# "Convenience" products and services that do the opposite **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173 "2018-04-10T17:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2018, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/21 "2018-04-10T22:32:16Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I doubt that’s done for convenience; probably the opposite, like clamshell packaging you need an axe to open: they’re trying to make it a pain to get to one, so you won’t take too many. > > I’ve heard that home washers & dryers were supposed to make laundry much simpler, but it had the opposite effect… people used to not have so many clothes and would send them out to be cleaned, and do a little spot cleaning during the week. Now that houses all have washers & dryers, somebody has to devote half a day every week (at least) to keep up with all the laundry. I just did some research on this. It turns out it was done for convenience, just not for the customers’. It was done for the pharmacists’ convenience for pills that are normally dispensed in small quantities, or were likely to disintegrate with rough handling. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/22 "2018-04-10T22:45:59Z")
“Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”. Stop it already. Just give me a flat mirror. I’ll figure it out. This really sucks in a plow truck working in tight quarters. Often in a snow storm in the dark. Screws up my distance estimations. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/23 "2018-04-10T23:37:18Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Example: I’ve never seen Apple Pay work correctly. It’s supposed to be this new innovation that’s going to make purchases faster and more secure, and you’ll never carry a credit/debit card ever again! But in reality, I’ve never seen it work smoothly. When I see someone waving their phone in front of the credit/debit machine, I move to another line, because they’re going to be at that for a while. Several businesses in my neighborhood use Apple Pay, and it works flawlessly every time. I whip out my phone, hold my thumb on the button, and “DING!” Super easy. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The Keurig coffee machine. Hate them. We have well water so I had to lug home bottles of water. The filters are useless and expensive to replace . It takes twice the time to use it, plus the pods are stupid. And the coffee is bad. > French press for me. I don’t really get all the hate for Keurig. I love, love, love mine! Sometimes I have one cup of coffee in the morning, sometimes two. Never need a whole pot, and trying to guess how much I’ll drink beforehand is a pain. And there are lots of different coffees available. Yeah, some are bad, but many are very good. Like anything else in the world. The only negative is the higher cost per serving, but to me it’s well worth it, because of, yes, the convenience. I guess I’m just not feeling this thread. **backs slowly toward the exit** ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/24 "2018-04-10T23:48:18Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The Keurig coffee machine. Hate them. We have well water so I had to lug home bottles of water. The filters are useless and expensive to replace . It takes twice the time to use it, plus the pods are stupid. And the coffee is bad. > French press for me. I don’t get it; why can’t you just use well water with the Keurig machine? And what sort of water are you using with the French press? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/25 "2018-04-11T00:30:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t get it; why can’t you just use well water with the Keurig machine? And what sort of water are you using with the French press? I’d wager it’s because “The filters are useless and expensive to replace.” Actually, my guess is that the filters are AWESOME and clog almost instantly because their well water has a lot of minerals in it that get filtered out. French Press don’t care about no minerals. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/26 "2018-04-11T03:26:41Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I just did some research on this. It turns out it was done for convenience, just not for the customers’. It was done for the pharmacists’ convenience for pills that are normally dispensed in small quantities, or were likely to disintegrate with rough handling. Sigh. In the long run, that’s also convenient for the patient, because imagine having a migraine, and not being able to take your medicine at all because the tablets got pulverized in a bottle? ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/27 "2018-04-11T04:09:01Z")
Second on self checkouts. Far too many things need an employee override. The ones that I shop at don’t have a “use own bag” option so when you put your bag down it assumes you’ve put something in their bag & need their cashier to override it. At the other end is when I’ve just run in for one thing, I have to put it down in the bagging area before I can pay even though I can hold the one item in one hand & payment in the other hand. A certain orange hardware store is the worst though. In the evenings they **only** have the self checkout up (_sometimes_ they have the a person at the contractors checkout at the very far end, but there can be a line.) They also don’t have the handheld scanners like the regular checkouts do. Have something heavy or unwieldy (2x4), you must pick it up & get the UPC over the fixed scanner…w/o whacking the guy at the next self-checkout. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/28 "2018-04-11T04:29:53Z")
Though it’s touted as a “benefit” rather than a “convenience,” I’d like to nominate Amazon Prime Pantry. So, you fill up a box, pay a shipping charge on top of the annual Prime fee, and you get to wait longer than the standard, free, Prime Two-Day Shipping for your items. This is a “benefit.” Got it! ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/29 "2018-04-11T04:44:05Z")
Apple Pay has worked super fast every time I’ve used it. It’s much quicker to simply tap my phone or watch on the screen than have to pull out my wallet, fish out the right card and then wait for it to be accepted. Now I’ve only used it at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Starbucks so maybe they are just set up better but it really couldn’t have been easier. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/30 "2018-04-11T08:35:46Z")
Wait a minute – did I dream this? “For your convenience, please use other door”. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/31 "2018-04-11T12:10:22Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > I don’t think I ever paid a “Convenience fee” that I felt good about. For example, my theater only lets you buy tickets online, even at the box office you are buying tickets on their web site, but they charge a “Convenience fee”. Yes they waive it if you buy there at the box office or if you join their program but really? What convenience am I getting? This one, there’s actually a reason for calling it a “convenience fee”. Back when credit card companies didn’t allow charges for using a credit card, they did allow a charge for “convenience”. There were certain rules for charging a “convenience fee”. It had to be a flat fee, not a percentage. There had to be a way to avoid the fee. It couldn’t be for using a credit card, it had to be for a service that added convenience. That’s why the box office doesn’t charge you a convenience fee but buying tickets off the website does incur the fee. Today, it might not seem that purchasing tickets from a website or over the phone adds any convenience - but you have to imagine/remember what buying tickets was like in the past. When it was possible that I might get to the theater in time for the 7 pm showing and have to instead wait on line and buy tickets to the 9 pm show because the 7 pm show was sold out - and then wait around for it to start. It’s a lot more convenient to buy the tickets in advance ( say at 10 am or 2 pm or two days before) for the 7 pm show and get there in time. And that was for movie tickets- buying other sorts of tickets could involve multiple trips to the venue ( one trip to buy the tickets and another days, weeks or months later to attend the event) or even waiting on line for days in advance of tickets going on sale. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/32 "2018-04-11T12:13:26Z")
My local multiplex has assigned seating for all movies and all showings, so the convenience of buying the tickets online in advance is the opportunity to choose a good seat, perhaps weeks in advance. (I’m kind of picky about where I sit, so I’ve willingly paid this fee.) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/33 "2018-04-11T12:18:43Z")
I think the ubiquitous phone trees you have to wade through when calling any organization are purportedly “in order to serve you better.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/34 "2018-04-11T13:20:34Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My local multiplex has assigned seating for all movies and all showings, so the convenience of buying the tickets online in advance is the opportunity to choose a good seat, perhaps weeks in advance. (I’m kind of picky about where I sit, so I’ve willingly paid this fee.) Do they have those fancy powered reclining seats? Only problem with this is you need to be familiar with the theater. I once went into a theater with this kind of seating and I selected what looked like ideal seats on the seating chart, but upon actually entering the theater realized they were _way_ too far back for the size of the screen and had to go back to the box office and get a different seat. Luckily it was an afternoon matinee and there were only a few other people there. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Crap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.crap/32/3131_2.png) [@Dr.Crap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Crap)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/35 "2018-04-11T13:31:44Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I think the ubiquitous phone trees you have to wade through when calling any organization are purportedly “in order to serve you better.” :rolleyes: This. The main reasons for the proliferation of such services is the ability to stagger phone calls and record conversations automatically. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/36 "2018-04-11T13:46:32Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > This has been my experience with self-checkouts; with one exception, every time I used one, I ran into problems and had to call an employee over, and it took MUCH longer That’s what I came in to post. One exception: Home Depot. But the grocery stores are bloody awful. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/37 "2018-04-11T13:52:55Z")
ETA too late: > [@Spiderman](#): > > A certain orange hardware store is the worst though. I see some folks have had problems with Home Depot. Interesting. It’s not like I use them that often (or always get in the self pay line) but it’s tended to work when I’ve done so. None of this: • “Sir, you have to put that pack of LifeSavers into a bag on the checkout platform or it ‘thinks’ you’re trying to steal it”. “But I scanned it! Why would I scan it if I were going to try to steal it? That makes no sense!” “All scanned items have to go into the bag…” • “To pay with a credit card you have to click ‘Done’ then ‘Check out’ then ‘Select Payment Option’ then ‘Debit or Credit’ then ‘Summarize’. And only then stick your card in the reader. You stuck the card in the reader too soon” • “Oh, well fresh produce for self checkout has to be weighted before you scan the barcode, that’s your problem…” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/38 "2018-04-11T13:58:06Z")
I never use the self checkout if I have fresh produce and I almost have that when at the supermarket. I stick to buying only stuff that’s barcoded. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/39 "2018-04-11T14:22:35Z")
Since a former job was fixing the checkout POS systems, I’m way too fast for the dumbed down self checkout. I have explained to store personnel that I would be glad to be the stores employee and check my purchases out, $75 per hour, at the states 3 hour minimum shift. I have strangely had no takers. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173/40 "2018-04-11T14:40:12Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > I once had a credit card company issue me a new card, without my asking, and claim it was for my convenience and an upgrade of some sort. But it was a truly new card with new numbers, which meant I had to go an change my information with every vendor I did business with regularly. > > Cancelled the card. It would have been bad enough for them to merely take this action, but trying to claim it was for my convenience and benefit was \*\*\*ing offensive. Just curious, was it Capital One? Because they pulled that crap on me many years ago. They sent me a new card for no reason, different account number, and it was a Platinum card or something that had a yearly fee. I didn’t ask for it, immediately cancelled, and I wouldn’t use Capital One again if they were the last CC company on Earth. What’s in my wallet? Your grubby fingers, apparently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convenience-products-and-services-that-do-the-opposite/812173.md?page=3)