Are people generally stupid without realising it?

fudgeukraine

Thought I might start a discussion (not sure if this is the right place so if not then fell free to move it)

Does anyone notice that some people are generally stupid when it comes to dealing with goods and services? I'm sure many of us dealing in customer service will notice the huge amount of poor requests they have to deal with based on people not reading info, paying attention, or even using common sense! There's many posts on here where people don't realise certain aspects of a promotion (or other aspects) and then get humpty about it and try to kick up a fuss whilst constantly maintaining that they are in the right, despite being wrong. Anyone have any good examples or care to contribute?

Good example is where I work, billing for an ISP, I have to often spend 20 minutes explaining to people how their bills are made up, despite them having it in front of them, then they constantly try to dispute it, such as believing 'all inclusive uk local and national calls' covers them calling 'the mint' or 'cash call' 100 times, then going ape when they get their next bill and threaten to go to watchdog unless we refund them the money!

GUMPO

fudgeukraine wrote:

Does anyone notice that some people are generally stupid when it comes to dealing with goods and services? !

I would go much farther and say most people are stupid all the time and it's only the few who stand out among the dumb dumb's that barrage my every waking moment that prevent me mounting the local church bell tower with a freakin rifle.:mad:

uktim29

It's true. I work in an Airport which has shops both Airside & Landside. For 5 months now fairly widely in the media the fact that there are more regulations for going through security is quiet well known.

Anyway, you can't take more than 100ml of liquid through security. We have an arrivals store that people stop at on the way out. Once in a while someone departing may go in there. Yesterday I was in one of our Airside shops. I heard some guy say he wanted to complain to whos in charge. He spoke to me saying that he brought a drink in the arrivals store but yet it was taken off him. He was saying there should be signs saying. I told him we have 8 signs in that shops stating that. He said why isn't there one by the drinks, infact theres 2 there! Also it's lit up above every other check in desk and a big flashing one by security, more or less about 100 signs either normal or lit up in the Landside area.

But yet some people act as if just because they've not paid any attention at all that it's someones else's fault?

mpython

I think the govt has done research which found that about 1 in 5 people are 'functionally illeterate'. An official form, or paras of terms & conditions, completley freak them out and they don't, or can't, comprehend what's in front of them.

I don't think its all their own fault though. I wouldn't regard myself as functionally illiterate but I have a lot of sympathy with them. How many times has everyone read all, and I mean all, the small print on a credit card agreement? Or on the Windows User Agreement ? & Just today, whilst my wife was visiting Staples, I took my car to a National Car Repair Centre on the other side of the road to get a quote to repair a dent, only to be told they don't do body work. If they only do engines, why do they call themselves a Car repair centre? If companies use words that are open to interpretation, what can they expect if people don't all have the same interpration?

Thank goodness for MSE to redress the balance!

trisontana

Somebody mentioned on "Working Lunch" a couple of weeks ago a survey which found some people thought that the higher the APR on a loan the better deal it is for you, and that 50% of the population don't know what 50% means.

tomstickland

trisontana wrote:

50% of the population don't know what 50% means.

I'm in the 1/3rd who do know what it means.

GUMPO

trisontana wrote:

Somebody mentioned on "Working Lunch" a couple of weeks ago a survey which found some people thought that the higher the APR on a loan the better deal it is for you, and that 50% of the population don't know what 50% means.

77.23% of statistics are made up.:rotfl:

DjP

Are people generally stupid without realising it?

can you explain to me what you mean by that?

GUMPO

DjP wrote:

can you explain to me what you mean by that?

Nice one!:rotfl:

RoCas

fudgeukraine wrote:

Are people generally stupid without realising it?

I'm generally stupid and I DO realise it ... does that make me clever?

uktim29

DjP wrote:

can you explain to me what you mean by that?

Get a job on the customer facing front line, Nothings better than a practical!