Gripe of the day - What is yours?

[redtrummy]

We too are with Octopus, we had built up £600 credit. Thought that was enough even as winter approaches. Asked for £300 refund and requested the monthly amount be reduced by £20 - They just did it ,I believe we should be OK during the colder months. Makes one wonder just how much of our collateral they are holding.

[admin]

Originally Posted by redtrummy

We too are with Octopus, we had built up £600 credit. Thought that was enough even as winter approaches. Asked for £300 refund and requested the monthly amount be reduced by £20 - They just did it ,I believe we should be OK during the colder months. Makes one wonder just how much of our collateral they are holding.

I think that's the point, they must be holding a fair amount of customers cash which is a huge benefit to them. Having said that they must also have a significant amount of customers who are in arrears, so they may be relying on that surplus to cover that deficit (and probably encouraging it).

[Bibio]

My power company OVO insist on having 3 months of DD as the base minimum in my account. I had £1k in credit so i got £600 refund. Their estimated usage is a joke as they tell me my last bill was £2.5 for gas and £2.75 for leccy, its like they are trying to force me onto a smart meter.

[DarrenSV650S]

Sainsburys petrol station.

They have glass surrounding the tills with just a scanner peeking through a small gap towards the customer.
I take my drink up to one of the servers, say hi and he just says "scan it..." with a dead look on his face. No greeting, no "can you please scan that for me" or an apology for making me do his job. Just an almost angry "scan it".

I said 'you want me to scan it?

"yep"

Two of them just sitting there, with no other customers, waiting for me to scan the drink.



Next time I'm just dropping the money at the counter and walking away

[Sir Trev]

It's as bad as restaurants that expect you to go to the staff to order instead of the other way round. If I'm doing half your job then you will only get (upto) half of your tip.

I noticed recently that the caff in my local Morrisons now has an order screen, like a fast food place. The lengths places go to in order to reduce their front of house staff is soul destroying on several levels.

[embee]

I agree, maybe it's our age?
I always use the staffed tills at supermarkets, I just don't like self-service checkouts but also society needs people to be employed for a whole variety of reasons.

It's the old anecdote of the factory full of automated machines running 24/7. One man and a dog are employed by the company, the man does a security round to check no-one has broken in, and the dog is there to bite the man if he tries to touch any of the machinery.

Don't even start me on "AI".

[Bibio]

I was in the ASDA jewel Edinburgh the other day and there was only 2 manned tills and they were for disabled customers. The rest is scan yourself. The Jewel used to be Scotland's east coast biggest ASDA so its a fair old size. It was chaos. I dont mind self serv when i only have a few items but when things go wrong with the scan you have yo wait.

The more automation the less workers who have less money to buy goods.

[garynortheast]

Brutish Gasbags, bunch of utter ****stains and useless skidmarks. After 45 minutes on their online chat, and a disconnection halfway through, they said yes we'll give you a smart meter. Fixed a time and date, and then 4 hours later I get this.

Originally Posted by Brutish Gasbags

Dear,

This email is to provide you with an update regarding your request to upgrade to a smart meter. I have raised a request with the concerned team for the appointment. As per their update, LPG gas meters cannot be upgraded to smart meters as they are not eligible for this upgrade.

Hopeless, and I'm not keen on the incompetent turds addressing me simply as "Dear".

2hats and eejits.

[admin]

That's pretty poor Gary.

[Sir Trev]

I've never been much of a fan of theirs.