The Vent and Rant Thread

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by cromag

Stores in my area have readers that have the insert and possibly tap options for chip-equipped cards (typically credit and debit cards) and a strip reader for other cards (typically store loyalty cards).

Interesting. Most of the stores here that have a store loyalty card either read a bar code with a scanner or have the mag stripe reader built into the cash register. The actual credit card terminal can not be used for that purpose. The systems are also a lot more paranoid now. If you disconnect the credit card terminal, it takes several steps to reconnect it including two separate authorizations and an attempt to reconnect a different terminal takes even more steps. Something to do with people substituting terminals that were modified to harvest credit card information a few years back.

[CRussel]

And yet, at PetroCan, I swipe my Petro-Points card, and then insert my cc or, more likely, my debit card.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by CRussel

And yet, at PetroCan, I swipe my Petro-Points card, and then insert my cc or, more likely, my debit card.

Ditto at Chevron for their Journie card though I tend to tap the credit/debit card after swiping the loyalty card. One possible reason is that it might be a bit harder to remove the reader from the gas pump than to disconnect one sitting on a counter and connect the substitute. Even the most inattentive attendant might notice you opening up the pump housing. Hmm... make that all but the most inattentive attendants.

[Rumpelteazer]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Well--and be advised, I am NOT affiliated--you can do something like BookLikeABoss, which is relatively cheap and, does NOT need its own website. You can run it right from their site, with your own custom URL. You can book anything--phone appointments, F2F meetings, you name it. You can block out times as not available, set your meeting durations...

It's just an idea. You could link to it from your Facebook page and you could tell people to use the "appointment app" from your FB page on your voicemail.

Just an idea.I've used BLAB (yes, really!) and it's easy. You can customize it to look great, or bare-bones, etc. I'm sure that other schedulers are also good, but I snagged this one through some AppSumo offering or the like and anybody, really, can use and deploy it. I'm sure that you, Rumple, could have it ready in a day.

Just tryin' to help here.

Hitch

Thanks for the tip. It might be something we can use when the consulting appointments resume. It won't work for this situation, since people have to phone in their order and we have to check if we have it in stock and set it aside if we do.

We've decided on being available for phone in orders and pick ups between 10am and 1pm at least on Tuesday to Friday. We're not sure if we're going to do Saturdays; they have been really quiet during the lockdowns (plus it's nice to have a 3 day weekend). However, with the holidays the coming two Saturdays we have time to decide. If we notice that there is a demand for later pick ups we can always add one or two days that pick up is also available between 4 and 5pm.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by cromag

Stores in my area have readers that have the insert and possibly tap options for chip-equipped cards (typically credit and debit cards) and a strip reader for other cards (typically store loyalty cards).

Stores in my area usually have readers where you can either swipe or insert your card. I assume most of these also have a tap option if I knew where to look....

Gas pump readers are frustrating because some of them want you to insert and immediately remove the card but others want you to leave it in longer. I frequently do the wrong thing in the first attempt and have to start over. I wish they were all the same.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Your card provider probably set a limit on tap-only purchases, mine is set at $100. I can change it but I don't often spend more than that in a single purchase.

BR

I did not know there was a limit.

[Gardenman]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Stores in my area usually have readers where you can either swipe or insert your card. I assume most of these also have a tap option if I knew where to look....

Gas pump readers are frustrating because some of them want you to insert and immediately remove the card but others want you to leave it in longer. I frequently do the wrong thing in the first attempt and have to start over. I wish they were all the same.

There should be national standards set by the governmnent

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

Gas pump readers are frustrating because some of them want you to insert and immediately remove the card but others want you to leave it in longer. I frequently do the wrong thing in the first attempt and have to start over. I wish they were all the same.

Around here, if you use a swipe only card, you are prompted to remove it immediately. If you are using a chip and PIN card, the display would pop up with a Do not remove card and enter PIN message. Admittedly, I haven't used a swipe only card in years and my current card collection is all tap enabled.

Now if I could somehow understand why it takes only seconds for the gas pump to put a hold on my account and days to release the hold...

[cromag]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

...

Gas pump readers are frustrating because some of them want you to insert and immediately remove the card but others want you to leave it in longer. I frequently do the wrong thing in the first attempt and have to start over. I wish they were all the same.

Move to NJ -- the attendant takes care of that. Here in NJ you can't pump your own gas. (Last I heard that, was also the case in Oregon.)

[twowheels]

Customer service these days is garbage. Every big company now has "virtual agents" that are worthless, it's impossible to get a person on the phone, and if you do they don't know anything either.

I'm moving soon to a much smaller town in a much smaller state, and so far it's been so refreshing to call local service providers (power, gas, etc) and have somebody pick up the phone almost immediately, who knows what they're doing, and is friendly to talk to. It's like going back in time, and I'm loving it.

[spindlegirl]

I am hoping that with the introduction of e-ink readers that also include playing capacity for audio books that that doesn't gradually phase out the standalone e-ink visual readers. I like the simplicity of the device that just displays pages of text.

So I hope that visual e-ink readers will remain alongside the ones that have the additional platforms attached. I don't know whether this counts as a rant or a rave. But I am grateful I bought the Libra h20 before it stopped being produced.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

I am hoping that with the introduction of e-ink readers that also include playing capacity for audio books that that doesn't gradually phase out the standalone e-ink visual readers. I like the simplicity of the device that just displays pages of text.

So I hope that visual e-ink readers will remain alongside the ones that have the additional platforms attached. I don't know whether this counts as a rant or a rave. But I am grateful I bought the Libra h20 before it stopped being produced.

I don't anticipate that being a problem -- the new audio features don't in any way reduce the reading experience if you don't use those features, and given how many players there are in the eInk reader sphere I'd be very surprised if they all just disappeared -- readers are a minority, but they're a minority who spends a lot of money and are very vocal and passionate.

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by twowheels

I don't anticipate that being a problem -- the new audio features don't in any way reduce the reading experience if you don't use those features, and given how many players there are in the eInk reader sphere I'd be very surprised if they all just disappeared -- readers are a minority, but they're a minority who spends a lot of money and are very vocal and passionate.

I agree that the e-reading experience isn't diminished, and the option is there to not use the function. I just hope the standalone will remain an option alongside the tablet-esque e-ink devices that are cropping up. Just a little wish that I will keep my eye on.

[Rumpelteazer]

For two weeks now I've been taking CBD capsules and it has been working great; I'm a lot less stressed, various stress related ailments are gone (no more sore throat!) and I've been sleeping great (I've always been a light sleeper).

But over the past two weeks my stomach started hurting. A quick search reveals that some people can get an irritated stomach from the oil inside the capsules. I've been taking the pill on an empty stomach in the morning. I've now stopped taking them and will wait until my stomach is better. I'll start taking them again, but then at night, after dinner. Hopefully a full stomach will prevent the oil from irritating my stomach.

It's a bummer, because the Christmas days are a stressful time to me, especially now I'm the one responsible for all the shopping, preparations and setting up the dinners.

[twowheels]

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

A quick search reveals that some people can get an irritated stomach from the oil inside the capsules.

I wonder if a different form would still get the benefits, w/o the stomach upset, like chocolates or gummies.