To be totally sick of modern technology and having to do so much online

[Lifeomars]

i have been almost reduced to screaming and crying over the past three days due to almost everything having to be dealt with online.

!. I ordered some hair straighteners online from Boots, all fine and dandy. I got a text from Royal Mail saying they would be delivered on 26 Nov and giving me the tracking details. They never showed up and tracking showed them as being at sorting centre. This message showed every day for the following week, trying to track it online did not work. Going onto Boots website had a piece of info saying not to contact them until 7 working days had elapsed without them turning up. 7 days passed and I went back on the Boots site .After a good few minutes of scrolling through rather unclear information I then had to engage with a bot to try and explain what was happening (or not happening in my case). The box to enter my order number in would not work and after trying for 20 mins and feeling like ripping my (unstraightened) hair our I tried to use the email facility. This took another 10 minutes as all you are allowed to do is scroll though to find the option. It keeps trying to divert you to their FAQ but in the end I managed to fill it in. The whole process was hideous and I kept thinking that a 5 minute conversation with a human being would have sorted it out.

2, Today I had a message from my phone provider EE saying I had exceeded my "spend cap". I have been with them for two years and was not even aware that I had one. Can't phone them as I now cannor use my phone, can't log into my account on my laptop as I cannot remember my password (never use the online account). To set a new password requires that they send me a text, phone is now not even receiving texts which is odd so atm I am phoneless. I do not use my phone excessively, a bit of WhatsApp, some texts, and all the online stuff is done via my broadband account. Basically I feel that I have been almost driven to the brink by tech over the past few days. Great when it works but when it plays up it seems to take so much mental energy to sort it all out.

@taxguru

Having worked with people for 40 years needing to submit tax returns, loan applications, grant applications, etc., I can categorically say that people had problems filling in paper forms just as they now have problems filling in computerised forms.

I'm sure that's true and I prefer a computerised form to a paper form.

Its the universal replacement of phone-based customer service with an algorithm which I really can't deal with. The idea that all enquiries of any kind can be dealt with in a tick box fashion which basically gives four or five options and says "I don't understand" if you ask anything vaguely nuanced is lunacy.

By definition if you're calling up to ask a question it almost certainly can't be dealt with on the website.

I watched a YouTube video where the speaker said the most frightening number was 83. He meant an IQ of 83.

Apparently, the US army will not enroll a soldier with an IQ of 83 or less. The army simply cannot find any useful role for low-IQ soldiers. The thing is, about 10% of the general population has an IQ of 83 or less... and life in the wider world is probably more complicated than army life.

So, he concludes about 10% of the general population would have difficulty with the complexities managing everyday life, including doing everything online, and managing money.

The numbers are from the video, and I haven't verified them. I'll track down the video and post a link.

Yes this is exactly what I'm explaining , this what I do with my order at McDonslds
but you can order as it is or customise

The restaurant I went to had multiple choice for every option....which made it tedious
Eg
Ham sandwich
White or brown
Baguette or sliced bread
Tomato?
Mayo or mustard?
There was no default standard ham sandwich for non fussy people! (I am quite fussy but having to ask someone quite deaf - because they couldn't use the app themselves - about 3 different questions just to order a coffee was a bit of a chore, when it would have been easier for them to say to a server eg Americano with milk)

But people said the same when local offices were closed and people suddenly had to start phoning up for customer service instead of turning up at the office/desk/counter. It's just change, and some people struggle with any kind of change.

But if you order at the counter, doesn't the shop assistant ask you all those questions??

Laughing here, I commented above on how it can be good in places not in other- was running out of diesel and realised I had no card or money, transferred money over and used my phone and was so excited it actually worked! The relief and I was gobsmacked that we can do things like this now! There’s times I’m like someone from the last century 😅

My FUL says the same and he's 85- he says basically his RAM is full and has no room now for anything new

@taxguru

But people said the same when local offices were closed and people suddenly had to start phoning up for customer service instead of turning up at the office/desk/counter. It's just change, and some people struggle with any kind of change

It's true that people struggle with any kind of change, but I do think there's a legitimate gripe about using AI or automated systems to deal with customer enquiries: unless its extremely sophisticated it only has a limited number of parameters/outcomes. In the nature of these things the questions people want to pose to companies don't always fall into these neat yes/no boxes.

If someone is transitioning from going into their bank branch to speaking to someone in a call centre its disruptive but there is at least a human being involved in the transaction who can understand the grey areas involved. There's no AI in the world which can yet deal with this level of complexity.

I'm fine with using AI to get rid of the low-hanging fruit questions: cancel my card, send me a new PIN etc. But if you have a more complex enquiry (as people inevitably do) and need to speak to someone, the system is designed to disincentivize you from doing this in a way which is needlessly obstructive, maddeningly annoying even for the tech savvy and wasteful. I don't see how having people sit on hold to a call centre for 45 minutes because a computer can't process an enquiry is ultimately going to save anyone money.

The ultimate problem is poorly designed and unreliable apps and software. Many previous posters have mentioned having to re-key many times, or bots that don't understand what you want to do, etc. That's ALL down to poor software and development. Sadly that's partly due to our education system which hasn't moved on in decades and entire cohorts have been leaving school in the past decade or two with barely any IT skills (other than what they've learned themselves). That's an absolute disgrace now that everything is computerised and the direction of travel is more and more apps, etc. People with real IT programming/development skills are in huge demand and supply is scarce, so firms are having to engage sub-optimum staff, i.e. the best they can get, rather than the best, hence so many problems with the software, badly designed apps, badly designed forms, etc.

OP, I’m right there with you.

We’ve created a monster and there’s no going back now. No wonder life’s too fast and we’re all stressed to f**k!

I had a similar experience at Birmingham Airport about 5 years ago. I wanted to yell at the staff member who was aggressively barking orders at me (who I suspect was moonlighting after her daytime job of prison warder) that I couldn't see a f*ing thing without my glasses on, and hadn't a clue what I was meant to be doing. I needed help, not yelling at.
It was the first time I had met that system, and honestly it has put me off flying ever again.

That is an interesting take on it. I am not anti tech, I use online banking, book stuff online, shop online, manage my energy account online, stream films and music, read on a Kindle, and have of course used computers since the 90's in all the jobs I have had I guess I expect it just to work, it is meant to save time, to streamline our day to day lives and I think you are right that a lot of it is clunky and not fit for purpose. I think that having tech everywhere is alienating for a lot of people, I always go to a staffed check out at the supermarket, I just find it much easier than scanning my shopping at the self checkout, another thing that is great until it plays up. I guess that when people like me are all dead and the upcoming generation who have never known any different will be more at ease with having apps for everything

The e passport checkers are useless for anyone wearing glasses as passport photos don’t allow you to wear glasses. So it scans face and requires no glasses to be worn. I can’t see the instructions without my glasses

Yes, I hate it.

I went carpet shopping recently. First stop, a small local shop, where we picked a few samples to take home. Second stop, a large national chain with a wide range of carpets. We shortlisted a few, then asked a staff member if we could take samples home - she said no, we'd have to go online and order them (3 at a time, so if the first 3 weren't suitable I guess we'd have to swap them for others). She didn't even offer to do this for us. I don't go into a shop to be told I have to "go online"! Guess who got our custom.

Re the parking thing too - we were abroad recently and tried to park somewhere which it turned out only had app payment. Only one of our group had data, and he failed to get the app downloaded, so we left and then found there was free parking a couple of streets away. So they lost our money there.

I've had to phone DWP recently as I've moved. When Ivr typed in my year of birth as 4 digits (for example, 1978) it doesn't recognise it, but has no issues with me speaking my year of birth. But has some difficulty understanding what I want to speak to a person for.

Those chat bots are just as bad. So easier speaking to a person.

I hate something with voice activated things. It never understands my Aberdeen accent so I have to put on a faux English accent to be understood.

Snap ..it's when what you've said is repeated back and it completely different... that's when I lose the place and shout a bitty.

The other day I had to take the car in to get the wheels tracked. Another lady came in to have the same done and we ended up chatting about Christmas, schools and all sorts of stuff while we waited.
it was lovely and I realised how few and far between these interactions are becoming because usually people are face down in their phones and don't even make eye contact.
im not keen on technology. I'm still in my 40s and work with lots of IT at work but I miss interacting with humans. I won't order via a QR code in a pub and I much prefer going into a shop, choosing something and having a nice chat with the staff hopefully at the same time.

@StiffyByngsDogBartholomew I completely agree. My daughter recently said she liked being able to order train tickets online as she didn't have to talk to anyone to do it. I think she must be a changeling!

Agree and there isn't even both options in most cases anymore in case you want to either see someone face to face or speak to them on the phone. I have to do all my mums online admin as she finds it all overwhelming. Everyone recommends having a different password for everything but I could not cope with lots of different ones. The most I change is whether I start the same word uppercase or not or whether it ends in a special character or not and even then I forget for which account I adapted it. You get locked out and then can't remember your memorable place or the third and fifth character if your 'special word' etc...

someone said “but people complained when offices closed and you had to phone call centres”. Yes, because it’s worse. In my job (and all the jobs I’ve had) we know that you can call someone in the first instance but if you can’t resolve something, because it’s too complicated or contentious, you then put in a meeting. It’s basic - humans swap information and get resolutions better when they’re in the same room. Everyone knows this. But it’s an option that we can’t have now for almost day to day negotiations and it is very frustrating

I think in all of these technological developments we’ve lost the art of communication. There’s another thread on here relating to kindness in society (or lack of). We’ve become impatient, irascible and intolerant. We need quick answers and interaction; binary communication styles “Press 1/2/3 on your keypad now…”

I visit elderly people in a befriending capacity. They’re some of the loveliest interactions I have. Real conversation and memories. I live by a school. I see kids walking along the pavement going to and from and honestly, there’s so many of them head down, navigating the throng almost via spidery senses, barely glancing upward and otherwise unaware of their peers.

We’ve shot the collective human race in the foot with all of this “progress”.

Both my teens love not having to speak to anyone. DD was over the moon when she realised she could get her click and collect order from a locker with a code.
Her ideal job would be never having to speak to anyone, the irony being that some the inventions she loves by not having to communicate are in place of entry level jobs

Just email EE or do a live chat.

Thing is that face to face is limited to relatively short office hours. Take a couple of decades ago, yes you could sort out insurance over the counter, or bank a cheque, or pay your gas bill at the gas showroom, but it was, at best 9-5, no Sundays, half day closing on Wednesday etc.

Thats very limiting for workers, carers, etc who don’t have free and easy time off to live their lives around town centre opening hours. It worked when people lived and worked in town centres or were stay at home Mums.

The vast majority need to be able to do things outside shop/office hours these days and not have to travel to town centres, so call centres and online has to be the answer for those people so they can deal with life admin early evenings or weekends when they’re not at work.