Rant thread

[Shadow]

23 minutes ago, ckn said:

Sennheiser.

I've been a Sennheiser headphones/earphones fan for a long time but I've had enough really.  My current pair of in-ear headphones have the rubber ear-buds secured on with blu-tack because they keep falling off and I'm fed up losing them.  They're also losing their sound quality despite only being 18 months old.

My wife's set of earphones died with the left earpiece just stopping, again hers are only just over a year old.

I decided to see if I could get another set.  They've fallen right into the scam around branding now that they previously avoided.  Here's the CX 5.00i from Amazon for £42.75, here's the IDENTICAL set but with "for iOS" branding for £59.99 on "sale".

Also, it seems like most of the Sennheiser brand kit have quality issues where they mysteriously break just after the warranty finishes.

So, any recommendation for a good in-ear set?  I need something that'll be happy being stuffed in my bag and not be too expensive.  I'm not into the audiophile "need" to spend a lot for excellent quality, I have artillery tinnitus so the really squeaky highs and perfect precision are a bit lost on me.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLANSMAN-MILITARY-RADIO-PRC-320-PRC-351-LIGHTWEIGHT-PATROL-HEADSET-V-GOOD-COND-/273086665093?_mwBanner=1

pair of these will do you 

[ckn]

3 minutes ago, Shadow said:

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLANSMAN-MILITARY-RADIO-PRC-320-PRC-351-LIGHTWEIGHT-PATROL-HEADSET-V-GOOD-COND-/273086665093?_mwBanner=1

pair of these will do you 

The batteries for the Clansman kit are a dog to carry around though.  I used to have to lump around both a 320 and 351 with spare batteries in my backpack.  Ahhh the youth of being able to lump around 80kg-100kg for miles.

[Futtocks]

2 hours ago, ckn said:

Sennheiser.

I've been a Sennheiser headphones/earphones fan for a long time but I've had enough really.  My current pair of in-ear headphones have the rubber ear-buds secured on with blu-tack because they keep falling off and I'm fed up losing them.  They're also losing their sound quality despite only being 18 months old.

My wife's set of earphones died with the left earpiece just stopping, again hers are only just over a year old.

I decided to see if I could get another set.  They've fallen right into the scam around branding now that they previously avoided.  Here's the CX 5.00i from Amazon for £42.75, here's the IDENTICAL set but with "for iOS" branding for £59.99 on "sale".

Also, it seems like most of the Sennheiser brand kit have quality issues where they mysteriously break just after the warranty finishes.

So, any recommendation for a good in-ear set?  I need something that'll be happy being stuffed in my bag and not be too expensive.  I'm not into the audiophile "need" to spend a lot for excellent quality, I have artillery tinnitus so the really squeaky highs and perfect precision are a bit lost on me.

I've had Sennheisers (headphones, rather than earphones) for many years, but the last pair, while comfortable and solidly built, didn't do it for me soundwise. Now I have a pair of Musical Fidelity cans and like them a lot. 

Your best bet would be to register on https://www.head-fi.org/forums/ and post a question to people who own lots of that kind of gear, with as detailed requirements as you think necessary. I've had some good advice from there.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Futtocks

[ckn]

Another one today, I seem to be turning into a Victor Meldrew type...

House of Fraser this time.

They have a sale on, some outstanding prices on good stuff.  I got myself a nice good brand suit, pair of new shoes and a shirt.

The box it arrived in was small, the suit jacket hanger was corner to corner to make it fit and was fairly stuffed into the box.  No damage to the suit but it'll need maybe a steam to get the crush creases out.

The shoes had clearly been worn before, the soles were scuffed and the toe area was damaged.  Obviously worn by someone to an event then returned for a refund and whoever checked them in at the returns warehouse didn't even look at them.

The shirt was "tailored fit".  I'm not "tailored fit" body style and haven't been since the 1990s.  Nowhere on the item description on the website does it say "tailored fit".

And this is why I bloody hate clothes shopping.

[Futtocks]

Clothes shopping online is a bit of a lottery anyway, given that you can't try anything on before paying.

There was someone at my previous job who bought loads of clothing online... and also spent a lot of her time re-wrapping things and taking them to the Post office for return.

[gittinsfan]

On ‎21‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 9:27 AM, gingerjon said:

Obviously nobody should drink drive and nobody should forget that the genuine victims of drink driving are the people who get hit but ...

... I am more than a little hacked off seeing people who happily put up their mental health awareness/addiction understanding posts deciding to have a very unsympathetic go at Ant (of Ant & Dec). There isn't a finite amount of sympathy in the world, it is more than possible to understand that of course he did wrong and should face legal consequences for that whilst also realising that here, right in front of you, is someone who is clearly in trouble.

Because that's the thing about mental health problems. They're not all kooky and fun. They can make you behave like a complete selfish wotnot because self destruction and disgust can often be part of it.

While I have sympathy for his domestic and health problems,I can't help thinking that the normal guy in the street who wouldn't be able to afford immediate private rehab would be just classed another drunk driver. He could also lose his job.

I understand Ant had his mother and dog(s)with him.He could well afford either a taxi or a private driver

[MattSantos]

Earphones.. have a look at stuffs top 10 list. I got some e310 something or other a few years back and they were brilliant. 

I need some new mega earphones now i think on it

[Amber Avenger]

17 hours ago, gittinsfan said:

While I have sympathy for his domestic and health problems,I can't help thinking that the normal guy in the street who wouldn't be able to afford immediate private rehab would be just classed another drunk driver. He could also lose his job.

I understand Ant had his mother and dog(s)with him.He could well afford either a taxi or a private driver

There is a decent chance Ant could lose his job(s). It'll certainly financially hit him long term - reports in the paper today is that a £20m contract to front Sazuki ads will be canned (I'm surprised it's taken this long for them to comment). At the moment, we don't have any real evidence either way he won't be treated like any other drunk driver (as indeed, he should be).  Unless of course you mean the treatment and support network he will have to aid his recovery, which is a slightly different argument along with how much mud will stick to him in the long term?

On the "he could afford a taxi" point, well yeah of course. However, I don't think people who are covering up addiction always think as logically as you or I. Doesn't excuse it, but I'd be surprised if that crossed his mind. Whilst we don't know the full details of the case (and it's probably dangerous to whilst the case is live), I'd be surprised if his "justification" was he was driving drunk to save a couple of quid given the context of his other recent well-publicised troubles.

Edited March 23, 2018 by Amber Avenger

[Liverpool Rover]

Spitting. I've lost count of the number of times that I have been at a bus stop where someone will literally be gobbing onto the ground every 5 seconds. There is no need for it at all.

[Phil]

Didn’t go to the gym this morning ?

 

thats seven years running now 

[MattSantos]

Plastic Bags

We get our food delivered and he's just turned up with 23 carrier bags. 23!

A separate carrier bag for onions, 1 for carrots, one for celery etc etc

Feedback given

[ckn]

A very minor one.  Metal tyre valve caps.  One of ours has stuck itself on and won't come off even after liberal soaking in WD40 and leaving it to penetrate.  If I put any more pressure on the valve then the stem will blow, even using a wrench to support the stem.  Ah well, a trip to Kwik-Fit tomorrow to get the valve replaced then.  £15 and my time...

I'll swap them out with plastic ones and store the idiot branded metal ones away somewhere for when we eventually get rid of the car.

[ckn]

The NHS primary care information governance specification and GP IT Operating Model are masterpieces of doubleplusungood doublethink.

I won't link them as that'd be just cruelty beyond any acceptable boundary.

[ckn]

On 3/26/2018 at 4:35 PM, ckn said:

A very minor one.  Metal tyre valve caps.  One of ours has stuck itself on and won't come off even after liberal soaking in WD40 and leaving it to penetrate.  If I put any more pressure on the valve then the stem will blow, even using a wrench to support the stem.  Ah well, a trip to Kwik-Fit tomorrow to get the valve replaced then.  £15 and my time...

I'll swap them out with plastic ones and store the idiot branded metal ones away somewhere for when we eventually get rid of the car.

An update on this one.  Went to Kwik-Fit this afternoon, asked them to do the valve, do the tyre pressures on the other three, give me four plastic caps to replace the idiot metal ones with the fancy BMW logo on them, stick a litre of oil in and give the brakes a once-over while they were fiddling around with the wheels.

Cost: £0.  Litre of oil top-up was free for customers doing other things.  Once over is always free.  Valve was simply wheel off, depressurise, replace valve, repressure and refit so they felt it a bit much to charge for it.  Still, 20-ish minutes of their time and their equipment, plus the oil, valve and caps.  They were insistent there was no charge.

I donated £10 to their tea-fund and fully intend to go back there when I need new tyres.

It's nice getting service where you walk away happy on all fronts.

[Futtocks]

30 minutes ago, ckn said:

An update on this one.  Went to Kwik-Fit this afternoon, asked them to do the valve, do the tyre pressures on the other three, give me four plastic caps to replace the idiot metal ones with the fancy BMW logo on them, stick a litre of oil in and give the brakes a once-over while they were fiddling around with the wheels.

Cost: £0.  Litre of oil top-up was free for customers doing other things.  Once over is always free.  Valve was simply wheel off, depressurise, replace valve, repressure and refit so they felt it a bit much to charge for it.  Still, 20-ish minutes of their time and their equipment, plus the oil, valve and caps.  They were insistent there was no charge.

I donated £10 to their tea-fund and fully intend to go back there when I need new tyres.

It's nice getting service where you walk away happy on all fronts.

Good to see that sort of service still exists in some places. I'm currently working in retail, and various fellow staff members' attitudes to their customers varies widely.

If I can generate goodwill, a smile, a "thank you", and repeat visits from some initially grim-faced customer, I am happy with my work.

Edited March 27, 2018 by Futtocks

[MattSantos]

I'm sorry that we're too busy to take your call right now, please call back. Beep.

Just put me on hold you utter scumbags

[SSoutherner]

Just an idea if you have stuck valve cap again - paint on some diesel it is better than penetrating oil at loosening corroded things - we always had a pot with a stiff bristled brush in it on the farm, used for everything from lubricating a drill bit to cleaning a radiator core

 

BUT do not get it on the tyre surface as it is as slippery as black ice when wet so a diesel covered tyre on a wet road is best avoided

[Futtocks]

5 hours ago, MattSantos said:

I'm sorry that we're too busy to take your call right now, please call back. Beep.

Just put me on hold you utter scumbags

But how many times can you listen to a distorted rendition of Vivaldi's 'Spring', after all?

[ckn]

A two part rant.

Part 1: My idiocy

Putting leftovers out for the beasties of the wild to finish, chucking a bit of salmon over the fence and my phone was in my hand as well for some idiot unknown reason.  Wheeee... right into a concrete post.

The result: a lovely smashed screen.

Part 2: Apple's disgraceful price increases.

I replaced the screen on my wife's phone 2 years ago, £75 it cost.  Identical phone.  Now, it's £136.44.  And that's the cheapest iPhone screen repair cost, the more modern iPhones are far more expensive.  FFS... gouging illegitimate offspring of diseased goblins.

[ckn]

On 3/27/2018 at 5:44 PM, Futtocks said:

Good to see that sort of service still exists in some places. I'm currently working in retail, and various fellow staff members' attitudes to their customers varies widely.

If I can generate goodwill, a smile, a "thank you", and repeat visits from some initially grim-faced customer, I am happy with my work.

There's little signs that show that a company is a good company, this is one of them.  Another is how they treat their employees, for example the law firm I left in 2007 still allows me access to many of its excellent employee benefits as an alumni.  Everything from their very good discounts to a free concierge service (essentially a personal shopper) aimed at busy city folk.  They also pay my annual pension pot fees, even though I've put more money in since I left.

It's these things that make you feel fond of a company and say good things about them.

[getdownmonkeyman]

4 minutes ago, ckn said:

There's little signs that show that a company is a good company, this is one of them.  Another is how they treat their employees, for example the law firm I left in 2007 still allows me access to many of its excellent employee benefits as an alumni.  Everything from their very good discounts to a free concierge service (essentially a personal shopper) aimed at busy city folk.  They also pay my annual pension pot fees, even though I've put more money in since I left.

It's these things that make you feel fond of a company and say good things about them.

The thing I find the most disconcerting is how these companies/acts are in the minority. In the main, customer service in this country is poor.

I appreciate that it is a touch insincere when it is constantly delivered, but the US is streets ahead of us in this regard.

[ckn]

16 minutes ago, getdownmonkeyman said:

The thing I find the most disconcerting is how these companies/acts are in the minority. In the main, customer service in this country is poor.

I appreciate that it is a touch insincere when it is constantly delivered, but the US is streets ahead of us in this regard.

You're right with that one.

An example: my wife likes her posh shoes, she despises it when I compare her to Imelda Marcos given how many pairs she has.  She bought a pair of LK Bennett shoes last summer, bloody expensive things, a bit of the leather broke away so she wants it repaired within their warranty.  They said return it so we did, using the free returns label on the receipt from last year.

We chased last week wondering why they hadn't done anything in two weeks, we then found out that they've stopped using the logistics company they previously used and ship things directly to their HQ instead.  They refused to contact the logistics company who it went to to get it redirected or sent elsewhere and pretended that they didn't know who was in the building now.  I spent a good while finding out and contacting the logistics company, they were previously the LK Bennett logistics supplier but lost the contract, same company who've been there for years.  They say they get a few of these and simply send them on to LK Bennett via Royal Mail's slow unpaid redirect service because LK Bennett haven't bought a proper redirect service.

So, LK Bennett simply couldn't be bothered speaking to their previous supplier to help a customer with a £150 pair of shoes.  They couldn't be bothered telling us they'd moved when we said were returning the shoes, couldn't be bothered helping get them redirected and couldn't be bothered telling us the name of the company where they may have gone.  They got seriously huffy when I suggested that their service was significantly worse than I'd expect from Primark.

I can't be bothered doing any more business with them and I'm happy to tell others about that.  It might not seem much losing one customer but that's about £300-400 a year they've lost from us plus those who listen to rants like mine and veto them as well.

Same as a few years ago when I worked regularly in central London.  I had my own office with large cupboard that I used as a wardrobe, I came into the office in scruffs/shorts depending on the weather to save my good stuff from commuting damage/sweaty underground trains and so on and got changed there.  My wife used to occasionally send me shopping on the way home for clothes, one posh brand Hobbs would actively ignore me when I went in, they'd deliberately walk around me to customers who came in after me because they, shop assistants on probably not much over minimum wage, were all snobbish about their brand.  I vetoed them and made my feelings abundantly clear to their head office.  They've not had a £ from us since.

I compare that to Monsoon where I got outstanding service at every shop, I'd go in with a picture of the dress or whatever, ask for it in a size 10, they'd go get it for me and I'd pay.  They really welcomed me in every shop and wanted my business plus saving me the hassle of trying to find the right sodding thing in the right sodding size.

Same with John Lewis versus the likes of Debenhams.  I get stressed at the thought of the typically shoddy attitude from Debenhams staff while I know I'll get good care from John Lewis.

It's not hard that good customer service gets good loyalty, is it?

[Futtocks]

2 hours ago, ckn said:

It's not hard that good customer service gets good loyalty, is it?

A lot of the time, that works, but if a rival with poor service can significantly undercut one with good service, the customers gradually trickle away from the latter, sadly. Times are tight, and a bargain is a bargain.

[ckn]

In a normal year, early-mid March, I start getting runny eyes from the first bits of hayfever so I get my eye-drops and medication started as it takes a while to really take effect.  This year, the iffy weather has kept it down.  This morning, the countryside seems to have decided enough is enough and they're going to get at their reproduction with all the delayed effort brought out today.

FFS...

[BryanC]

Have you tried a smear of Vaseline up each nostril? Works for a lot of folks.