To wish things would just WORK!

[Graphista]

Having a bit of a day here!

Did my grocery shop and 2 items which are basic grocery items were unavailable - I don't just mean the exact one I always get but ANY version across all brand levels were unavailable - call handlers agreed it didn't make sense and they didn't know why either, have sent feedback through to powers that be and also walked me through submitting a product request.

Power cut - getting more frequent

Amazon

Fed up to the back teeth of constant software updates on tech anyway seriously IT people need to learn the meaning of "if it ain't broke don't fix it"!! Think I've had to update at least 5 things just this week!

Last time I had a power cut I accidentally came across the "on deck" service which I thought was bloody fantastic because it meant despite the power cut I could still watch video online

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201957850

Explains how it works and there was a short explanation and a selection of titles. They weren't particularly to my taste but better than nothing especially as I was very anxious and a distraction was most welcome

But this time...

Nothing!

So I called amazon and the 1st 3 call handlers didn't know about the service at all and thought I was asking how to download videos to the tablet which wasn't what I was asking at all.

Next few (yes it's been that kinda night, kept getting cut off too) thought I was talking about books cos I was using word "library" or that I was just wanting to see which titles were available generally - which I can - it was specifically the "on deck" service I was having a problem with...

...took so long that the power came back anyway before I got a solution!

I'm still on the phone now!

But this call handler SEEMS to know what they're talking about, they did at least instantly recognise the "on deck" service and knew what I was talking about there.

Why is it so hard for things to just work?

We (as a society) have the tech and the knowledge supposedly now and yet we seem so often to make things harder not easier.

Why is that?

Aibu to think that the majority of the time stuff should just work?

Stuff is designed to break.

Technology is designed to become slower.

You are a consumer. They make money off you. It's done on purpose.

So true!

You've reminded me

When I was upgrading phone back in autumn I came across the term "planned obsolescence" which some countries are making illegal and fining tech companies for. I hope it becomes illegal here too.

YANBU

I've never owned a tin opener that worked consistently.

Ooh I have trouble finding kitchen utensils I can work too!

Plus when dd was still living here can openers had to be really smooth and easy to use because she has eds if she tried to use a traditional butterfly style (which is one I find easiest!) she'd sprain her wrist.

I've received an email today Argos have a tu clothing sale on - great! But seemingly nothing in my size and even when I filter for my size it's still returning "results" when I click on an item my size is sold out!

Now this kinda used to be my job (managing databases so they were user friendly) and I KNOW it's possible for them to set up their searches to return the right results I even know how to program it ffs so why seemingly can't a company as big as they are employ people who can do this?!

I've a new garlic crusher, couldn't get on with last one as it didn't come apart properly to clean and got all gunked up. This one seems better so hoping it is.

And printers....ones which don't know they have paper

Well if on deck hasn't been working while you were online there is nothing that can be done whilst you've actually got a power cut as you won't have any content downloaded to the device.

"And printers....ones which don't know they have paper" and photocopiers!

Yes!

I've used these all my working life to some extent and outside work too for dds homework etc

Yet to come across one that's truly reliable they all have issues with paper feeds and ink not working etc usually on a daily basis

Yet in one of my jobs we used a duplicating machine instead and it ALWAYS worked!

Printers are so much trouble, I think they are the cause of children learning more bad language than anything else. I'm just glad we've moved on from the days of dot matrix printers with the paper that had holes down the side to fit on spindles which never worked.

I disagree with duplicating machines though, ours seemed to leak on a daily basis.

@malmi it wasn't that simple.

When I'd used the "on deck" service before I'd not even known it existed until I lost my WiFi and it came up automatically on the tablet as a suggested option I didn't have to do anything.

That's how it's supposed to work, the content is meant to be regularly automatically updated and the service available if you lose WiFi.

When I was going through it all last night when I finally reached a call handler who had even HEARD of the service - this is amazon call handlers supposedly trained on the fire tablet and it's services - he was able to walk me through finding the setting for it where it was clear it was switched on I hadn't accidentally turned it off or anything, I've no age settings on it (the service isn't available for "child" settings) as I'm the only person who uses this tablet.

What's supposed to happen is when the tablet IS connected to wifi the "on deck" content is automatically downloaded to the tablet without the user doing anything, in such a way it doesn't use up all your memory, a "shadow" memory is used. Meaning if you lose WiFi access or are using somewhere without WiFi access there's always a few titles (supposedly based on your tastes based on what you usually watch) to choose from that are available to watch offline.

I have no doubt they're not doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, they're doing it in hopes you may try and like one or more of the suggested titles and buy them (they're generally not ones available on prime free) another reason why the titles are regularly changed.

Weirdly while I was on the phone and the power came back on the tablet then started downloading content to the "on deck" section without me or the call handler doing anything!

We were screen sharing at the time and I heard his surprised cry!

But...I've just checked and there's STILL no "on deck" content available

I swear technology has caused much more stress in our lives! And nothing is easily fixed now either. When I was a kid the adults could fix most things that broke or went wrong. Now things are designed not to be fixed!

Everything is designed to be thrown in the bin nowadays.
It's like printers, they come with that free ink which doesn't last five minutes but it's cheaper to buy a new printer with more free ink than it is to buy replacement ink cartridges. Not that I'd ever do this but it shows just how ridiculous it is.

Yes I know how it is supposed to work. I just pointed out that if you don't have a connection and there is no content downloaded, there's not going to be any way of addressing that over the phone.

“When I was a kid the adults could fix most things that broke or went wrong. Now things are designed not to be fixed!” Definitely!

Cars especially!

My dad taught us all to:

Do an oil change
Change spark plugs
Change/clean air filter
Change bulbs
Do an overall check before a long journey

Now a lot of it you can’t do yourself because it’s been designed so that only mechanics owning the right diagnostic and other tools can do it. Great for garages, bad for car owners in my opinion.

@malmi initially called because I couldn’t find the content that had automatically appeared the previous time. It developed into a discussion about why the content hasn’t been sent to my device. I’ve now spent several hours on the phone repeatedly explaining the issue because many of the call handlers weren’t even aware of the service and even those that are, were insistent on going through the “troubleshooting” script before even discussing the issue!

I’m fed up of saying that yes there’s plenty of memory on the device, yes I’m using the most up to date os, yes I’ve turned the device and WiFi connection off and on several times, yes I’ve checked on deck is enabled...

They’re very clearly NOT IT trained and merely operating off a script even when I’ve asked to be put through to someone who IS actually IT trained and familiar with the service.

Yes everything is designed to be disposable, nothing is built to last.

My parents hoover, washing machine, dryer and cooker they’ve had for over 30 years. They’ve occasionally needed parts replaced but nothing major and still going strong.

Mine and my siblings equivalent items never last longer than about 5 years! And we’re not using them badly or anything just the products are shit!

We have had intermittent internet connection for 18 months. As its an intermittent fault despite multiple engineers coming out they can't fix it but told us to contact them when we get a fault to so they can run a line test. As it takes 30mins or so of holding and then stupid repeated questions before they can do a line test, they have never managed to do it while we have a fault. Next week we are out of contract and we are counting down the days!

It's like the dark ages I tell ya.....

A total power cut and you can't even get netflix...

And every time we lose the internet I need to reconnect the printer.

@haveuheard why haven't you left before now? If you're not getting a reliable service they're not upholding the contract anyway. I'd have left long before now.

Am I right in thinking it's one of the more expensive suppliers too? Sky? Virgin?

This is gonna Male me sound really shallow but if all the things in life that depress me, "stuff" not working depresses me the most. I hate it - everything in my home seems to have fallen apart lately. Broken shower, loo, light bulbs popping. I get ridiculously stressed out

Tesco basics for the tin opener @TwitcherOfCurtains! I swear by it. Absolutely bomb proof and something like 75p when I got mine. 😂

Its TalkTalk. I looked into legally ending the contract early but its actually fairly difficult to do if you don't want to risk being sued/having to pay to the end anyway. And its very hard to complain when no-one in customer service speaks decent English off-script.

We are going to Virgin Media and hoping whatever problem there is, using different infrastructure will sort it. And this time we will be recording every single fault.

Staplers nowadays are all rubbish (apart from Leitz ones-fab!) I don't rememer them being at all problematic in the 70s and 80s.

We have just been having the exact conversation here!!!!

Zyliss garlic crusher is excellent. Oxo good grips items are great, especially the potato peeler.

@haveuheard well sorry but I’ve heard of lots of people having trouble with virgin too. I’m with Plusnet for less than £20 pcm and I’ve been with them almost 10 years and the only time I’ve had cause to complain the faults lay with the main network/bt openreach. Also their customer service is excellent and based in Uk and all their call handlers speak English very well.

Just a thought.

@glummy it’s not shallow at all. I’m the same. I’m housebound and I NEED things to work! We all do. We deserve that the products and services we buy operate as they should.

@missmouse101 your post reminded me of a very frustrating shopping trip where dd was doing a school project and I worked out that paper fasteners or treasury tags would serve her purposes best. Now at 11 years old she’d not yet come across these but asking in shops (places like Wilko and whsmiths for crying out loud) and the shop assistants didn’t know what they were either, even when I was showing them THEIR companies websites with the items on them!

These are not items that are difficult to comprehend!

Eventually got them in a WHSmiths in glasgow! Where the assistant was equally shocked that other assistants hadn’t known what they were.

£10+ for a garlic crusher?? I got my new one from Sainsburys for £1.75!