dibbons
Well-Known Member
Needed to make a single black & white copy from my logbook. Arrived at exactly 10:00 AM, the store opening time.
One customer in front of me had given a thumb drive to the clerk in order to print some fotos. Then began a ten-minute discussion on how he needed to pick-up the prints in an hour and a half, while the clerk could only tell him they have to process online orders first, those that were on the system before he walked in (from last night). After she went forward and asked him a hundred and one questions and inputs all the answers from the customer, she tells him she can't do it that way. Told him he had to place his print order online and he could use a terminal in the store. Then again he asked over and over if the print order would be done by 11:30 AM or not, she kept telling him over and over again, no guarantees. Finally, he pressed her for a "yes" or "no" answer, and she said "no, can't be finished on time". He "politely" thanked her very much and left (not very pleased, I might say). I listened painfully to this entire discourse for a good ten minutes.
Then it was my turn, with my very complex request to make a single copy from my notebook, (already folded to the correct page). Then the interrogation began, while she typed in a "work order" into her computer terminal, "first name", then "last name", then my "phone number", then if I wanted it "double-sided", was I a "rewards member", then a bunch of other stupid questions. After listening to the hoops the previous customer jumped through, I was about to pull my hair out now that she was screwing with me.
You understand, there was a self-serve copy machine right behind me for 12 cents, BUT it did not accept coins. The options were credit card or a prepaid Office Depot card. I saw it when I walked in, but did not want to make a 12 cent charge on the credit or debit card.
After the questioning was over, she printed out a single page. I had not given her my notebook yet, so apparently this was a hard copy of my "work order." I tried to hand her my notebook, but she told me to walk over to my left to a second terminal, which I guess serves as the cash register. She took the "work order" in one hand, and scanned a bar code with a pistol shaped device. Meanwhile, I am holding a dime and a nickel out in midair, still waiting for her to quit fooling around and accept my payment. I now find that I pay 15 cents for this copy, whereas I could have saved 3 cents if I had used the self-serve copy station behind me.
Finally she accepts my 15 cents, but we are not finished with the paperwork quite yet. She directs me to a small screen that serves as a pay station of some sort. I see there is a question on the screen, asking me to choose between four options for my receipt. I pick up the magic pen and press the option "no receipt". I guess the other options were paper receipt, e-mail receipt, and I forgot the fourth option.
But we are still not done, now I have to sign my name on the line provided on the screen where I had answered the receipt. OK, so I sign my name.
Now I give the clerk my notebook and she makes a copy and I am out the door. That's a productive way to spend 15 minutes of my vacation. If I hadn't been on vacation, I probably would have been fuming. This story sums up perfectly my opinion of "progress" and "technology".
Earlier this morning, I noticed the McDonalds employees don't make small change anymore, the coins drop out automatically and come done a slide towerd the customer. Just another way of dumbing down the population if you ask me.
One customer in front of me had given a thumb drive to the clerk in order to print some fotos. Then began a ten-minute discussion on how he needed to pick-up the prints in an hour and a half, while the clerk could only tell him they have to process online orders first, those that were on the system before he walked in (from last night). After she went forward and asked him a hundred and one questions and inputs all the answers from the customer, she tells him she can't do it that way. Told him he had to place his print order online and he could use a terminal in the store. Then again he asked over and over if the print order would be done by 11:30 AM or not, she kept telling him over and over again, no guarantees. Finally, he pressed her for a "yes" or "no" answer, and she said "no, can't be finished on time". He "politely" thanked her very much and left (not very pleased, I might say). I listened painfully to this entire discourse for a good ten minutes.
Then it was my turn, with my very complex request to make a single copy from my notebook, (already folded to the correct page). Then the interrogation began, while she typed in a "work order" into her computer terminal, "first name", then "last name", then my "phone number", then if I wanted it "double-sided", was I a "rewards member", then a bunch of other stupid questions. After listening to the hoops the previous customer jumped through, I was about to pull my hair out now that she was screwing with me.
You understand, there was a self-serve copy machine right behind me for 12 cents, BUT it did not accept coins. The options were credit card or a prepaid Office Depot card. I saw it when I walked in, but did not want to make a 12 cent charge on the credit or debit card.
After the questioning was over, she printed out a single page. I had not given her my notebook yet, so apparently this was a hard copy of my "work order." I tried to hand her my notebook, but she told me to walk over to my left to a second terminal, which I guess serves as the cash register. She took the "work order" in one hand, and scanned a bar code with a pistol shaped device. Meanwhile, I am holding a dime and a nickel out in midair, still waiting for her to quit fooling around and accept my payment. I now find that I pay 15 cents for this copy, whereas I could have saved 3 cents if I had used the self-serve copy station behind me.
Finally she accepts my 15 cents, but we are not finished with the paperwork quite yet. She directs me to a small screen that serves as a pay station of some sort. I see there is a question on the screen, asking me to choose between four options for my receipt. I pick up the magic pen and press the option "no receipt". I guess the other options were paper receipt, e-mail receipt, and I forgot the fourth option.
But we are still not done, now I have to sign my name on the line provided on the screen where I had answered the receipt. OK, so I sign my name.
Now I give the clerk my notebook and she makes a copy and I am out the door. That's a productive way to spend 15 minutes of my vacation. If I hadn't been on vacation, I probably would have been fuming. This story sums up perfectly my opinion of "progress" and "technology".
Earlier this morning, I noticed the McDonalds employees don't make small change anymore, the coins drop out automatically and come done a slide towerd the customer. Just another way of dumbing down the population if you ask me.
