This is why I detest modern technology....

[Marie2020]

Well it’s Saturday night. Must not have a date. Going online to harass older people (myself) is a poor substitute wouldn’t you say! That’s one.

Hello again. From one oldie to another

 

[Marie2020]

Oh yeah, how could I forget that?! I remember when calling customer service meant you would get to talk to a real person about your issue. I get so frustrated nowadays when I contact customer service and it's an AI bot pretending to be a person. I have received some really stupid responses. The AI is not up to everything, and when you call customer service, that usually means something has gone wrong with the system to start with.

Try speaking to my bank

 

[BleuSaphir]

Oh yeah, how could I forget that?! I remember when calling customer service meant you would get to talk to a real person about your issue. I get so frustrated nowadays when I contact customer service and it's an AI bot pretending to be a person. I have received some really stupid responses. The AI is not up to everything, and when you call customer service, that usually means something has gone wrong with the system to start with.

Two months ago I had a issue with my car, I had to call out with FMLA to avoid penalty with work. It took 30 minutes to reach an actual person with AAA. I was not happy of the inconvenience of taking with AI before reaching to an actual person.

 

[Shadrach]

That's what I said (more or less, and not nearly as eloquently): it's a tool.

My apologies. I hadn't read all the posts.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My apologies. I hadn't read all the posts.

No need to apologize! I am happy someone agreed! Sweet validation!

 

[gtaus]

It took 30 minutes to reach an actual person with AAA. I was not happy of the inconvenience of taking with AI before reaching to an actual person.

Another good thing to rant about. A couple of months ago, I had a break down with my pickup and called AAA for a tow. 2 hours later, I called them back and they had somehow not even notified the towing company! Lots of excuses, etc... but bottom line it took 3 hours to get a 10 mile tow. I filed a complaint with AAA. Actually talked to a customer service rep who apologized for the muck up, and he gave me $50 credit towards next year renewal. I said I'd take the $50 credit, but it in no way makes up for being stranded on the road for 3 hours and if that would have been Dear Wife left out on the road, I would have been beside myself with the poor service of AAA.

I have been a member of AAA for many years, and have always considered them to be the gold standard for towing service. But they have moved almost all their calls to some kind of automated system and using their app. At the time, I did not have a smart phone and talked to a real person - after a good period of waiting - and evidently that person did not know enough that she had to call the towing service! So I sat out there without a clue that nothing was happening and no tow truck was on the way.

BTW, in the end of that story, I had to call the tow truck and give them directions to my breakdown location. AAA still had never called the tow truck and given them my location. Nothing went right on that call and I'm still very upset with AAA. And, frankly, if I had a better option for towing insurance I'd probably switch.

AAA's excuse was that they do most of their service calls via mobile app and that their rep had not been adequately trained on handling phone calls from customers. I guess if you don't have the smartphone and submit everything yourself for a trouble call, some of their real life people don't know how to handle a breakdown anymore.

 

[gtaus]

it's a tool.

If Dear Wife calls me a tool, is that a good thing or not!? I'm not too hip on some of the new slang....

 

[Aunt Angus]

Another good thing to rant about. A couple of months ago, I had a break down with my pickup and called AAA for a tow. 2 hours later, I called them back and they had somehow not even notified the towing company! Lots of excuses, etc... but bottom line it took 3 hours to get a 10 mile tow. I filed a complaint with AAA. Actually talked to a customer service rep who apologized for the muck up, and he gave me $50 credit towards next year renewal. I said I'd take the $50 credit, but it in no way makes up for being stranded on the road for 3 hours and if that would have been Dear Wife left out on the road, I would have been beside myself with the poor service of AAA.

I have been a member of AAA for many years, and have always considered them to be the gold standard for towing service. But they have moved almost all their calls to some kind of automated system and using their app. At the time, I did not have a smart phone and talked to a real person - after a good period of waiting - and evidently that person did not know enough that she had to call the towing service! So I sat out there without a clue that nothing was happening and no tow truck was on the way.

BTW, in the end of that story, I had to call the tow truck and give them directions to my breakdown location. AAA still had never called the tow truck and given them my location. Nothing went right on that call and I'm still very upset with AAA. And, frankly, if I had a better option for towing insurance I'd probably switch.

AAA's excuse was that they do most of their service calls via mobile app and that their rep had not been adequately trained on handling phone calls from customers. I guess if you don't have the smartphone and submit everything yourself for a trouble call, some of their real life people don't know how to handle a breakdown anymore.

That's ridiculous! I'm so sorry. That happened to me once, too. A CHP officer ended up calling after coming across my broken down car. Tow showed up in 5 minutes. I was particularly sympathetic, being 7 or 8 months pregnant at the time.

 

[Aunt Angus]

If Dear Wife calls me a tool, is that a good thing or not!?

We'll just say it's a good thing when it's your dear wife saying it.

 

[gtaus]

Good to hear positive interactions with law enforcement. That's what we pay them for. Very sensitive subject for those of us suffering from the embarrassment of what happened to George Floyd in my very own state. I guess I should do an anti-rant on that issue because without the all the modern tech cell phone video coverage of that incident, I think that death might never have seen the light of day.

FWIW, as an RN working in a mental health hospital, I had been trained on taking patients down, if needed, and keeping them safe. It literally made me sick watching the take down and death of George Floyd, not only because of what the one cop did with his knee on the neck of the victim, but that the other 3 cops on his "team" stood by and did not intervene. A single person can easily get caught up in the situation and make a mistake, but you rely on the other team members to access the situation and intervene if necessary. So the whole training system, as witnessed by the modern tech cell phone videos, showed those cops had been not trained well. I hope that has improved.