AIBU to wish people would just do what they say they'll do?

[Namechangenell]

First off, I'm feeling brave so posting here. Please be kind! Not sure if I've phrased the thread title well, but recently there seem to have been so many things that have gone wrong due to incompetence, laziness, or when I've bought something, poor quality. Just why? I don't remember my parents having to replace things with great regularity as they fell apart after a few wears or washes, for example. Ditto - if you made an agreement, it was stuck to. This week I've had someone rearrange to fit a new door FOUR times. Can it be that hard? Really?

Other examples - ordered flowers for a bereaved friend, they were delivered to her neighbour. Bought a new kettle - died within a week. DC started nursery - there have been three teachers so far this half term alone due to a mix up over long term sick cover (they FORGOT to renew the original cover teacher's contract). Ok, so all of these things in isolation aren't the end of the world, I'm not living in a war torn country and they're very much first world problems. However, the sheer incompetence that seems to pervade (my?!)everyday life at the moment is staggering.

I'd just like to point out that I'm not particularly highly strung, but I do expect things I've bought to be fit for purpose and people to keep their end of a contract/bargain. I know I can react to each of these situations in different ways and not let them get me down. But when they all come together, I am left wondering, do we just expect less these days? Are standards lower? I don't shop in bargain basements - even higher end stuff seems disposable...

[DisappointedOne]

Drives me fucking mental. People just can't be arsed. Adverts/leaflets/,shop displays with incorrect spelling/grammar; trades people that don't check whether things are level; the doll someone bought DD that had 2 left hands; the delivery driver who put a parcel next to the front door and left no note rather than knock a neighbour's door.

[Namechangenell]

Disappointed - I'm glad it's not just me! Though the two left hands did make me

[DisappointedOne]

Ooh, I have more.

The waitress who swore blind that salsa verde should be red (even after I pointed out that it literally means "green sauce"); the window cleaners that insist on bashing our wooden windowsills so that the paint flakes; the person that didn't bother connecting the cooker hood to the outside hose when they built our house - took us 9 years to realise!

[Namechangenell]

Ha - we have a school uniform supplier who makes shirts in either age 2-4 or 6-8. No inbetween. School don't see there's a problem there... When DM bought her car, she test drove a navy four door. Ordered it to buy but in two door. Car was described as moonbeam blue or some such on the paperwork so she didn't know any different. Goes to collect new car, it's nowhere close to navy. Turns out they don't produce navy in a two door version! But rather than saying that to her at the point of ordering, the garage took her money and tried to blag their way out of it. It was very significantly different - think pale, baby blue. She literally refused to take it home and left it with them for about ten days, until they finally agreed to a sizable discount. Why not just tell the truth in the first place? Grr!

[PassiveAgressiveQueen]

The reason nothing lasts is because everything is made to be as cheap and shabby as possible

[CrohnicallyAspie]

The taxi company that phoned 10 minutes before the time we had booked 2 taxis for, to say one taxi needed to go pick up a car seat first so the cost for that taxi would be double what we had agreed... We couldn't get another taxi at such short notice (as I presume they knew) so felt our hands were tied and reluctantly agreed.

The first taxi arrived more or less on time, he called head office and the other was '8 minutes away'.

After half an hour we blagged a lift from a neighbour instead.

It was another 15 minutes before the second taxi phoned to ask where we were (so 45 minutes after the booked time)!

[TittyBiskwits]

The reason nothing lasts is because everything is made to be as cheap and shabby

Exactly. We live in a throwaway, consumerist society. If nothing broke, why would bother replacing it? Especially things like fridges etc.

I don't disagree with you though. YANBU.

[CigarsofthePharoahs]

I get irritated by people who agree to do something regularly then flake a lot. You ask them why and you get a long list of how busy they are. So why say you'll do something when you know you really can't and are just going to let people down?

[CrohnicallyAspie]

The chef who put the wrong sauce on my burger (then blamed the menu). The waitress who brought our starters to the wrong table, meaning we all ate at different times, leaving DCs waiting for their food. And said she'd get some crayons for my DD. And also said she'd bring me some of the right sauce for my burger.

[PassiveAgressiveQueen]

I once ordered, mozzarella, tomato and basil salad. It arrived with basil, they tried to tell me it wasn't meant to have basil. Took them about 30 mins to rip some basil for me

[PassiveAgressiveQueen]

It arrived WITHOUT basil

[FlatWhiteToGo]

I have just been complaining about this today. It's INFURIATING! We're in the process of moving house at the minute and there has been ONE company that have actually (so far) done what they said they would! We agreed to go with the estate agents we did because they said they would be in to show people around (I work 2 hours away from where I live so can't 'pop back' or get home before 9pm), then as soon as there was any interest in the house they told us they couldn't show the potential buyers around (this happened several times). In the advert for the house there were 12 very basic spelling mistakes/grammar mistakes. The lawyers didn't respond to any of our correspondence. They didn't understand basic things in the contract (the contract they're charging us for "producing") which were extremely unfavourable to us. When I said we weren't agreeing to certain ridiculous clauses they told us we didn't have a choice! We've tried booking a number of removal companies, cleaning companies and window cleaners. With the exception of one of the removal companies, none of them bothered returning our phone calls/emails. DH and I have extremely stressful jobs and a lot going on in our personal lives which really needs to be our priority. I don't think we should be having to spend hours every single day chasing people to do what they said they would. If I treated clients like this I'd be fired!

Rant over!

[Unreasonablebetty]

Yes! Yes! Yes! I'm so glad I saw this!!
i hope this thread stays around forever.... I would post most days. Nothing's any good anymore...I've got loads to moan about, but most annoying I've encountered today, my new Dior blusher has hardly been used (the imprint of the make up is still mostly there) and the bloody make up isn't stuck in properly and it falls out of the compact case. Annoying that I spent so much on it and it does that!!

[Mmmmcake123]

I agree with you op, but ime you're lucky they bothered to actually rearrange, have had several that agree but then don't get back

[WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant]

Filled out a form for a company, got to the check boxes at the end. Are you willing to be contacted by

Letter (yes)
Text (yes)
Phone (NO)
Email (no)

6 times they have tried to phone this week.

And asda... With your special offer on GF bread. The whole of the shelf behind the yellow ticket was "seeded bread". There was no other "seeded bread" in your store. No, I can't imagine any customers standing there, filling your shelf up with the wrong product. Yes, this is the seeded bread. No it wasn't in the wrong place. No, you shouldn't be working in customer services as you don't listen to the customers.

[Spectre8]

Went to buy some Chanel eyeshadow to go with a wedding outfit from Selfridges...they packed the wrong shade. Luckily I decided to trial my look beforehand and realised but wtaf. Sorry, but if I go to a place like Selfridges which prides itself on being a high end store and then to go to a designer brand like Chanel I wouldn't expect stupid mistakes like that because surely you would expect their service to be top notch and flawless considering the prices you pay.

[Trills]

If grownups say they will do a thing, they should do a thing

(barring proper emergencies)

If they won't be able to do the thing, they should not say that they will.

[AdjustableWench]

Yes.
Allthouh in an average workoload sometimes unexpected priorities emerge because managers lack competence out of nowhere.

[Fluffyears]

We went to a place that sells carpets/laminate/tiles/vinyl. I want laminate in the hall as the carpet gets grubby too easily.

We picked the one we liked and they said the measure for free so all good. The first measuring appointment was cancelled 10 minutes before they were due.

They duly came and measured on the subsequent appointment 3 weeks ago. We chased them up and they can't remember what we picked. We went back to the store and they can't find the measurements in the order but the joiner has them. We'll call you to arrange...still no call and I'm not chasing them to give them my money (no deposit put down). Will give our business to another company.

[cailindana]

I've dealt with a fair few shitheads, but it has to be said that some people are great. The guy who did our kitchen and bathroom was amazing - friendly, organised, on time, meticulous and reasonably priced. I recommended him to everyone and he was inundated with work. The decorator I had was fab too - delayed getting started but very apologetic and did an amazing job, again reasonably priced. I've been served by a few excellent waiting staff recently too - friendly, quick, lovely to the kids. The bad ones stand out but there are plenty of people doing their best.

[TattyDevine]

Samsung TV, 4 years old, packed up this week. Would cost more than double what a new one costs to have it fixed. WTF? And 4 years? Is that all I get? I seriously have to buy a new TV every 4 years? Seriously?

[rookiemere]

Love this thread - I have found my curmudgeonly middle-aged home!

Couple of modern complaints. Specs broke on hols so put my details in online to make an appointment as soon as I got back home - shop rings me back, so I miss the call, phone them and have to repeat exactly the same details as I have already input on the online form so why get me to fill it in then? I know they had the info as I refused to give them my email address as they had already emailed me. Grr.

Weird one in Frasers recently. Tried on a pair of trousers and liked them. Took them to the till to buy them only to be told that I'd picked them from the online section and the only way I could buy them was to either a) order them online and come into the shop again ( in town and a bus ride away) to pick them up or b) order them online and pay P&P to have them delivered. All this despite the fact I had said garment in my hand and was ready to buy it. I was like this for a good few moments. Don't think they're quite getting the concept of online shopping

[Trills]

John Lewis do 5 year guarantees on TVs, and do price-matching. Definitely recommended.

[rookiemere]

I do like John Lewis - it all feels so reassuring.

Have realised that often it's worth paying a bit more if somewhere delivers good service. We only go one place for flooring now as they are reliable and do exactly what they say they will.

[BlinkAndMiss]

We've spoken to four different joiners about fitting some internal doors. One of the doors is particularly awkward, I get to the point of giving the details of what we want doing and once they hear about the awkward one they all say the same thing - "im not with the diary at the moment but I'll give you a call tonight to finalise a date" and then nothing. No fucking word. I'm sick of it, it's so rude and my community is all about using 'local' firms but as far as I'm concerned their 'service' is bollocks and theres no wonder that people use large, commercial firms to get work done.

I'd signed my newborn up for a baby massage course; again, an independent and local lady who i thought I'd give my business to rather than using the free resource at our Sure Start. She gave me a day and time and told me she'd be in touch to confirm, she never got in touch. Meanwhile, my newborn is 7 months old, I missed the opportunity at the Sure Start because they had no spaces left until he was 6 months and by that point I didn't see the point. She messaged me eventually to say she's been waiting for some other mums to have their babies but I can start now. WFT? She clearly knew the rest of the class wasn't born yet! Why not just let me know so it had an option?

Certain designer bag that has been back to the manufacturer 3 times for 'general wear and tear' repairs. Something drops off every time I use it, now I can't really use it without worrying about it. Instead of buying the new style I loved I've bought a fake, it's much better.

And don't get me started on Amazon Prime - pay a fortune for the next items you want to buy to be exempt from the free post and packaging offered by Amazon Prime. Waste of money.