Results: We have gained a lot as a society because of the Internet but sometimes it seems it is "Two steps forward and one step back." The phrase "You can do all that on the Internet" is not always something I welcome.
Published on 04/14/2025
Some services we used to enjoy before the Internet arrived have now disappeared. Businesses seem to think the Internet is an excellent customer service tool and they can simply get rid of staff and have customers take over these functions. I have experienced several situations where this is far from the case and businesses seem to be unaware they are losing business because of it. Here are some recent examples.
QUESTIONS
GO to COMMENTS
Comments
1.
1.
I had maintained my bank accounts at a particular bank since 1993 and, now that I was retired and doing some traveling within Canada, the lack of branch offices was a major drawback when a debit or credit card stopped working. The bank assumed that everything could now be done online or through an ATM but this was not the case. There was one time when I had no access to my bank account for 2 weeks while they sent new cards to me. I accepted their assumption and transferred my accounts to a strictly online bank. I closed my accounts and opened the new ones on line. No human was involved at my old bank so they didn't even realize I had closed the accounts. My 30 year relationship with this bank ended unnoticed. Now banks are closing branch offices and providing even less service. Are there banking services you used to get from a human banker that can't be replicated by a computer and so these services just don't exist any more (comments please)?
Yes
24%
558 votes
No
24%
553 votes
Undecided
25%
582 votes
Not Applicable
26%
607 votes
2.
2.
There used to be travel agents who could help you find last minute deals on package vacations. If you were able to take a couple of weeks off without having to plan this months ahead, then these deals were really fantastic. For awhile there were websites such as "Selloffvacations.com" that listed these types of deals and having a job with some flexibility, I could take advantage of them. We went to places we would never have thought of if it hadn't been for those deals. Now that I have retired, I can take a trip almost any time. These days however, travel agents are disappearing. The discount websites too. The travel websites now assume you know the specific days you want to travel and exactly where you want to go to. You get the same deals and resorts as everybody else who has those vacation days. Did you ever have a vacation where you were spontaneous like this?
Yes
18%
418 votes
No
46%
1056 votes
Undecided
11%
258 votes
Not Applicable
25%
568 votes
3.
3.
I ordered a microwave oven from Amazon. They said they didn't have an estimated shipping or delivery date but would contact me when they did. The price was really good so I placed my order in early March. I assumed the shipping date was based on being able to fill a large order and ship from the factory in volume - hence the good price. Weeks went by with no updates and when I visited the website I noticed the price was coming down (I assume other purchasers were cancelling their orders). I contacted Amazon customer service (not easy to do) and was told, if I wanted the lower price, I should cancel and reorder. Which I did. I now have a "delivery by" date but it still hasn't shipped. The price has come down still further and I may cancel and reorder to get this new price. This is all controlled by computer and I will get my microwave eventually, but the computer obviously doesn't understand human psychology. I would rather have had the original good price and a predictable delivery date. What would you have done?
I would hang in there and cancel and reorder to get the lowest possible price. A deal like this is worth waiting in limbo for.
20%
452 votes
I would have ordered and waited for a couple of weeks to see what the shipping and delivery dates would be. I would cancel outright if those dates were too far into the future. Even for a good price the hassle isn't worth it.
16%
366 votes
Without knowing when it was going to be shipped and eventually arrive, I wouldn't have ordered in the first place regardless of price.
21%
482 votes
When I want something, I want it now. If they don't have it now, I will go somewhere else to get it now. Price is secondary.
12%
282 votes
Other (please specify)
2%
37 votes
Not Applicable
36%
821 votes
| Other Answers | Percentage | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.43% | 7 | |
| depends if I need the item quickly. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Its odd not to give a delivery day within a few days from Amazon. It may be the manufacturer or a different country. If the price is fluctuating like crazy, maybe cancelling and reordering is a better option. | 0.06% | 1 |
| I don't give Amazon any of my business anymore. NO sustainability practices, their anti-union stance, and Bezos' systematic abuse of his employees, and his uncontrollable greed are enough to make me want to vomit. | 0.06% | 1 |
| I would purchase it locally | 0.06% | 1 |
| I agree with you generally speaking | 0.06% | 1 |
| Amazon has always honoured lower prices within a week of purchase. So i just use the chat to ask for a refund of the difference. Usually not an issue. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Take the advertised price to a store that matches and buy it there. | 0.06% | 1 |
| I of called them and told them that I already paid for it so now what s going on or send me back refund! | 0.06% | 1 |
| miley cyrus | 0.06% | 1 |
| When the price comes down on Amazon orders I take a screen shot and send it to them when I get the order and they refund the difference . Not sure what happens when they do not send the item I would guess they refund the money . | 0.06% | 1 |
| purchased from small local business instead | 0.06% | 1 |
| Forget Amazon there is no excuse for this. Shop at a local retailer and support your local businesses. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Not playing the games | 0.06% | 1 |
| I'd have gone to a brick and mortor building and bought one | 0.06% | 1 |
| Try to find a good price somewhere else that is reliable (and has more ethics as a company) | 0.06% | 1 |
| I would have canceled the order entirely and shopped elsewhere. Something seems off here. Best Buy :)) | 0.06% | 1 |
| Depends on if I really need it and when I really need it. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Do not use Amazon as it is destroying all local businesses that you can depend on. | 0.06% | 1 |
| shop other than Amazon | 0.06% | 1 |
| Dunno | 0.06% | 1 |
| I go to a physical store | 0.06% | 1 |
| I would cancel altogether | 0.06% | 1 |
| Sounds iffy to me. | 0.06% | 1 |
| First, I would not be ordering a microwave. Second, I would have looked for a better company to order from. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Forget Amazon. Go to a store, buy it, bring it home, plug it in, use it the same day. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Buy local. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Wouldn't have bought online in the first place. | 0.06% | 1 |
| If the price is to good to be true, it probably isn't true. | 0.06% | 1 |
| Depends on how much I needed it quickly. | 0.06% | 1 |
| unsure | 0.06% | 1 |
4.
4.
Our medical records are now online where I live. This means lab test results are available for us and all members of our medical team. It also means every blood test result, appointment set up, changes to medication and everything else is added to this growing file of vital and sometimes trivial data. On a recent hospital stay, this resulted in close to 300 entries on my wife's record. Our family doctor was given copies of all this as well. Such is the volume of data that our doctor overlooked the test that showed fluid in my wife's lungs and that her pulse was as low as 36 beats per minute all due to too high a dose of one of her medications. Fortunately we caught it because we have more time to peruse the file than our doctor has. There should be some kind of filter for this data so that important stuff is not overlooked. Do you like the idea of having all this online?
Yes
20%
470 votes
No
28%
655 votes
Undecided
26%
596 votes
Not Applicable
25%
579 votes
COMMENTS