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That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose

  • That Dropped Call With Customer Service? It Was on Purpose

    on "sludge" --

    Turns out there’s a word for it. In the 2008 best seller Nudge, the legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein and the economist Richard H. Thaler marshaled behavioral-science research to show how small tweaks could help us make better choices. An updated version of the book includes a section on what they called “sludge” -- tortuous administrative demands, endless wait times, and excessive procedural fuss that impede us in our lives.

    This is one place where EU laws have helped, vs. the US situation -- when you can issue chargebacks, bring crappy vendors to small claims court, and get warranty guarantees up to 2 years after purchase, it clamps down a lot on this painful shite.

    Tags: sludge business capitalism admin call-centers life guarantees warranty customer-service