Are people generally stupid without realising it?

ooo000ooo

We used to send contracts/confirmations out to customers with a big message at the top stating "this is not a bill, wait until you receive a bill before paying" Then people would ring up and ask what the bill was for. I took great pleasure in pointing the big writing out to them. After a while you look forward to having a row with a numb nuts customer and making them feel as small as possible pointing out their stupidity.

madfrenchgirl

the best example out of all of that is the computer stupidities page on rinkworks.com...

very very funny!

going back to the functionally illiterate bit, would it include people who just refuse to read manuals and instructions because they decided they were dumb? even though they do check T&Cs when they contract financial products?

furrypolka

Count_Dante wrote:

What is an "invitation to treat"?

An invitation to treat - which by the way I had explained to the customer in question in this instance - is basically any good offered for sale at a price.

The goods in a store (or in this case a car on a forecourt) are all invitations to treat. No contract exists until you take them to the seller, make your offer to buy it at a certain price, and they agree to sell it to you at that price. The price itself is not legally binding until you make an offer and the seller agrees to sell it to you. The seller does not have to accept your offer and does not have to sell any goods at any price.

This law is to allow for traders to notice mistakes and correct them (which they should do immediately in order to avoid committing a misleading prices offence).

woohoo_postingid

I think everybody should be made to work in retail or a call centre for a year to experience the stupidity of the general public.

Similar to National Service, but more painful

trisontana

I work a couple of days in an Oxfam bookshop. We have a big sign over the door and one of those "tent" signs on the pavement which both say, in very large letters, "Oxfam Books". But we still get people coming into the shop, looking round and then asking "you only sell books then?". I even had one man asking if we sold shoes.

gyzmo

woohoo_postingid wrote:

I think everybody should be made to work in retail or a call centre for a year to experience the stupidity of the general public.

Similar to National Service, but more painful

And, from my experience, the stupidity of those who work in the call centre

moonrakerz

This is not a new phenomenon

"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?'
I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage (1791-1871)

crazy_guy

I've dealt with the thickest of the thickest - first job i got was at McD and i'm afraid to say that the customers were dumber than the employees, one bloke asked if he could have extra lettuce so thats its healther

One bloke got in a ump when i had to ask him what size meal and what drink and whether he was eating in or takeway. He said "do u have to know all these bloody details... i want food" - so i said fine, he got a supersize meal with a horrid coffee, extra salted fries, on a tray.....later found he wanted it to takeaway.

During my time advising defendants before court, after advising him on evidence, the rules in court, how the trial will proceed and his chosen plea i asked him if he had any questions......his was..........whats a trial

skylight

One of the last companies I worked for, a customer called me to place an order for some glasses. Whilst taking his order, he told me that he just remembered that he had some already and didn't need any - cancelled order.

2 weeks later, he called to complain that he didn't have his delivery and we had a nice chat about the previous conversation. He remembered that he already had the glasses "under the blue tarpaulin" and how stupid he was.

2 weeks later - he called again about lack of delivery of his glasses. I told him that he already had some under the blue tarpaulin in his back yard. He went and checked, came back and asked me how on earth I knew.

fudgeukraine

Guy at work today, shouting at me demanding a MAC code for a Dial-up internet account, wouldn't listen to me explain that there was no such thing, so after a minute listening decided to call me an effing !!!!!! and hang up.... you have to laugh don't you!