The Vent and Rant Thread - Page 2188

issybird · 01-23-2019, 05:15 PM

I'm not trying to derail the conversation, just hoping to make people aware when it crosses the line. Carry on.

wodin · 01-23-2019, 06:53 PM

Carry on, a hearty aye-aye on that.

After Spectrum bought out TWC I wanted to move my telephone land line over to them. They told me I'd have to give up my grandfathered TWC package and buy theirs for a total significantly more than just adding on the land line. So I had to go to the competing LEC and get just the phone without a bundle. It ended up a little less than spectrum's bundle but now I have three (including my mobile family plan) telecommunications bills instead of just two.

John F · 01-24-2019, 06:57 AM

Stupid AT&T/Direct TV. Every time I call with a problem, they see it as the chance to try and sell me something.

It starts off with the automated process, that verifies my phone number for the account.

Than I get to an actual person, and they ask "Is this a good number to call you for AT&T/DirectTV services and products?" I say "no, I do not want any marketing calls, only call me back on this number if we get disconnected."

This last time I called because I got a marketing call about a Starz promotion, and I did not want any marketing calls. So, I call them and the same thing happens. Next the person agrees to make sure that I won't get any marketing calls. Than they ask me if I have an AT&T cellphone. I ask how is that relevant to what I'm calling about and they respond in a smarmy voice it isn't. Than they continue that AT&T is currently offering free phones. ...

PeterT · 01-24-2019, 01:43 PM

Maybe up your rates and then include a discount code in the instructions to drop the rates back to what they currently are.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitch

Well, in my defense, we TELL our clients, upfront, "Yes, we know that these instructions are long. we're sorry about that, but unfortunately, 99% of our publishers who come to us for print and eBooks, have never done this before, and don't have a) the software to review the ebooks, or b) the knowledge of what to look for, when they do review them. That makes our instructions sort of tediously long, because we have to direct you to a) the software, b) instructions to install it; c) the ebook files for you book; d) the instructions to open those in the readers, and d) the Guides that we've made, that tell you what to expect, in the eBooks, when you review them, so that you don't waste your time, or ours, reporting "conversion errors" that aren't."

I mean...we DO tell them why the instructions are long, and we also tell them, "if, before you came to us, you downloaded and reviewed other Ebooks, so that you are familiar with using them, and know what eBooks do, and don't do, then you can ignore all these instructions."

NOBODY downloads the Guides; NOBODY reads the instructions. NOBODY bothers. It's a source of constant infuriation for me. I fail, utterly, to see why my time is impinged, because they won't/can't/don't RTFI.

So, yeah...when they call me, whingeing and complaining, I tell them that if they'd bothered, they'd be reading their eBooks now, instead of wasting my time, because they haven't (read the instructions), just to have em TELL THEM the same s**t that's in the d**m instructions.

Hitch

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Hitch · 01-24-2019, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Maybe up your rates and then include a discount code in the instructions to drop the rates back to what they currently are.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Now, THAT's an idea. "If you actually READ the freaking instructions, 10% off!"

LOL

Hitch

badgoodDeb · 01-24-2019, 04:48 PM

Include a codeword so they can get the 10% off. They'll feel privileged. And, the tiny few who do read it, will reduce your workload.

So you may have to TELL them about the coupon in there. But hide it well among the text!

Hitch · 01-24-2019, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Include a codeword so they can get the 10% off. They'll feel privileged. And, the tiny few who do read it, will reduce your workload.

So you may have to TELL them about the coupon in there. But hide it well among the text!

Believe it or not, we use that sort of carrot/stick approach, on edits. We tell them that if they use the proofing forms, they get charged X. X is very, very low. We then tell them that if they use emails, they're charged $Y/hour, which is a LOT more. Seems to have zero effect on their noggins.

I had a guy that's been blaming us, for us not receiving his emails. I'm 99% sure that it's because he's emailing our outbound notification email address, which is an outgoing-only email server. We tell them "don't email X, as that's an outgoing server." (I can't control this, before you tell me it's hopeless. I've had endless discussions with Teamwork.com about it, to no avail. Their PM app is actually designed for people to log in, and leave typed messages, etc., not be used as an email app, so they don't CARE that it's a major PITA for us. I've made myriad requests--change it to X, do this, do that--my latest is, "can you at least change it to SAY "do-not-reply@..."?)

Anyway, so, I asked him "can you please check the emails that you sent us, that we didn't get, so that I can make sure that everything is working right?," Knowing full well that he'd see that he'd sent them to the wrong email address. He snarkily replied that it's not HIS job to fix MY problems, and that if HE were running a business, he'd make SURE to fix anything that might "alienate" paying customers.

Yup, a real charmer.

Now, mind you, here's the icing on the cake--his all-crucial edits, the "mistakes" that he found in the files, that HAD TO BE fixed, before anything else--they're all hyphens added by the reading app, to the end of lines. Not a single thing was something we'd done, or added, or screwed up, etc. Nope. Not a thing. The file's perfect, as-is. (Of course.)

I pointed out that he could see that for himself--that the hyphens were added by the reading app--by resizing the fonts, which we showed him how to do in the email that he received with the eBooks. I refrained from saying, "which you probably didn't bother to read, nor download."

Hitch

badgoodDeb · 01-24-2019, 06:25 PM

Grrrrrr. I don't know how you cope! I don't think I could do that.

Hitch · 01-24-2019, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Grrrrrr. I don't know how you cope! I don't think I could do that.

Most days? With a speed bag.

Hitch

Rumpelteazer · 01-31-2019, 03:32 AM

On March 4 I've got tickets to go see Sarah Millican live in Amsterdam. I want to stay over a couple of days, so this morning I was looking for a hotel.

I do want to stay in a hotel and not a hostel, so I select that in the various booking websites I visited. And always hostels show up. Sure, some have private rooms, but they are very simple and sometimes more expensive than a proper hotel nearby.

I've selected two hotels that are possibilities, one I know is easily accessible by public transport, but is in a location that isn't very attractive. The other one is in a more attractive neighbourhood, but I have to figure out public transport; especially for Monday night after the show.

binaryhermit · 02-04-2019, 08:22 PM

I give you the frankenkindle
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazon-Kind...k/382760056064

People are stupid

Hitch · 02-04-2019, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

I give you the frankenkindle
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazon-Kind...k/382760056064

People are stupid

Kindle FIRE, MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! Oh, yeah, baby. Hell, I might buy that for testing; my 2nd-gen Kindle--yeah, verily, the very first Kindle2--is finally giving up the ghost, battery-wise.

Hilarious advert, but hey, $8? (As the starting bid, I mean).

Hitch

binaryhermit · 02-04-2019, 11:39 PM

The thing is, a lot of kindles with sprint connectivity have lost network connectivity. Sprint seems to be in the process of decommissioning their 3g network and the data part of their 2g network. The voice part's gonna be around for a while, though, they're just starting to roll out VoLTE in the last 6 months.

Hitch · 02-05-2019, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

The thing is, a lot of kindles with sprint connectivity have lost network connectivity. Sprint seems to be in the process of decommissioning their 3g network and the data part of their 2g network. The voice part's gonna be around for a while, though, they're just starting to roll out VoLTE in the last 6 months.

Yeah, I guess. I never used any phone-service connectivity, so I wasn't even noticing that. Still think it's hilarious.

Hitch

HLS · 02-12-2019, 07:38 PM

Finally got my new crown: The one that fell out on Christmas. Rather a good cost. With Cigna, it was $345 When I was with Delta Dental they ran me around $550 also Cigna paid 100% deep cleaning. The downside is with them paying a higher percent I already maxed out my benefits for the year

I hope no more emergencies.

On the bad side I was [typically foolish] and hit reset instead of restart on my paperwhite yet again and I have to redownload my books.

02-12-2019, 07:38 PM	#32820
HLS Wizard Posts: 2,133 Karma: 16342480 Join Date: May 2017 Device: Sage, Scribe, Boox Note 2 Plus, iPad Pros and Samsungs S6,S7,S8	Finally got my new crown: The one that fell out on Christmas. Rather a good cost. With Cigna, it was $345 When I was with Delta Dental they ran me around $550 also Cigna paid 100% deep cleaning. The downside is with them paying a higher percent I already maxed out my benefits for the year I hope no more emergencies. On the bad side I was [typically foolish] and hit reset instead of restart on my paperwhite yet again and I have to redownload my books. Last edited by pdurrant; 02-14-2019 at 01:12 AM. Reason: language

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01-23-2019, 05:15 PM	#32806
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,366 Karma: 235166015 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	I'm not trying to derail the conversation, just hoping to make people aware when it crosses the line. Carry on.

01-23-2019, 06:53 PM	#32807
wodin Illiterate Posts: 10,279 Karma: 37848716 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: The Sandwich Isles Device: Samsung Galaxy S10+, Microsoft Surface Pro	Carry on, a hearty aye-aye on that. After Spectrum bought out TWC I wanted to move my telephone land line over to them. They told me I'd have to give up my grandfathered TWC package and buy theirs for a total significantly more than just adding on the land line. So I had to go to the competing LEC and get just the phone without a bundle. It ended up a little less than spectrum's bundle but now I have three (including my mobile family plan) telecommunications bills instead of just two.

01-24-2019, 06:57 AM	#32808
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,961 Karma: 71261339 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Clara 2E	Stupid AT&T/Direct TV. Every time I call with a problem, they see it as the chance to try and sell me something. It starts off with the automated process, that verifies my phone number for the account. Than I get to an actual person, and they ask "Is this a good number to call you for AT&T/DirectTV services and products?" I say "no, I do not want any marketing calls, only call me back on this number if we get disconnected." This last time I called because I got a marketing call about a Starz promotion, and I did not want any marketing calls. So, I call them and the same thing happens. Next the person agrees to make sure that I won't get any marketing calls. Than they ask me if I have an AT&T cellphone. I ask how is that relevant to what I'm calling about and they respond in a smarmy voice it isn't. Than they continue that AT&T is currently offering free phones. ...

01-24-2019, 04:48 PM	#32811
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,555 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Include a codeword so they can get the 10% off. They'll feel privileged. And, the tiny few who do read it, will reduce your workload. So you may have to TELL them about the coupon in there. But hide it well among the text!

01-24-2019, 06:25 PM	#32813
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,555 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Grrrrrr. I don't know how you cope! I don't think I could do that.

01-31-2019, 03:32 AM	#32815
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,347 Karma: 27919658 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	On March 4 I've got tickets to go see Sarah Millican live in Amsterdam. I want to stay over a couple of days, so this morning I was looking for a hotel. I do want to stay in a hotel and not a hostel, so I select that in the various booking websites I visited. And always hostels show up. Sure, some have private rooms, but they are very simple and sometimes more expensive than a proper hotel nearby. I've selected two hotels that are possibilities, one I know is easily accessible by public transport, but is in a location that isn't very attractive. The other one is in a more attractive neighbourhood, but I have to figure out public transport; especially for Monday night after the show.

02-04-2019, 08:22 PM	#32816
binaryhermit Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,732 Karma: 20469902 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Lockport, IL Device: Kindle PW4, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I give you the frankenkindle https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazon-Kind...k/382760056064 People are stupid

02-04-2019, 11:39 PM	#32818
binaryhermit Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,732 Karma: 20469902 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Lockport, IL Device: Kindle PW4, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	The thing is, a lot of kindles with sprint connectivity have lost network connectivity. Sprint seems to be in the process of decommissioning their 3g network and the data part of their 2g network. The voice part's gonna be around for a while, though, they're just starting to roll out VoLTE in the last 6 months.