Things that worked better in the old days

[blondeseaside]

Just been for a drive thru Mcdonalds. In the good old days, the whole menu would be hanging above the car on a metal sign. What do we have now? One big screen that just shows a couple of menu "highlights", so it only showed one wrap, one burger....so yeah, we get that you do burgers and wraps, but which ones? Where is the full menu? There are 16 burger types at Mcdonalds, but only 1 burger was on the screen. There are 4 wrap types, but only the Tikka one was on the screen (so I ordered that). How on earth are you meant to know what you want to order, if they only show a fraction of the menu? I asked Gemini and she said you're meant to look at the menu on your phone now....but I am driving!

First world problem, but it did my head in!

I'm very lucky in that I still have a traditional butchers, greengrocers and bakers within a few minutes' walk of my house. But even then, I know the greengrocers won't be there for too many more years, as the couple who run it are now in their late 50s and say they will really struggle to find anyone to take it over.

I have always supported the small shops though, as I really value them. The benefits for me are that you get just the right amount of choice (not the overwhelming aisles of stuff in the supermarket), and as a single person I can buy one apple, two sausages, a single bread roll etc if I want. Also, I know the shopkeepers, so I get a social interaction from going in there. And a lot of the produce they sell is local, so much better for food miles.

It's such a shame we've lost so many of these shops though.

@scalt yes, and also many people eat unhealthy diets because they just can't afford the healthier options. If you don't have much money you're not going to buy the expensive but healthy fruit, you're going to choose the value pack of biscuits, as that's what will fill everyone up.

I am so lucky and extremely grateful that our surgery has stayed with the old system, phone the local number, call answered by a real person that us local and will ask how your Auntie Mary is doing after her fall, you get an appointment for the same day and when you arrive the doctor actually comes out to the waiting room call you into his surgery. Never feel rushed. Long may it continue.🙏

I think it's a very basic rule of thumb that, if it takes longer for people to queue, figure out how the machine works, possibly have to download yet another app and manage to pay for their parking than the time they actually spend in the shops or facility for which they're parking, the council have categorically and unequivocally failed massively.

As you say, you just know that they will find any excuse possible to catch you out for a minor infringement and fine you - I'm sure they build these into their income projections and probably give the attendants targets. And if they do fine you, it won't just be having to pay double the parking charge, but guaranteed the fine will be far heftier than your infringement could ever reasonably merit.

I find it comical that the government are now making a big thing about clamping down on rogue private car park providers, when the councils are just as big rogues if not more! Just like when the government recently harshly condemned the petrol stations for allegedly profiteering, when the vast majority of the price you pay goes straight to them in tax, and then tax on tax!

Incidentally, now that the many councils that have stopped accepting cash for their parking machines need to pay far fewer staff to go around emptying them, have you noticed them passing that saving on to us by way of lower prices? No, neither have I...

In fact, the rip-off merchants will often charge you an extra fee for the 'privilege' of having to use their stupid app, when many people would never have chosen that method in the first place, rather than just putting in coins or scanning their debit card. It was enough of a scam when council car parking machines did still accept cash, but would never ever provide the machines that would give you change if you didn't have the right money. The most basic snack vending machines out there will give you change; but for 'some reason', this was 'not possible' for council car parking machines...

We were touring around a bit and no two parking machines were the same.

Our worst experience of not having a clue what was happening was when we were going for dinner...with a city councillor! He was very surprised that nobody could use the machine. Presumably because he knows how that system works.
How many companies supply car parking systems?

Someone claimed on here a few months ago that they DO get people phoning to ask questions they could easily answer from the website.

But it can't be that many, surely? Unless they prefer sitting on the phone for 45 minutes before anyone talks to them.

I hate it when they say they are experiencing a higher volume of calls than usual....all the time ...so the high volume of calls is the usual.

I once tested a site that claimed that by calling at midnight. Guess what....same message

@Chaostheory12
@ILoveKits

They're called Andrews & Arnold - also known as AAISP. They're basically run by dedicated geeks who love and take great pride in what they do, rather than by accountants who only care about the balance sheets and making as much profit as they possibly can. They'll happily talk to you at your own knowledge and comfort level, whether you're an IT professional of 30 years' standing or a complete novice.

They have a reputation for their tenacity in solving issues that other providers don't think it's worth their while bothering with. They're also not the best friends with Openreach, as when they try to fob them (or their customers) off with how problems supposedly 'can't be solved', they take no rubbish and will show them up by giving them a step-by-step guide as to what they need to do to resolve it!

They automatically monitor your connection every second (not the content of what you download or upload - they're passionate about privacy, as well as QoS) and you get an automatic text to tell you if the service drops out for a minute or so, and another when it's back up - usually when you've unplugged it to reset the router or rearrange your mess of wires behind the sofa, or when there's an electricity outage.

I realise that I probably sound like I work for them or have shares in them - I promise I don't; I'm just a customer who is extremely happy with them and would never consider moving from them as long as they're in business!

It is so refreshing to find an honest company that cares about you and your experience as a customer, rather than a corporate giant whose only interest is in keeping you juuuust above the threshold at which you say enough is enough and finally leave them.

The only potential negative I can think of is that they don't offer an inclusive bundle that includes TV packages, if that's important to you.

I think my parents think that I'm incredibly profligate when I visit them because I drop £10-15 quid at this, that and the other shop all the time.

But the area I grew up in depends on people spending like that. They sell lovely local produce, and I like my house to be filled with food and items that came from somewhere other than China.

I spent £15 on a single Christmas decoration because it was made by a schoolfriend who does it in her spare time from working at a supermarket checkout. Both of those jobs are important - people need food, and the world needs more beautiful, locally made non-generic crafts.

They're very generous people in many ways - give huge amounts to charity. But I generally like my "charity" to be making the more expensive purchase that keeps that cafe open where it's convenient to me, that good person in an honest living, that person maintaining our heritage...

AHH, but the costs have essentially been relocated to the expense of running the machines. Servers, back ups, debugging, connectivity. People are actually cheaper in many ways!

I think there should be some kind of consumer law that demands they monitor this, submit their figures and publicly call them to account when they're found with their pants permanently on fire if their service level statistics should happen to drop below acceptable standards.

Considering that the makers of 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' were forced to change its name, because it obviously isn't butter; and what everybody calls 'oat milk' as an obvious alternative to actual milk can't legally have the word 'milk' on the packet... why are they allowed to get away with deliberately lying to their customers 24/7?

Wow you are SO lucky.

A couple of times on our travels the parking machines weren't working...regular customers told us just to forget about paying.
I used WiFi in a chain restaurant. They kindly email me every week now! Nice staff and good food so it's quite pleasant.

Yes, @TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis , although I probably don't spend more in my local shops than I would if I bought the same items in a supermarket, because not all of it is more expensive, and I avoid wastage by being able to buy only just what I need. I definitely think we can't expect those businesses to survive unless we use them. And I'd rather my money goes to Chris and Tracy in the greengrocer than to the CEO of whatever supermarket.

The railways. People are always going on about how terrible British Rail was back in the 70s. I was a student back then and took the railways a a lot. Seldom had a cancellation , always got a seat without booking it. Just showed up at the station bought a ticket and got on the next train. It was great. And very affordable. Now you have to decided days in advance exactly when you want to travel and get fined through the nose if you are on the wrong train. The whole system is so expensive and such a faff, I just drive.

British Rail in the seventies was pretty good. I haven't a clue how to get a train now. I only use Gatwick or Stansted. I loved long train journeys years ago.

I agree about the trains. You just can’t be spontaneous now. Well, you can, but at a very hefty price.

You used to be able to get a cheap day return to London from here, travelling any time after 9.30. Now you have select a particular train and the return time . But I don’t know when I’m returning! If you’re caught on the wrong train there’s a fine. The alternative is an Open Return which naturally costs a lot more.

Added to which the station car park is now - ta da! - twenty pounds .

You were lucky where you were. Around here, BR was terrible for cancellations, strikes, etc in the 70s and 80s. It was a lottery if you're train would turn up. Some services were (and still are) every 2 hours, so you'd be stuck if one didn't turn up and without live internet you'd often not have a clue whether the next was bothering to come either. Add in the old carriages, manky buffet sandwiches, (if the buffet wasn't closed), etc and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Would your consumer law also apply to public sector, i.e. hospitals, GP surgeries, HMRC, DVLA, Companies House, local councils, etc who are just as bad as utility firms, if not worse?? If so, count me in!

Omg I’m so with you. And I’m afraid it gets much worse at secondary, sorry.

Job applications. Maybe it’s the type of things I’m going for, but I find them unbelievably onerous. Every single bit of your life history is required, but they won’t accept that document that you’ve worked hard on that already contains it all - your CV - so you have to laboriously set it all out on a platform that keeps bugging out and failing to save your progress. Then there are six different competencies each with 12 bullet points supporting them and you have to demonstrate them all, plus a massive section in addition to sell yourself (why? Why encourage general waffle here if it’s competency-based?), and all this on a platform that may or may not randomly sign you out and lose your progress. Yes I suppose doing it all in Word and copying and pasting might help, but still..,

There used to be lots of boxes at supermarkets near me, which I much preferred. Why did they stop that?

@eastegg - and as for interviews! Dd had all these interviews with a blank screen ☹️ Just an AI voice asking questions and then a gap. Sometimes there was an AI face looking back at you. Dd said it was absolutely weird.

I know I'm lucky where I live but I've just had a great experience at the GP this afternoon. Popped in to pick up a prescription, no queue at all, no one else there. Asked how I could get it ordered on repeat thinking I would need an app or to apply online and she just said, I can do that for you now. Took two seconds. Then spoke with the receptionist about booking an appointment and she got it all booked in. During that time, one person came in for their appointment and was called through immediately.

Plus, our local supermarket does put boxes out and we use them regularly.

There’s a DWP one that I have to ring at work that says ‘we’re experiencing a high volume of calls today, we recommend you hang up and try again tomorrow’ and without fail they answer the phone within 30 seconds of the message whatever time of day.