Comedic "things you would ban": minor things that irritate you

[nlogax]

Never heard of that - what is it? Is it those "Please rate how likely you would be to advise friends or family use our service" questions?

It's something that many employees are measured against, especially in the IT world. I'm also not a fan.

 

[island]

Never heard of that - what is it? Is it those "Please rate how likely you would be to advise friends or family use our service" questions?

Yes, exactly. The catch is that whilst the person being surveyed rates the score from 0 to 10, the person/service/thing being rated gets 1 point for a score of 9 or 10, 0 points for a score of 7 or 8, and -1 point for a score of 0 to 6.

 

[Meerkat]

Autoplay next video, especially on the BBC site - WHY?!

 

[Techniquest]

Ban the phrase 'social distancing'

Replace it with 'physical distancing'; it's more accurate and doesn't imply intentional rudeness/coldness.

Yes! Totally with you on that, physical distancing should always have been the term used!

Time-related tautology, eg the BBC Olympic presenter who said '4 am in the morning'; 4 am can only be in the morning !

The commentator I had from the BBC on the men's road race cycling the other day got on my nerves, he was so monotone I wanted to slap him!

Mind you, the Eurosport guy is not really any better, but is the better of the two in terms of enthusiasm at least. More mistakes made than the BBC commentator, but less dull.

Social media influencers. In the bin with you.

Absolutely!

One to add myself is so called ads on YouTube which are multiple minutes long, and are actually some full length song. Usually rap/other urban music in my experience, really frustrating!

Oh, and I'd also ban the advertising of social media on YouTube. Facebook ads tend to be really frustrating, there's one from Twitter at the moment which is getting on my wick too. Instagram's got one still doing the rounds from over a year ago, but at least it's not that TikTok ad from last spring. Oh that got on my wick, every few minutes while trying to get on with work in the early hours of the morning, while also ignoring the silly people around me (hence the music being on). Definitely glad that part of the pandemic is over!

Also, before I go out and get my exercise going on, like some others I'd also ban the use of the word 'pingdemic'. Ugh...

 

[Gloster]

Songs that have lyrics or music that repeat in a way that make them sound like an old 45 that keeps jumping back a groove every revolution. Particularly in shops.

 

[Meerkat]

Road closed signs that scare you but actually apply to some irrelevant side road and not the road you are on.

 

[Bald Rick]

Road closed signs that scare you but actually apply to some irrelevant side road and not the road you are on.

Road closed signs for roads that aren’t actually closed. (Unless it’s mine, and then it’s lovely and peaceful).

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Would anyone support my suggestion that fakebook be banned?

What about twitter? Is it less bad than fb?

 

[Busaholic]

Road closed signs that scare you but actually apply to some irrelevant side road and not the road you are on.

Roadwork signs indicating an obstruction, when the only obstruction is the sign, or series of signs. A Cornish speciality!

 

[BanburyBlue]

People who call UK holidays “staycations“, rather than um, holidays.

People who say, after a teenager has done something anti-social, “it’s not their fault, there’s nothing for them to do around here”.

And one for this forum, people who use location codes rather than names “I was on a train through SDR…”.

 

[Strat-tastic]

And one for this forum, people who use location codes rather than names “I was on a train through SDR…”.

OIK



(oooh I know )

 

[Bevan Price]

Last month I used an ATM to pay a cheque into my current account. The next day the bank emailed me asking me to "Share my experience of using an ATM at our branch in [town name]".

Really? This process involves putting a card into a reader, typing my PIN, selecting "Cheque Deposit", then sliding a bit of paper into a slot and pressing "Confirm". The whole process took barely over a minute, which is quite literally less time than the survey about it would have taken.

The last time I received something apparently from my bank, I reported it to their anti-"phishing" address telling them that I neither had nor wanted on-line banking.

 

[Techniquest]

Would anyone support my suggestion that fakebook be banned?

What about twitter? Is it less bad than fb?

I'd banish FB, Twitter and IG to oblivion, they all have their uses of course, some people (OK, most people) take it all way too seriously. I'd keep things like photo sharing sites, and things like Strava I would banish as it brings out the competitive side of me (which is really unpleasant), but they're a lot more useful than FB and the like.

 

[nlogax]

Corporate jargon of the sort that blesses a game of BS Bingo.

 

[py_megapixel]

I would ban ink cartridges. From now on, all inkjet printers must be sold with refillable reservoirs and must not discriminate based upon brand of ink (no more "Please insert genuine Epson cartridges" messages!)

 

[Ianno87]

In tennis, the incessant ball-bouncing before a serve.

Also, and end to sports that everybody has to stop play when it starts to drizzle. It's only a bit of rain...just carry on (wouldn't muddy Tennis at Wimbledon just add a bit of a new twist?)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'd banish FB, Twitter and IG to oblivion, they all have their uses of course, some people (OK, most people) take it all way too seriously. I'd keep things like photo sharing sites, and things like Strava I would banish as it brings out the competitive side of me (which is really unpleasant), but they're a lot more useful than FB and the like.

I've mentioned this before elsewhere, but I'd ban companies (specifically transport companies) from using Twitter as their only method of communication and customer service. Not only do I not want to have to sign up to Twitter in order to be able to make any enquiries... but if I do, I don't want my query about why my bus hasn't turned up to get buried under tweets asking if someone's "favourite" vehicle is out today.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I've mentioned this before elsewhere, but I'd ban companies (specifically transport companies) from using Twitter as their only method of communication and customer service. Not only do I not want to have to sign up to Twitter in order to be able to make any enquiries... but if I do, I don't want my query about why my bus hasn't turned up to get buried under tweets asking if someone's "favourite" vehicle is out today.

Do any of them using Twitter as their only method though?
The way I've seen it used is that it is usually given as option to give quicker responses than what the regular customer services team would be able to give, but it doesn't replace the other ways of contacting that customer services team (which is usually via email, phone or by a contact form on the website).

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Do any of them using Twitter as their only method though?
The way I've seen it used is that it is usually given as option to give quicker responses than what the regular customer services team would be able to give, but it doesn't replace the other ways of contacting that customer services team (which is usually via email, phone or by a contact form on the website).

It's often the only method they promote widely, whereas to find the appropriate phone number or email address means delving into the depths of the often poorly-designed website... and then when you find it you may as well be screaming into the void because Tw***er gets all the attention.

Sure, I could just sign up and only use the account for those things, but I shouldn't have to. Too many organisations use Twitter as a substitute for actually investing in customer service. Then they staff it with interns/work-experience kids who often don't have the information being asked for.

 

[WelshBluebird]

It's often the only method they promote widely, whereas to find the appropriate phone number or email address means delving into the depths of the often poorly-designed website... and then when you find it you may as well be screaming into the void because Tw***er gets all the attention.

Sure, I could just sign up and only use the account for those things, but I shouldn't have to. Too many organisations use Twitter as a substitute for actually investing in customer service. Then they staff it with interns/work-experience kids who often don't have the information being asked for.

I do actually agree with the bit I've bolded there - in that I suspect if they spent the same time, money and effort in improving their actual customer services departments as they do on social media, that would be a good thing!
But I don't agree that its the only method they promote - even GWR, who seem to have hidden their phone number on their website, heavily promote the use of their website to contact them in addition to their social media team. And I don't agree that those teams are useless - I've been able to get a connection (that I would have missed due to a delay on the first train) held for me by GWR in the past by asking them on Twitter.

 

[Bevan Price]

Would anyone support my suggestion that fakebook be banned?

What about twitter? Is it less bad than fb?

This forum is about the closest I get to social media. Twitbook, etc., may have started with good ideals, but they have become easy outlets for some very nasty people with dangerous opinions.

 

[yorksrob]

I've mentioned this before elsewhere, but I'd ban companies (specifically transport companies) from using Twitter as their only method of communication and customer service. Not only do I not want to have to sign up to Twitter in order to be able to make any enquiries... but if I do, I don't want my query about why my bus hasn't turned up to get buried under tweets asking if someone's "favourite" vehicle is out today.

Absolutely.

If they don't have an email address, they're not fit to run a company.

Do any of them using Twitter as their only method though?
The way I've seen it used is that it is usually given as option to give quicker responses than what the regular customer services team would be able to give, but it doesn't replace the other ways of contacting that customer services team (which is usually via email, phone or by a contact form on the website).

Sainsburys no longer answers their email addresses and tells you to contact twitter.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

So anyone can see your correspondence? Or does twttr have a pm function?
..
Nail studios smell disgusting, could they be restricted to out of town sites?

 

[WelshBluebird]

Sainsburys no longer answers their email addresses and tells you to contact twitter.

They list their customer service phone number on their website. Do they no longer answer that?

So anyone can see your correspondence? Or does twttr have a pm function?

Yep it has what it calls Direct Messages. What quite often happens is you will tweet at the public handle and they'll reply requesting you DM them (sometimes this is a genuine attempt to help the customer, and sometimes this is to take the conversation away from the public eyes so the brand doesn't get bad publicity).

 

[birchesgreen]

I prefer twitter customer service than email, they can't use the excuse no one is around to respond to your request if they are tweeting some kind of touchy feely social corporate responsibility bu... er.. i mean stuff.

I believe many companies use a standard customer relationship system where all requests (tweets, email, phone) go into the same support database. I think GWR's was shown in one of Geoff's ATS videos.

 

[ABB125]

On the subject of customer service, I'd ban companies which send generic replies, when any sane person who read your enquiry would realise that you have a specific question.

Eg: I recently submitted a delay repay claim to GWR. I made what might be an error, depending on how you interpret the journey I made. As there's no direct contact system for delay repay (not that I could find at least) I filled in their online enquiry form, stating that I may have made an error in the claim but couldn't amend it. I quoted my delay repay reference number, and very clearly stated that I'd already made a claim. I received a generic "if you would like compensation, please fill out our delay repay form" etc etc reply. Very helpful
I'll just leave it now, and if someone questions my claim, I can smile sweetly and say I did try to contact you, but....

 

[gg1]

People who arrange their books by the colour of the spine.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

People who arrange their books by the colour of the spine.

How then? By price* (ascending or descending), language, number of pages, date of acquisition, female and male authors separate?
I do put the ones I have read on a special shelf.

* price?? I acquired hundreds for nothing %)

 

[gg1]

How then? By price* (ascending or descending), language, number of pages, date of acquisition, female and male authors separate?
I do put the ones I have read on a special shelf.

* price?? I acquired hundreds for nothing %)

Please tell me that's not a serious question.

If you regard books as decor, by all means sort them into a nice pretty colour coded order. If you actually intend to read them, put them in some sort of logical order such as by author or genre which allows you easily to find the book you want.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

No, it is a bit of fun. I just have too many. People ask if I have read them all. Fortunately I have not.