways of doing business.

Always my opener when I have to complain - "I know it's not you to blame, but this is what the company have done, can you please help me to sort it out?" amazing how much more helpful people are with that approach than going Full Karen on them gets you.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Here's my take on apologies from customer service representatives. These are the front-line workers who have to deal with me when the company they work for has done me a dis-service. I think their training requires them to apologize to the wronged customer, me.

First, there isn't even a remote possibility that the person I'm talking to is personally responsible for the problem. I'm not a big fan of these kind of apologies. They are cheap and do nothing to fix the problem, which is the only thing I'm really interested in. If I'm going to get an apology, I want it directly from the person responsible for the problem. Even then, I don't much care.

So here are the four possible outcomes when I ask for a problem to be corrected. This is my "Gartner Magic Quadrant" of customer service outcomes:

1) I get an apology and the problem is fixed.
2) I don't get an apology and the problem is fixed.
3) I get an apology and the problem is not fixed.
4) I don't get an apology and the problem is not fixed.

Of these, the only satisfactory outcomes are 1) and 2), and frankly, I'm indifferent between them.

So, spare me the apology and fix the problem.

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's a fifth alternative, though -- the possibility that there *is* no problem, and that the customer is merely assuming that there is one because they want something they can't have.

Case in point: we're still operating our opera shows on a "social distancing" basis because the vast majority of people attending them are elderly folk, most of them in their 80s or 90s and many in fragile health. We therefore only sell a third of the available seats for these shows to ensure the safety of people who otherwise wouldn't feel able to attend shows at all. This means a lot of empty seats for an otherwise "sold out" show. One person this week took offense at being told that the show was sold out, and then took further offense, after being given a surplus ticket by another patron who took pity on his plight, at being told that he was required to sit in the seat specified on that ticket, and not an empty seat of his choice. The situation was explained to him and the explanation was rejected. It is no responsibility or obligation of mine, or ours, to give him what he thinks he's entitled to. "We're sorry you feel inconvenienced by our policy" is as much of an apology as he was entitled to recieve, and he received that. But he can make phone calls or write letters till the moon is blue and he's not going to get anything more than that. He'll be told that perhaps he might be happier attending shows someplace else. Our house, our rules.

 

[Zombie_61]

...Our house, our rules.

^ This. It really IS that simple, but a lot of people can't seem to get into their heads that they are not going to get what they want because they AREN'T entitled and it ISN'T within their power.

 

[Trenchfriend]

And Al Bundy had the original Karens in the store.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Oh, yeah. We could have an entire thread on people who feel entitled. Gutter-ballers and line jumpers being the single celled examples of a species that takes many forms.

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

There's a fifth alternative, though -- the possibility that there *is* no problem, and that the customer is merely assuming that there is one because they want something they can't have.

Case in point: we're still operating our opera shows on a "social distancing" basis because the vast majority of people attending them are elderly folk, most of them in their 80s or 90s and many in fragile health. We therefore only sell a third of the available seats for these shows to ensure the safety of people who otherwise wouldn't feel able to attend shows at all. This means a lot of empty seats for an otherwise "sold out" show. One person this week took offense at being told that the show was sold out, and then took further offense, after being given a surplus ticket by another patron who took pity on his plight, at being told that he was required to sit in the seat specified on that ticket, and not an empty seat of his choice. The situation was explained to him and the explanation was rejected. It is no responsibility or obligation of mine, or ours, to give him what he thinks he's entitled to. "We're sorry you feel inconvenienced by our policy" is as much of an apology as he was entitled to recieve, and he received that. But he can make phone calls or write letters till the moon is blue and he's not going to get anything more than that. He'll be told that perhaps he might be happier attending shows someplace else. Our house, our rules.

Puccini or Tchaikovsky? I'll be more than happy to accept a spare ticket.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The most recent show was a modern composition by the American composer Kevin Puts. That's "Poots," not "Putz."

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

Mine, wholly myself to fault. Stopped at Waterstones in Piccadilly for late Christmas gifts.
Normally a pleasure, but not yesterday. Just wanted a coffee.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Strawberry Skyr, anyone?

I tell you, this yummy stuff will push me over the cliff.

 

[Tiki Tom]

The new pop up ads on the lounge are ticking me off.

That and “nepo babies”.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/entertainment/nepo-baby-vulture-new-york-magazine-cec/index.html

And kids walking on my lawn! (Shakes fist.)

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

and “nepo babies”.

I frankly lost interest in entertainment celebrity realm serfdom with its puzzling semantic eons ago.
Spread however thick or thin, like gelatin mixture nothing is substance yet all seemingly held glue.
About time the golden calf toppled.

 

[tonyb]

At last count I have over 2000 books piled into a five-room 940-square foot house. This leaves me in wonder at the sturdiness of 1910s home engineering. And they make dandy insulation in the winter time.

In this morning’s feed from the Washington Post is a piece titled “We’re Drowning in Old Books. But Getting Rid of Them is Heartbreaking.”

It doesn’t cover any territory we haven’t been over already, but it is a sign that countless others are dealing with this “problem“ which isn’t much of a problem at all, in my book(s).

One person featured tells of not wishing to leave his kids to deal with all his stuff, his ocean of books most notably, once he shuffles off, as he had to do when his folks croaked.

That’s understandable, I suppose. But I doubt my survivors will find my swag such a burden.

 

[Who?]

The new pop up ads on the lounge are ticking me off.

It seems that whenever advertising has become as obnoxious as we think is possible, they find a way to become even more intrusive and annoying.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've already arranged in my will for the disposition of my books, and I've already told the kid who wants them exactly which ones are worth actual money beyond their reading value. There are some specific ones she wants to keep for herself, and she's been told to feel free to do what ever she wants -- keep, sell, pulp -- with the others. THose of you out there with an interest in show-business history, comic strips, fringe religion, baseball, or 1930s left-wing agitprop should watch for the auction listing should my obituary pop up.

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^^
Chances are excellent that my dewy-eyed bride, 18 years my junior, will survive me, as will at least one of my book-peddler friends.

Among my hoard are a few volumes that might bring enough scratch to get one’s attention, but only a few. As with most of my earthly possessions, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It is a curated collection, in its way.

 

[ChiTownScion]

When we moved from the Midwest to the PNW three years ago I trimmed my library considerably. Almost 2/3 of it ended up at Goodwill, likely before ending up in a landfill. Most of what got ditched were old textbooks, casebooks, hornbooks and law reporter sets. Either outdated or case opinions which are all available online now. Funny, at one time that stuff seemed so indispensable but now it's superfluous: LEXIS is faster and more thorough.

I do have a decent size railroad library. I'd leave it to my model railroad club, except that I'm afraid most of it would end up on eBay. I found out a while back that such clubs are always cash starved and gifted items that you'll hope will provide enjoyment for fellow hobbyists usually get sold off.

My model train collection- it isn't huge but it's a considerable amount of locomotives and rolling stock- would likely end up on eBay as well if any model railroad club got hold of it. I'd much rather see a fellow modeler get hold of it, but maybe that's too optimistic. If anyone is going to cash in rather than play with my "toys" I'd prefer it be my widow or son, of course.

 

[tonyb]

Hey you, Mr. or Ms. online seller!

Charging a buyer for Priority Mail shipping is all fine and good, I suppose, but waiting several days before getting the items shipped kinda misses the point, don’t it?

 

[BobHufford]

... waiting several days before getting the items shipped kinda misses the point, don’t it?

Hoo boy ... I didn't sell you a hat this past week did I?