Brain Washing

Had a really interesting experience the other day, my personal communications device, my link to the outside world, my string of control by my other half.
Stopped working, fully charged, just stopped.

Tottled off to the local outlet that is the Corporate Giant that issued the device to me, WOW the shop is crammed full of people, this was going to be fun.

Front of shop is for those who are getting the once over, fulfilling their individual desires and needs with a plethora of devices to satisfy every need.
All seemed to be young an I am very certain InMyDay I could not have afforded to buy one of these let alone pay for all the charges that go with it.
Still to this day I am afraid to go on the Net with my phone because I can not afford to pay the charges.

Towards the back was the counter of needs, as I approached I quickly worked out by the 2 signs which line I needed to be in.
Schooling and learning to read really does pay off you know.

I lined up beside another couple my vintage, and we just milled waiting for the line to be devoured by the counter.

In a very short while, along came a lovely very short lady to enquire of my needs for this day.
I explained phone no go, I was nicely told we do not handle repairs here, the counter will ascertain if they can fix the problem or if it will have to be sent away for the repairs if needed.

Oh! and I was in the right line.

This lovely short lady kept moving down the line asking each person their needs, all seemed to be different, but the answer seemed to be the same, we do not handle that here!

Well the man next to me commented, InHisDay if he had run his business in any sort of form close to this he would have gone broke.
We bantered about the total seeming confusion and disorganization of the place, I commented I wonder what they actually did here as it seemed that, nearly all request for help were answered with, we do not handle that here.

From the end of the line our lovely line hostess, obviously had her radar keenly tuned for any sign of dissent in any form, came bounding down to us with a huge man in tow, to query our comment.

I explained we did really wonder what they did as it seems you kept saying you did nothing here.
Quickly she turned to male and assigned him to serve the couple next to me taking them towards the ultimate goal, the desk.

I received the same quick attention and was assigned a server and also was escorted to the desk.

I could not help but feel that brain washing had been affected here on this obviously senior person to the rest, some respond better than others to this type of training.
I know first hand when I landed a very senior position with a huge multi national burger chain. I underwent extreme indoctrination and learning everything about the company and in the end I was a convert and sadly to this day will still defend them.

Having had an American at the helm I am sure I recognised the tell tale signs of indoctrination within this lovely lady.

OK I am now at the counter and about to find out the one of only two things this shop does: 1 accepts money in payment of bills or top ups for phone cards, and 2 sells phones.

Now I have a 24 month contract on my phone, but it seems they only give 12 months warranty on the Z crap they give you.

It seems I was remiss not to know that these days I am supposed to turn off my phone several times a week to give the little thing a rest.
They apparently need their sleep also.
By neglecting to do this, death was immanent.

Now the sales spiel, they are well trained in this.

It goes like this and all salesman are trained to use this technique, but no one is better at it than this lot. I think maybe fear might drive them to perform so well.

"Your phone has an indeterminable problem, we do not look at them, nor fix it here, we have to send it away to be looked at, at this point they will determine the cost and let you know.
If you decide not to have it fixed there is a charge still."

Pregnant pause.

"Or we can SELL you a new phone of your choice, or you can pay out your contract and start again with a Ha! Ha! Free phone."
They then work out your personal charge to get out of the contract, even though they supplied a phone that has not kept up its end of the bargain.
The price for choice two is given!

Choice one a cost that is unknown, how long is a piece of string, Choice three a fixed cost to buy out your contract that is the biggest of the known amounts, and finally a fixed cost you can control, the purchase of a new phone, that you have to have to finish of using the rest of your contract.

They got you. They are good at this and well trained. We are at their mercy.

I bought the lowest cost phone I could, because there is another clause, where we live means we cannot just buy any phone it must have the blue tick, and they cost more.

But I am pleased to say it was the cheapest of the options, but not by much.

I have a new fancy phone that each time I buy one does more and more and I just want it so I can answer and call people, I use it for 2 functions only, yet have to pay more and more for it.

You know I have trouble hearing my phone when it rings,no matter what lovely melody it plays, I usually pick a song I like, then when it rings, I think to myself that is a lovely song.
By the time I realise it is my phone they have hung up and I have to call them back.
More costs.
I have solved the problem now by finding and old fashioned plain old telephone ring sound, and now I can here my phone and answer it.

Another trick, did you know that the phones are deliberately set to ring only a few times, so you continually miss the calls, more money.

There is a code you can type in which will change the ring to longer, I did it and miss no more.

Well InMyDay somehow we got along fine without constant in touch with every one else.

Maybe we should start a trend and stop having mobile phones.