I can no longer call customer service lines because 9 times out of 10 they make me so angry I cannot function. I feel like they are responding to my questions, no matter what I say, with the script provided. It is very surreal.

I feel like they are responding to my questions, no matter what I say, with the script provided.

They are, because their bosses are listening, and they'll be fired if they deviate from the script. Not that that helps, really, but the system is broken. It's worse, I think, with companies that outsource their customer service.

I'm deeply frustrated today and it's dragging me down. Last week I bought a pretty new chair from a local furniture store, instead of second-hand as I usually do. Delivery was $80, so I declined, since the chair would easily fit in my hatchback and it wasn't heavy. But I couldn't get the one remaining display chair, so today I went back to pick up my chair. And... It isn't assembled. I did not know that I would have to put the chair together myself. So now instead of coming home with my pretty new chair, I'm home with a big unwieldy box I have to drag inside, unpack, dispose of the packaging, and assemble the chair. The guy cheerfully said, I hope you've got someone who's handy with a wrench! I said I'd've liked to know I needed that up front. He said, If you'd had it delivered, it would be assembled for you. Again, I'd've liked to have been told that. Then, turns out the wrench needed is an Allen wrench, so you know this is going to be a chore. Another fucking chore, actually a series of fucking chores. I should have paid for the delivery. Then I'd have my chair instead of another item on the to-do list.

Then I'd have my chair instead of another item on the to-do list.

While the budget holds out, I'm going with "professionals who can do the job quickly and efficiently" over "save money but add time and frustration."

While the budget holds out, I'm going with "professionals who can do the job quickly and efficiently" over "save money but add time and frustration."

See, that's what's so annoying, that's totally my perspective on things! If the saleslady had just told me, I would've paid for it.

This summer has been a lot of "it never even occurred to me that I would have to ask about that; now I know" experiences.

And I know I'm not getting to that chair until at least this weekend, so it's staying in the back of my car for a few days. Maybe I'll get my niece to send her big strong carpenter boyfriend over to do it for me.

See, that's what's so annoying, that's totally my perspective on things!

You and I would be great next door neighbors.

We really would!

On hold, and the jazzy hold music is making me homicidal.

If it helps any, that delivery fee is almost as much as I'm going to pay for the new chair I want to buy in a month or so (which I'll doubtless need to assemble myself).

That's why I decided not to pay it! The delivery fee was almost as much as the chair itself was.

Though honestly that saleslady probably read me right: if I'd known the choice was "$80 or assemble it yourself" I might have walked away.

Sheesh, one of my friends on FB took the leap from "the sugar industry essentially bribed study authors to downplay the fact that sugar is unhealthy" all the way to "...so you might as well not trust ANY medical "advice" and by the way, don't get the flu vaccine!" In one leap. That's a BIIIIIIIG leap.

Yup, it's shady as hell that the sugar cartel (or whatever they were called) paid researchers to misrepresent information. IN THE 1960s. Authors didn't have to disclose that shit the way they do now. One 50-year-old instance of data manipulation doesn't prove that all medical research is therefore a lie.

And I knew he was weird on vaccines, but I thought it was just the early-childhood-oh-my-god-autism vaccines. But no, he thinks they're all a scam and a lie.

How can an otherwise highly intelligent adult have a blind spot the size of Texas? I mean, DAMN, son.