Grumble Thread

[Old Grumpy]

Problems just accrue and then again in endeavouring to renew my smartphone provider contract. Last week I had innumerable obstacles doing it online, leading to a phone conversation with the chap at Smarty speaking so sotto voce and with such a thick accent everything had to be repeated - he probably was having the same difficulties with me! - and eventually to my being unable to supply my "secret code". What secret code? My bank one, apparently, and he switched me over to my bank enquiry department, who said they would send me a reminder by post - I truly wasn't sure as to whom or what I was actually speaking and had already declined giving anything away to Smarty by phone. Should anyone, let alone a business, be asking one to divulge such things? Today the code has arrived - so that's OK then, but on contacting Smarty online I am informed I am out of time with their renewal offer. So I now have to wait until it or its successor comes up again in my emails inbox - as it surely will.

Not so Smarty, then!

Must admit I find their adverts so annoying, I wouldn't be tempted go with them anyway.

[smittims]

Now here's a curious phenomenon.

We have two county council litter bins near us. Every so often a different car draws up, someone gets out with a large bag of , presumably, household refuse, crams it into one of the bins, and drives off the way they came. So we have, at least partly, a car drive to dump rubbish.

But why? Surely everyone has a wheelie bin. I asked the council if it was a problem and if they wanted me to note car numbers etc. (yes, I know I'm starting to sound like Alan Bennett's 'A Lady of Letters'), They returned my message marked 'No Further Action'. The mystery continues.

[Dave2002]

Now here's a curious phenomenon.

We have two county council litter bins near us. Every so often a different car draws up, someone gets out with a large bag of , presumably, household refuse, crams it into one of the bins, and drives off the way they came. So we have, at least partly, a car drive to dump rubbish.

But why? Surely everyone has a wheelie bin. I asked the council if it was a problem and if they wanted me to note car numbers etc. (yes, I know I'm starting to sound like Alan Bennett's 'A Lady of Letters'), They returned my message marked 'No Further Action'. The mystery continues.

I thought you were going to mention that these bin stuffers were putting waste into your wheelie bin. I've known that happen before now - a real pain if you put a bin out, and then want to top it up later with another bag from the kitchen.

[oddoneout]

Now here's a curious phenomenon.

We have two county council litter bins near us. Every so often a different car draws up, someone gets out with a large bag of , presumably, household refuse, crams it into one of the bins, and drives off the way they came. So we have, at least partly, a car drive to dump rubbish.

But why? Surely everyone has a wheelie bin. I asked the council if it was a problem and if they wanted me to note car numbers etc. (yes, I know I'm starting to sound like Alan Bennett's 'A Lady of Letters'), They returned my message marked 'No Further Action'. The mystery continues.

Wheelie bins can get full before emptying day comes round and if bags left with the bin aren't lifted then there's a problem. Having disposable nappies to deal with, especially if there is more than one child using them, can very quickly fill the bin. When neighbours have found themselves in that position I've offered my surplus bin space(I usually only have 2 small pedal bin(12 litre) bags to get rid of ) to help them out, although on occasion I've wondered(to myself) why they can't take the less unpleasant household waste to the tip when they have the car out, since it's almost in town and near to all the supermarkets.

[smittims]

Thanks. I should have thought of that. I know some people have complained that the fortnightly collection isn't enough. With only two of us in our house we rarely fill our recycling or black bin.

I did once find a large cardboard box shoved onto our recycling bin after I had put it out. It contained a lot of sealed fresh salads from a local snack company, broken open and some missing. I put it outside the shop for which I assumed it was intended and told the snack people.

[Serial_Apologist]

Here in Southwark we have two main wheelie bins, one blue for recyclables, one green for non-recyclables, and a brown bin option for garden waste. I feel we are exceptionally fortunate in having weekly collections, especially given the selfishness of so many in ignoring the differences in usage, notwithstanding annual council circulars clearly demarcating what should go into what. I've given up transferring stuff from the blue to the green bins after cutting my hand badly on broken glass; fortunately (?) the refuse collectors also seem to have, because our bins are emptied regardless, making one wonder if they are sorting at the depot or have just quietly given up on recycling.

We do get occasional fly-tipping around here, but that's another subject.

[oddoneout]

Here in Southwark we have two main wheelie bins, one blue for recyclables, one green for non-recyclables, and a brown bin option for garden waste. I feel we are exceptionally fortunate in having weekly collections, especially given the selfishness of so many in ignoring the differences in usage, notwithstanding annual council circulars clearly demarcating what should go into what. I've given up transferring stuff from the blue to the green bins after cutting my hand badly on broken glass; fortunately (?) the refuse collectors also seem to have, because our bins are emptied regardless, making one wonder if they are sorting at the depot or have just quietly given up on recycling.

We do get occasional fly-tipping around here, but that's another subject.

I think most(all?) places have weekly collections, but alternate which bin is lifted, so the general waste is taken fortnightly which can be an issue as previously mentioned. Recyclables going in the general waste bin are not an issue(other than not keeping stuff out of landfill) but general(landfill) waste contaminates the recycling so is a problem - expensive and time consuming to deal with. A few years ago problem neighbours decided to dispose of paint tins at the bottom of their green-waste bin, putting lots of grass cuttings on top. The lids flew off as the bins were tipped into the lorry and paint went everywhere. The lorry had to wait for a ruling as to how to proceed; they had almost finished their round and the load couldn't go to the composting centre so they needed to sort out if they could pick up the half dozen remaining bins anyway rather than having to arrange a separate collection.It blocked the road completely for nearly nearly 30 minutes by the time a manager had come out, photos been taken, sorted out who the householder was to contact them,etc. As paint isn't supposed to go to landfill the lorry had to go to be emptied and cleaned rather than just going to the general waste for emptying.
The use of green coloured bins for general waste doesn't help matters because the colour by convention signals environment/recycling. People who move from other areas where green is the recycling bin, or who don't bother to check which bins are for which waste, may find the bins not lifted and/or a note attached.

[Serial_Apologist]

I think most(all?) places have weekly collections, but alternate which bin is lifted, so the general waste is taken fortnightly which can be an issue as previously mentioned. Recyclables going in the general waste bin are not an issue(other than not keeping stuff out of landfill) but general(landfill) waste contaminates the recycling so is a problem - expensive and time consuming to deal with. A few years ago problem neighbours decided to dispose of paint tins at the bottom of their green-waste bin, putting lots of grass cuttings on top. The lids flew off as the bins were tipped into the lorry and paint went everywhere. The lorry had to wait for a ruling as to how to proceed; they had almost finished their round and the load couldn't go to the composting centre so they needed to sort out if they could pick up the half dozen remaining bins anyway rather than having to arrange a separate collection.It blocked the road completely for nearly nearly 30 minutes by the time a manager had come out, photos been taken, sorted out who the householder was to contact them,etc. As paint isn't supposed to go to landfill the lorry had to go to be emptied and cleaned rather than just going to the general waste for emptying.
The use of green coloured bins for general waste doesn't help matters because the colour by convention signals environment/recycling. People who move from other areas where green is the recycling bin, or who don't bother to check which bins are for which waste, may find the bins not lifted and/or a note attached.

Here we actually do get both sets of bins emptied weekly. At one point so much was going into the general bins we would have been overwhelmed had this not been so - lots of tenants and residents moving in and out around the same time. Increasing Uber etc deliveries make for so much additional cardboard etc these days - this doesn't seem to have been much talked about as an "unavoidable" aspect of working from home/people not visiting shops/high streets dying in consequence. And yes, it had occurred to me that having green bins for our general refuse disposal instead of the blue ones might be a factor at play, although (for goodness sakes) that has been the case for as long as I have been living here. Some people don't now appear to have enough time to observe correct procedures amid their hectic lives!

[oddoneout]

Got my car tax reminder this morning and see that the option to pay at the Post Office has been removed. Not impressed. I know they want everyone to "do it online" and I imagine the majority will, but I struggle with online forms and payments and don't have a printer to produce a hard copy to go in my car admin file. There is a phone option - but it's a chargeable number, which I think is a bit of a cheek but it seems standard these days for a lot of public bodies. As with smartphones, the assumption is that "everyone" has an inclusive tariff, so the calls are "free".
I've just looked at the small print "Other ways to apply" and the online link given which suggests payment at the Post Office is possible but requires taking the logbook so I might try that. I have me doubts as I think it's intended (since it says "apply" rather than "pay") for first time payment on a vehicle rather than renewal, but I'll see.

[Pulcinella]

Got my car tax reminder this morning and see that the option to pay at the Post Office has been removed. Not impressed. I know they want everyone to "do it online" and I imagine the majority will, but I struggle with online forms and payments and don't have a printer to produce a hard copy to go in my car admin file. There is a phone option - but it's a chargeable number, which I think is a bit of a cheek but it seems standard these days for a lot of public bodies. As with smartphones, the assumption is that "everyone" has an inclusive tariff, so the calls are "free".
I've just looked at the small print "Other ways to apply" and the online link given which suggests payment at the Post Office is possible but requires taking the logbook so I might try that. I have me doubts as I think it's intended (since it says "apply" rather than "pay") for first time payment on a vehicle rather than renewal, but I'll see.

You might find that someone at your local library (assuming that you have one) or CAB would help you do it online: I don't think you'd have to share too much personal information (ask them to avert their eyes as you enter credit/debit card numbers, for example).
Good luck at the PO though.

[smittims]

This looks like another example of the 'easier for them' process, i.e. make it more difficult for the customer. Yes, 'they' want us all to pay everything online and by Direct Debit, as I supoose this automates everything and removes human input. At one time there was a movement against what is called 'digital exclusion' , but it seems to be dying out as more people accept what seems inevitable, giving in to the machine and the profiteers who own the systems.

[oddoneout]

You might find that someone at your local library (assuming that you have one) or CAB would help you do it online: I don't think you'd have to share too much personal information (ask them to avert their eyes as you enter credit/debit card numbers, for example).
Good luck at the PO though.

Thank you for your kind response. If there really is no alternative I can deal with forms but it is a slow and anxiety inducing process - the coordination between rapidly deteriorating eyesight and arthritic fingers means an awful lot of double checking, and if money is involved I get screwed up about doing it wrong and money going where it shouldn't and then having to see if I can rectify the mistake with bodies that just don't seem to recognise the customer/business relationship anymore.

[oddoneout]

This looks like another example of the 'easier for them' process, i.e. make it more difficult for the customer. Yes, 'they' want us all to pay everything online and by Direct Debit, as I supoose this automates everything and removes human input. At one time there was a movement against what is called 'digital exclusion' , but it seems to be dying out as more people accept what seems inevitable, giving in to the machine and the profiteers who own the systems.

The requirement to recognise that not everyone can make use of digital methods and provide alternatives seems to have been dropped somewhere along the way. The fact that public bodies such as DWP, HMRC, (and NHS rapidly going that way as became clear during Covid) are very much digital or nothing hardly sends out the right message to others, especially those many looking to save money by not providing functioning customer service.
When emails started to become common it was made very clear that a snailmail or telephone alternative had to be available, but now it seems to be the view that digital exclusion is a personal choice and not something that has to be considered.
As a sidenote, last week I was finally given an official email address to be able to access my employer's intranet and, more importantly, digital HR and payroll system. The fact that it didn't actually give me access was no real surprise; the system, installed 18 months ago, is a pile of the proverbial for one thing and also, after 15 years waiting , I didn't expect it to anyway! My manager will continue to log my pay claims(pre-digital it was a simple pen and paper timesheet, quick and easy, two minutes at the end of a shift) , along with all the others who can't get access for various reasons, as changes made over the winter mean that I can't even use the external user login(which only gives access to the payroll) I had last year. Meanwhile we joke about whether I'll achieve success in time to log my last pay claim before the season ends, which this year will also be the date I finish working there for good. If I wanted to check that payslip though I would of course have to go in to work(which will be partly shut down for winter working, so would need to be arranged) to use an "official" computer...
Going digital was always going to cause problems initially but the fact that those responsible for buying the system evidently didn't learn from the earlier version glitches and didn't bother to ask the right questions based on that experience - probably through continued ignorance of those staff who don't do things the "normal" way, so long as senior management salaries continued to appear in bank accounts there was no problem. Staff who were already grappling with the difficulties that being involved with the likes of the DWP and having irregular earnings brings have been badly hit.

[Pulcinella]

Difficult to arrange a FedEx (as recommended by a solicitor in the Bahamas) collection for a package to be sent there yesterday as the delivery address form to be filled in didn't accept that they don't have postcodes.
The Chatbot kept directing to the website: no help at all.
Impossible to speak to a real person.
Eventually tricked the system into believing that there's a package to be sent, so just hope that the driver can sort it all out, if one turns up!

[antongould]

Difficult to arrange a FedEx (as recommended by a solicitor in the Bahamas) collection for a package to be sent there yesterday as the delivery address form to be filled in didn't accept that they don't have postcodes.
The Chatbot kept directing to the website: no help at all.
Impossible to speak to a real person.
Eventually tricked the system into believing that there's a package to be sent, so just hope that the driver can sort it all out, if one turns up!

It is IMVVHO terrible where we now find ourselves with the general standard of customer service. To, almost certainly, repeat myself - I worked for many years for a nationalised energy supply company and to us timely and accurate billing an excellent customer service was what we strived to provide. If a valid complaint was made to the Chairman there was a thorough investigation of what had gone wrong and steps taken to ensure it never happened again .... with privatisation we started taking about first class customer service a lot more and gradually stopped providing it. Sadly even worse the baby went out with the bath water .... I was reminded of this when attempting to work out my estimated consumption for next year and fence my probable monthly payment. Back in the day we had basically two customer information screens ... a statement of account - like a bank statement showing all financial transactions on the account, billings, payments, adjustments etc. and the account balance they generated. The other, known as energy history, showed up to two years of readings with dates and the advances between them ..... to my amazement my current supplier has neither !!! I checked with their staff that this was in fact correct, they agreed and asked me what I thought what they should have ..... I did, they thought it seemed sensible and paid me £30 ... OMG