Do you know, I can remember years ago when we bought items such as washing machines, cookers and fridges and they lasted forever.
I once gave my mum a washing machine that I’d had a couple of years, nothing wrong with it, but I’d moved house and it didn’t fit in the space.
I swear she must have had it 30 years, if not more, and it was still going strong. Things were built to last back then; now we live in a throw-away society and white goods are only made to last about five years if that.
And it’s not just the length of time that is less, it’s the fact that eight times out of ten when we do order new goods there is always a fault.
It isn’t just goods that drive us nuts. I know someone that had planned to have a kitchen fitted and it was a disaster from the start, on account that they arranged a date and then at the last minute announced that it would be coming a week later instead, never mind that the poor sod had already had their old kitchen taken out.
“Two weeks at the most,” the kitchen bloke said. Six weeks later and she was still having problems. When it was finally fitted, the cupboards didn’t hang right, there was a damaged cupboard door that, believe it or not, the fitter thought it was quite alright to repair with filler.
The hot and cold water pipes had been fitted to the washer the wrong way - do not even ask why, or even how! The wine rack had to be fitted three times and then replaced because it was damaged. The wrong size holes were drilled into drawers, so she had to change the handles for something that fit.
Electric sockets that didn’t work, which meant that one of the walls had to be re-plastered which then in turn meant that the tiler had to be postponed, it was literally one thing after another.
It was enough to drive her to drink and you just dare to try and return faulty goods, oh what a palaver. If you’ve ever had anything faulty and had to phone up, you would think that it would be simple.
But oh no. When we buy items, they all tell us, ‘any problems just phone this number’. What they don’t say is just how annoying it is to actually get the right department.
You’re passed around like a joint at a hippy festival. Then after you’ve explained to at least five different people what the problem is, only to be informed by some foreign gentleman whose name was Jack that he didn’t deal with damaged goods and puts you on hold to listen to the most annoying music ever and then to be cut off.
Oh god! When you do finally get the right department, we are asked by a computer to choose one of the following options.
Press one and say clearly what the appliance is. “It’s a fridge…” Obviously we can’t just say it once, we must speak as if there is something wrong with us.
“It’s… a… fridge…” Then computer says something about pressing two and state clearly what the problem is.
Once again, several attempts. “It’s… NOT working…”
Finally we are informed to choose another option, or stay on the line if we need to speak to someone as soon, but only as someone is available.
Might as well pour a glass of wine and listen to the awful music again. The point is this: I don’t really think that all this technology is working. Years ago, everything was so much easier. Now, which of these six remotes do I use to switch channels on the TV?
Pete, I need help!
