Despite empty shelves, nobody apparently working, the collapse of Kabul, the changes to the NH handicapping system, the sale of the house, and a 15-week-old puppy whose teeth are incredibly sharp, life meanders along much as before.
Silly chores, however, do seem to take forever but this is, I suspect because Homo Sapiens has decided AI is good. I further suspect that humans mistakenly believe that it will save them from thinking. The reality is that AI customer services and a corporate abdication of customer responsibility can often make an incoherently woke GenZ sound rational. I spent 26 minutes yesterday trying to get rid of a credit card that has increased its annual fee to a level that ranks it alongside the cost of a stolen mongrel, sold from a layby on the A417. Unlike your average dog-napper, the credit card company uses AI to deal with its customers, which mean that when it gets a Dear John it takes forever, and is slow, stupid and patronising. At one point the machine actually typed:
- Thank you for waiting. While I was reviewing your account, I noticed that you have been with us since 1988. We really appreciate your exceptionally loyalty towards our company. (I did wonder whether the machine had missed out a word; perhaps it had meant to say “…exceptionally STUPID loyalty” and thought better of it.)
- Further, I see that you have maintained your account in excellent way which I personally appreciate. (Apart from the missing “an”, how does the machine express appreciation? Do they have shares in the company which is why they take it personally? And just by the by, my AI chum, it’s a charge card, so not paying it back at the end of the month, means you don’t stay with the company at all, let alone since 1988.)
- I understand that you wish to cancel the card because you are not happy with the increase in the annual fee. Is there any other reason for the cancellation or any other dissatisfaction? I replied:
- Other than the ludicrous speed of this conversation, not really.
- I apologise for the trouble. I can certainly take your request for the card cancellation but we would really like to have the opportunity to continue your business. I am looking at the options that we can provide you to keep your business. Time passed. Keystrokes were made and rescinded. Tapping happened and didn’t. Then it said:
- Thank you so much for patiently waiting. Let me take you through the benefits of our card that are important to you. AI (I hope he’s called Rama) then spouted two minutes of “benefits” at me and finally after telling me what a good egg I was and how impressed they all were, offered me £95 to stay, but I would still have to pay for two cards at the new tariff. I eventually escaped 11 minutes later. But as his parting shot, he said – possibly to make me feel better about myself…
- You have been with us since 1998 and it’s truly amazing to serve you this long. And we hope to serve you in the future. Goodbye. Somewhere in that brief conversation of ten minutes I had lost ten years of loyalty to the credit card company! Or possibly the AI didn’t work properly.
Talking of things that don’t work properly here are today’s racing tips…….
1:45 HAYDOCK Betfair Double Daily Rewards Superior Mile Stakes (G3) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m
LORD GLITTERS Win – 1 pt SFC to beat ARTISTIC RIFLES
2:05 KEMPTON (AW) POLYTRACK Unibet 3 Uniboosts A Day Sirenia Stakes (G3) Cl1 (2yo) 6f
HIERARCHY Win
2:20 HAYDOCK “My Odds Boost” On Betfair Hcap Cl2 (3yo) 1m6f
PRAIANO Win
2:40 KEMPTON (AW) POLYTRACK Unibet September Stakes (G3) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m4f
HUKUM Win
2:55 HAYDOCK Betfair Exchange Old Borough Cup Hcap Cl2 (3yo+ 0-105) 1m6f
(5 places with Skybet) ISLAND BRAVE e/w – AUTUMN WAR e/w
3:10 ASCOT Lavazza Hcap Stakes Cl2 (3yo) 1m4f
(4 places with many) ALFAADHEL Win – STAY WELL e/w
3:30 HAYDOCK Betfair Sprint Cup Stakes (G1) Cl1 (3yo+) 6f
(4 places with many) CREATIVE FORCE Win – EMARAATY ANA e/w
3:45 ASCOT Careys Foundation Hcap Cl2 (3yo+) 7f
(4 places with many) DOCUMENTING e/w – RIPP ORFF e/w