Apps - at what point is enough enough?
Discussion
I've used a few recently which have no machines at all, just a big board with a phone number, site reference and a bazillion word legal contract in 8pt.
Whilst the cost of parking goes up, the cost of collection goes down and the customers are inconvenienced.
P.S. I'm not a luddite, but I often wonder what the elderly non-smartphone customer does to actually get parked in an unfamiliar town.
Whilst the cost of parking goes up, the cost of collection goes down and the customers are inconvenienced.
P.S. I'm not a luddite, but I often wonder what the elderly non-smartphone customer does to actually get parked in an unfamiliar town.
MitchT said:
Parking apps are a pain in the arse, not least because you may have to download and install a new one if you're at a car park you've not used before, which can be impossible if data coverage is poor. Why not just install a contactless payment facility on parking machines? It's like everything has to have a more complicated solution than is necessary.
I challenged a parking ticket over this. There was no parking meter so no contactless or coins. It was app based only. There was no mobile service on my H3G phone or my dad's EE. I couldn't pay even though I spent more time trying to than if I'd just decided not to pay; obviously I received a ticket. I challenged the ticket and the parking operator was asked why they didn't install a contactless meter. They work on mobile signal and there is no signal at the car park was the reply.
clowns!Pub apps can be great in the right circumstances. Table service is common here, as is sitting at a table out in a square rather than inside the bar. As we also have a good online banking system that can be integrated with other apps it's far easier to order and pay online than it is to flag down one of the staff. We also have another app to pay each other money (whatsapp/e-mail them a link or put a QR code on your screen for them to scan) so splitting the bill is very easy too.
MitchT said:
paulrockliffe said:
Most of them have contactless as well.
The one at my local train station doesn't. It's cash or app, and the signal on my phone is often "E" in that location and apps just say there's no internet connection. So, instead of catching a train to go shopping in my nearest city I stay at home and do it all online instead.You could book it at home and print out the ticket. I say print the ticket because presumably you won't have an email app on your phone to be able to show the QR code that way when you're on the train.
I won't point out that if you use Google Maps before you set off to check the trains are running on time, you can simply book and store the tickets there in a few taps.
:-)
Apps are a great invention and provides a great deal of convenience for users and operators.
I do agree though that there is a huge proliferation of apps that are unnecessary and do not bring convenience to the users but instead focus on convenience for the operators. This is the problem.
I do agree though that there is a huge proliferation of apps that are unnecessary and do not bring convenience to the users but instead focus on convenience for the operators. This is the problem.
paulrockliffe said:
This seems like a rather extreme reaction, though I would just shop online anyway. Is it worth me pointing out that you don't have to be at the train station to buy a train ticket these days?
You could book it at home and print out the ticket. I say print the ticket because presumably you won't have an email app on your phone to be able to show the QR code that way when you're on the train.
I won't point out that if you use Google Maps before you set off to check the trains are running on time, you can simply book and store the tickets there in a few taps.
:-)
The train ticket isn't the issue. Paying for parking at the station is. Anyway, I live 20 minutes walk from the station so I don't bother driving there if the weather's nice.You could book it at home and print out the ticket. I say print the ticket because presumably you won't have an email app on your phone to be able to show the QR code that way when you're on the train.
I won't point out that if you use Google Maps before you set off to check the trains are running on time, you can simply book and store the tickets there in a few taps.
:-)
paulrockliffe said:
MitchT said:
paulrockliffe said:
Most of them have contactless as well.
The one at my local train station doesn't. It's cash or app, and the signal on my phone is often "E" in that location and apps just say there's no internet connection. So, instead of catching a train to go shopping in my nearest city I stay at home and do it all online instead.You could book it at home and print out the ticket. I say print the ticket because presumably you won't have an email app on your phone to be able to show the QR code that way when you're on the train.
I won't point out that if you use Google Maps before you set off to check the trains are running on time, you can simply book and store the tickets there in a few taps.
:-)
So unless i can book a ticket far enough in advance to get it delivered, not a great deal of choicve other than go to station.
An no, i wont have a ticket on my phone. The whole phone/app thing is WAY to unreliable, and frankly, beyond my abilkity to risk rocking up at a station or airport, reliant on nothing other than my phone.
Tried it once on a ryan air flight. That was an unmitigated disater which i still prefer not to think about.
The biggest issue with it all, if there is a problem, there is NO help available. whatever goes wrong or doesnt work, is YOUR problem. And it almost always doesnt work.
romeodelta said:
camel_landy said:
Joey Deacon said:
I work in IT and I am utterly sick of it too...
+1If it needs an app, I vote with my feet.
M
I currently have 5 MFA apps to log in to various systems and that doesn't include SMS.
3 parking apps and counting as well...
I went out with some work colleagues last thursday, probably the first time in 3/4 years I've been out! (was boring before covid)
The reasturant we were at tried to push us to order via an app. After reading the paper menu, I duly downloaded it, and realised that half the menu wasnt showing, neither was the drink+food deal that most of us went for... Apps uninstalled, up to the bar we went.
I may have been a few drinks down at this point and the manager got a bit snotty with us. I'm a software QA during the day and took great delight telling the chap what a pile of cr@p his app was, and re-installing it and taking him very slowly through it all. He shuffled his feet and got me a drink on the house, it seems all this comes from head office and the actual staff on the ground had no idea their paper menu's bore maybe 1/4 of a relevance to their app.
I've always mostly hated apps. I'm too old school, happy to go to the website. Windows 11 hates me as I installed it without a microsoft account as I have zero want or need for it. Had to spend weeks training my pihole to block all the URL's that pushed the 'please sign in', 'why dont you try this app', 'there's an app for this' and it seems to have shut up finally.
The reasturant we were at tried to push us to order via an app. After reading the paper menu, I duly downloaded it, and realised that half the menu wasnt showing, neither was the drink+food deal that most of us went for... Apps uninstalled, up to the bar we went.
I may have been a few drinks down at this point and the manager got a bit snotty with us. I'm a software QA during the day and took great delight telling the chap what a pile of cr@p his app was, and re-installing it and taking him very slowly through it all. He shuffled his feet and got me a drink on the house, it seems all this comes from head office and the actual staff on the ground had no idea their paper menu's bore maybe 1/4 of a relevance to their app.
I've always mostly hated apps. I'm too old school, happy to go to the website. Windows 11 hates me as I installed it without a microsoft account as I have zero want or need for it. Had to spend weeks training my pihole to block all the URL's that pushed the 'please sign in', 'why dont you try this app', 'there's an app for this' and it seems to have shut up finally.
monkfish1 said:
What is "MFA" ?
Multifactor authentication. eg you log in to he bank's website and they send you an e-mail or text message with a code (or in the case of my bank scan a QR code on the screen), so they're proving you have access to the e-mail address or phone number as well has having the login detailstangerine_sedge said:
I've used a few recently which have no machines at all, just a big board with a phone number, site reference and a bazillion word legal contract in 8pt.
Whilst the cost of parking goes up, the cost of collection goes down and the customers are inconvenienced.
P.S. I'm not a luddite, but I often wonder what the elderly non-smartphone customer does to actually get parked in an unfamiliar town.
They get a ticket. Which they will inevitably feel they have to pay.Whilst the cost of parking goes up, the cost of collection goes down and the customers are inconvenienced.
P.S. I'm not a luddite, but I often wonder what the elderly non-smartphone customer does to actually get parked in an unfamiliar town.
No one gives a s
t about a few old people. Convinience for the operator is king.CoolHands said:
Yeah parking apps are the worst, but when you’re on holiday in cornwall you need the various ones who own different car parks so you’re forced into it. Then they all sell / use your data to each other etc
s
Worst case it's a car park with no sodding phone signal and you can't even install the bloody thing (I'm looking at you, National Trust Studland Bay car park)s RizzoTheRat said:
monkfish1 said:
What is "MFA" ?
Multifactor authentication. eg you log in to he bank's website and they send you an e-mail or text message with a code (or in the case of my bank scan a QR code on the screen), so they're proving you have access to the e-mail address or phone number as well has having the login detailsI still dont understand QR codes though. But ive got this far no undersatanding so i guess its not critical?
monkfish1 said:
I still don't understand QR codes though. But I've got this far no understanding so i guess its not critical?
They're the square images that are a bit like bar code but apparently have better error correction and can carry way more information. If I go to my bank's website there are 2 ways to log in: I can use an "e-identifier" where I put my card in the slot and have a challenge and response to prove I physically have the card, or the site can display a QR code which I show to my phone camera through the banking app, proving that I have the phone/app and password for that as well as password for the website. A bit more faff than just typing in a password but much harder for someone to break in to, and much less hassle than the building society that gives me a code grid and asks for the numbers at specific locations in the grid. RizzoTheRat said:
monkfish1 said:
I still don't understand QR codes though. But I've got this far no understanding so i guess its not critical?
They're the square images that are a bit like bar code but apparently have better error correction and can carry way more information. If I go to my bank's website there are 2 ways to log in: I can use an "e-identifier" where I put my card in the slot and have a challenge and response to prove I physically have the card, or the site can display a QR code which I show to my phone camera through the banking app, proving that I have the phone/app and password for that as well as password for the website. A bit more faff than just typing in a password but much harder for someone to break in to, and much less hassle than the building society that gives me a code grid and asks for the numbers at specific locations in the grid. However, im not sure im any wiser as to what its actually is. A picture?
I dont do any of those things to log in to my bank. Though no doubt my time will come.
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