Grumpy Old man

[rant] The modern age is getting me down. Here's the gist of my conversation yesterday with 'customer services' at the company that provide me with home insurance. The bunch with the nodding dog adverts. This followed a miserable couple of hours trying to get sense out of two other companies who had provided me with online quotes, so I wasn't in the best of moods.

Me 'Hello, I'd like to cancel the renewal of my policy please'

'Lee' 'Oh, why's that, is it the price and that?'

M 'Yes, you've increased the premium by £100'

L 'Well, we can 'ave a look at it and that, see if we can bring it down..?'

M 'If you were able to do that, why did you increase it?'

L 'Well..we just sort of choose who we give good deals to, mate'

M 'Please don't call me 'mate, I don't even know you'

L 'Oh, sorry, don't you like that? Just trying to be friendly'

M 'I don't need you to be friendly, I need you to cancel my policy, thanks'

L 'Yeah OK, you don't 'ave to do it, see ya laters'

M  'I very much doubt that, goodbye'


Is it me? Yes, I was probably a bit uptight with the lad, but what sort of training do these people get nowadays?

[/rant]

When my phone died last week I called the local phone shop (who probably can't fix phones...just sell you a few and sell you a new contract.)  Anyway, he excitedly said I was eligible for an update.  Meaning, I could buy one for ONLY $259, with a $100 rebate.  OR, the better phone for ONLY $359 with a $100 rebate.  Hmm...I only paid $100 for this one.  Oh, and he'd gladly get the information off my phone IF I have another phone from the same company.  Oh, and the software I have that saves all my info to my computer (which I did)...won't let you retrieve that info unless you jump through a whole bunch more hoops...and probably buy another one of their phones. 

My son had one he bought for his wife when hers broke, but she didn't end up using.  I bought it off him for $20 and will most likely use it until it dies.  I hope I don't forget something extremely important that is on my other phone.  :-( 

Sorta reminds me of the rant about tech guys in the other thread. 

this is why they invented moneysupermarket.com (other price comparison websites are available...;-) ) put if ur info once, find the cheapest people, then do it again on their website...can't be bothered spending hours on the phone to save £20 a year or something...

mgh


this is why they invented moneysupermarket.com (other price comparison websites are available...;-) ) put if ur info once, find the cheapest people, then do it again on their website...can't be bothered spending hours on the phone to save £20 a year or something...

That was what wound me up so much Mark. I got all the prices from GoCompare, but none of the companies could find the quote references their websites gave me, even though I had them right there onscreen, while talking to them.

You know, after I learned to drive, I dealt with the same insurance broker for nigh-on 20 years..used to go into their offices in town, have a quick chat and I was all sorted for another year. Dusty old men in dusty old offices, but they knew the business inside out and backwards.

Internet making life simpler? Pah.