Random Thought Thread

[Springfield]

Nvm. **** it. I'll just do it. Traffic is bad enough anyway. Nothing else to do.

Whereabouts in spring field do you reside

I live off of Pohick Rd in Newington Forest.

After I posted about Village Chicken I walked in the bays of my shop to see two of my technicians eating Village.

[ixcuincle]

Yeah, I have tonstay.i was going to drive by and checkout a property to rent, but they told me earlier that it's taken.so that sucks. So I'll stop by and eat there or something.

The commute home is going to be awful asnusual, compounded with the lane closure inb495

[Springfield]

Where in Springfield are you working at now?

[ixcuincle]

Off Edsall road but we move to a new place late august. The drive from md is way too long. I fill up gas twice a week i swear

It'd be nice to move to Fairfax or Chantilly or even Merrifield.

[Warhead36]

Man Britt McHenry is sooooo hot. Total dream wifey.

[skinsmarydu]

Last night we decided to get Taco Bell, almost never eat fast food anymore, so we figured "the worst of the worst is best", right?
I'm diggin' into my 7-layer burrito (haven't had one in about 10 years), and I'm moaning (LOL), and hubby asks, "Is it good?"
I said, "Chewie would call it a yumgasm"...and he cracked up on me

Then he said it today when we were out to lunch...I was having a BBQ Slaw Dog (damn that thing was bangin'!) with sweet potato fries, and that, ummm, feeling swept over me..."Another yumgasm?"
Yessirree.

 

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Last night we decided to get Taco Bell, almost never eat fast food anymore, so we figured "the worst of the worst is best", right?

I'm diggin' into my 7-layer burrito (haven't had one in about 10 years), and I'm moaning (LOL), and hubby asks, "Is it good?"

I said, "Chewie would call it a yumgasm"...and he cracked up on me

Then he said it today when we were out to lunch...I was having a BBQ Slaw Dog (damn that thing was bangin'!) with sweet potato fries, and that, ummm, feeling swept over me..."Another yumgasm?"

Yessirree.

 

Taco Bell, man, its been 10 years since I ate there too.  I used to love the Mexican Pizza and just the regular bean burritos, no onions.  

[ixcuincle]

At village chicken! !!!!!

[Springfield]

At village chicken! !!!!!

I mean. It isn't all that great...

Their fries are good definitely.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Am I the only who can't stand Frank Calliendo? Just makes me cringe, every single time

[Larry]

Been catching up on Daily Show and Colbert. Saw a reference to pizza, in one of the shows, and that put me in the mood for pizza, tonight.

I sit through the rest of the shows, with visions of a Pizza Hut medium Thin and Crispy Meat Lovers.

I can't order one delivered, because the restaurant which delivers to me, a few years back, installed a gizmo on their phone that will not allow me to phone them and order a pizza unless I sit through their commercials. (I have no clue how many commercials. I sat through one, and they started a second one.)

I absolutely refuse to do business with a company that will not allow me to tell them what I want, unless I sit through their commercial, first.

What I've been doing is, there's a second Pizza Hut near me, that doesn't have that gizmo on their phone. I've been calling them, and going to pick it up.

Not any more.

Who the **** came up with the idea that it was good business sense to deliberately insult people who have made the decision to hand you money (but haven't done so yet)?

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Um, working for both Papa John's and Domino's in the past, the commercials on the phone just meant we were busy and you were on hold. Your call is answered automatically by the "gizmo" and then answered by a person when they can

[Larry]

Then they have been busy every single time I've called. And, the first few times, busy for at least a minute and a half. On several occasions.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Then they have been busy every single time I've called. And, the first few times, busy for at least a minute and a half. On several occasions.

I mean yeah, they normally are busy. What time are you normally calling?

[Larry]

I mean yeah, they normally are busy. What time are you normally calling?

Often, 4:00 or so. Today was more like 7:00.

(And if they're "normally" busy, then they don't have enough staff to handle "normal" business.)

And where do you get off, trying to talk me out a good ranting mad by pointing out facts and things?

[Springfield]

There are very few businesses that you can call and talk directly to a representative of the business without some sort of inconvenience. It's a terrible business model.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Often, 4:00 or so. Today was more like 7:00.

(And if they're "normally" busy, then they don't have enough staff to handle "normal" business.)

And where do you get off, trying to talk me out a good ranting mad by pointing out facts and things?

Yeah it's normally just a couple of people answering phones. The rest are making and prepping the food or driving. You should just try ordering online. Fast, easy and since you're entering it yourself, no worries about them taking down the order wrong.

And sorry, I got to stick up for my pizza compatriots. I actually enjoyed that job for some reason.

[dfitzo53]

If you want great gyros check out Skorpio's in Vienna.

[Larry]

There are very few businesses that you can call and talk directly to a representative of the business without some sort of inconvenience. It's a terrible business model.

I assume that the business arrived at that model by doing a cost study. The problem is, their study is based on certain assumptions:

1) The business' time is worth $x/minute.

2) The customer's time is worth zero.

 

Based on these calculations, a voice menu system which requires a customer to spend seven minutes navigating, but which saves the sales rep 15 seconds, is a net positive. 

 

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Heck, I have the same thing when I have to call Disney, fer crying out loud.  Their main customer service line, which is used by people who want to book Disney vacations, has a maddeningly slow voice screening system which not only starts off by demanding that I tell them why I'm calling, using code words that they don;t tell me, in advance.  but it then requires me to verify my identity like 5 times before it will let me through. 

 

(And the last 3 or 4 identity verifications consist simply of forcing me to sit there while the computer spells my name, one letter at a time, and then tell it that yes, it's me.) 

 

Now, granted, those last several steps are because I'm calling to cancel a reservation.  People calling to book a hotel only have to jump over the first 3-4 hurdles.  (The only time I call Disney is to cancel reservations, because cancelling reservations is the only thing which they will not permit me to do online.  Their web site is buggy and slow, but compared to dealing with their phone system and their people it's fantastic.) 

 

And, remember.  This is the phone line that's used by families who want to spend several days at Disney, at costs of hundreds or thousands of dollars a day.  People who want to not just come to Disney (you don;t need reservations, for that).  But to stay in one of the Disney hotels. 

 

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I keep remembering a line from the opening of a TV show. 

 

Some network (don't remember which) had this show.  Something along the lines of "The ABC Wednesday Night Mystery".  It was always a mystery.  But they would rotate among several different characters.  One of the characters was Columbo.  George Pappard showed up regularly as a private eye named Banacheck". 

 

Well, one of the shows that they'd rotate through that time slot was called "Cool Million".  The character was supposedly a detective who recovered priceless stolen artifacts, for insurance companies.  The title of the show supposedly referred to his fee. 

 

One of the shows opened with the title character working out.  I think he was rowing a racing shell or some such.  With a voiceover. 

 

"A lot of people keep pointing out that, given my particuylar job, that I could have my choice of several really glamorous or exotic or expensive locations.  New York.  Beverley Hills.  The Riveria.  I could live anywhere, and it wouldn't affect my job much, because I'm always traveling, on my job, anyway. 

 

"So, they want to know why I live in Omaha. 

 

"Well, you see, my business relies on me being very easy to reach.  Although my clients are all desperate for my services, they also are rather infrequent.  And a missed business opportunity can really hurt me. 

 

"I don't get very many phone calls.  I'm told it has something to do with my fee. 

 

"The long distance lines to Omaha are never busy." 

 

Now, when I call the "I want to reserve a Disney hotel room for my Disney vacation" line, it occurs to me that this phone call potentially represents several thousand dollars, to Disney.  (I've booked Disney vacations, granted, in their most expensive hotels, at expensive times of the year, where we were booking three hotel rooms, at $7K per room, just for the rooms and park tickets.  Although no doubt their average customer's vacation is considerably less than that.)  And this customer has probably spent a great deal of time, thinking about this, before finally picking up the phone and dialing. 

 

And, this phone call represents the Disney Corporation's First Contact with this customer. 

 

And it was a long time before I had my first phone call where my wait time was less than 20 minutes. 

 

I can understand that some times there's a surge in calls.  But it was this way every single time.  (It's gotten batter, last year or two.) 

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Yeah it's normally just a couple of people answering phones. The rest are making and prepping the food or driving. You should just try ordering online. Fast, easy and since you're entering it yourself, no worries about them taking down the order wrong.

And all I have to do is give them my email address, and permission to spam me, in addition to the name, phone number, credit card number, and address, which they already capture without my permission and store, forever, in their telemarketing database.

(And, FWIW, I worked for, and managed, a Pizza Hut, many decades ago. (Before they started delivery))

[Springfield]

Precisely Larry. There is exactly a 0% chance that the people fielding those phone calls are so busy that anyone should be holding for 20 minutes. FOR ANYTHING.

I would guess that business lose a considerable amount of business simply due to the fact that someone couldn't reach a representative of their business over the phone. Every time someone hangs up the phone is a potential lost sale. In my line of business, if my phone isn't ringing then something is wrong. Any retail or service business should be viewed the same as well. Having a convoluted phone screening process ensures that the phone will ring less.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Searching my email right now, the only "spam" I got from Domino's is an initial sign up welcome and then order confirmations. Maybe Pizza Hut does it differently but I doubt it. No offense or anything but you just sound old objecting to ordering online.

And yeah, you shouldn't be on hold for more than a few minutes.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

 

And all I have to do is give them my email address, and permission to spam me, in addition to the name, phone number, credit card number, and address, which they already capture without my permission and store, forever, in their telemarketing database.

(And, FWIW, I worked for, and managed, a Pizza Hut, many decades ago. (Before they started delivery))

 

Me and the wife order online for Pizza Hut and Papa John's all the time.  I only have a Pizza Hut account and I never get any spam emails from them.  I think they give you that option to not receive promotional emails.  I do get an order confirmation email after the transaction is complete.  Not sure about Papa Johns though, but who cares, just delete them.  Most likely its a coupon/discount anyhow, what's the big deal?

 

Are you really that paranoid about a restaurant having your credit card #?  If you order delivery and pay with cash, they have your address and phone #, most call your address out when you say you want delivery, they log it into their systems.  Do you not pay any bills online?  Or order anything online with a credit card?

 

I mean, if you use a credit card at all, ever, at any establishment you are at risk for someone taking the info and trying to commit fraud.  Papa John's and Pizza Hut should be the least of your concern.  

[Fan since a Fetus]

Had this **** head on eBay approach me about selling my guitar. We agreed on a price of $1250. He asked all the right questions and I spent about 2-2 1/2 hours emailing and sending pictures of the guitar and accessories. Then, he wants me to sell it offline and not use eBay. I refuse and tell him to make the offer on eBay and business would be done. Then he decides he doesn't want to do it. Scam, he wanted my PayPal information. Ugh, what a waste of time.

[Larry]

I'm not worried about them committing fraud with credit card info. 

 

I simply resent the notion all businesses have, of "anything you say can and will be used against you, any time we feel like it, later." 

 

Yes, I order lots of things online.  And fully expect them to spam me, when I do.  (I even have a Yahoo email account that I set up specifically so that I could give it to people who I assume are going to spam me.) 

 

Yes, I'm aware that many businesses ask you if you want "to be informed of promotions and special offers".  I'm aware that they all program the web page so that the box is already checked for you.  You have to find it and turn it off. 

 

I'm aware that virtually all of them then turn around and ignore the fact that you turned the check box off, and spam you anyway. 

 

Now, Y'all are right.  I have no firsthand knowledge that Pizza Hut does all of this. 

 

But, if they don't, then they may well be the only business I've ever done business with, that doesn't. 

 

Heck, Mom's pharmacy demands her mailing address, every time she refills one of her 10 prescriptions.  They demand her (My) phone number, every time I phone in a refill.  And then her mailing address when we pick the refill up. 

 

The one time I dealt with them, online, they demanded an email address.  And ignored me telling them that I didn;t want spam, and sent me spam, anyway. 

 

The spam has a "click here if you don;t want spam" at the bottom of it.  (Note:  Clicking this link also tells them that youe email address works, and that you read the spam, and therefore your email address has now been verified, and is now more valuable.) 

 

And still, every time I refill a prescription, I get a "Your prescription is ready" email.  Typically, about eight hours after I pick it up.  This email doesn't even have a "if you don't want it, click here" option. 

 

Like I said, every time we pick up a refil, they demand mom's mailing address. 

 

They say it's "for security". 

 

In 10 years, not one person has ever verified that the name on the credit card matches the name on the prescription.  I use the drive through, and they won't even allow me to give them the credit card until after they have her mailing address.  (Some times they have trouble understanding me, over the intercom.  But they won't let me give them the card, so they can read how to spell our name.) 

 

They say they want her address "for security". 

 

But, when Mom got a new prescription, I think it was for Crestor, then three days later, we have mail in our mailbox, from Walgreen's, addressed to Mom.  Inside is a "Welcome, new Crestor User" packet, and a letter, from Walgreen's, informing Mom that the drug company that makes Crestor paid Walgreen's to send this pamphlet to Mom. 

 

(Inside the pamphlet are coupons, offering her a discount on her next refill of Crestor.  All she has to do is to send her name, address, phone number, and email address to the drug company, so that they can telemarket her directly.) 

 

Walgreen's is collecting Mom's name, address, phone number, (and, if she ever once uses their online service, an email address), and her medical information, and is then making money on the side, using this information. 

 

(And refusing to fill her medication, unless she consents to this.) 

 

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And yes, I'm well aware that it's impossible to avoid it. 

 

Doesn't mean I have to like it. 

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

I can 100% confirm that the Pizza Hut where I live, does not send me any emails other than order confirmation.