average intelligence?
Discussion
I've dealt with the public on a daily basis for the last six years. For most of the time it was very straightforward sales, no difficult concepts. Recently I've started selling a financial product, and I'm obliged by the FSA to ensure they understand what they are purchasing. It's a fairly simple concept, not rocket science by any means, and has been scripted for the average person to understand.
Despite this, I'm constantly amazed at some of the questions I'm asked. For example:
'What is a share?'
'What does percentage mean?'
'Can you hang on while I get the birth certificate, I can't remember how to spell my child's name?'
These and many, many more idiotic questions are coming from people in their 20's and 30's...
No wonder this country has gone to the dogs
Despite this, I'm constantly amazed at some of the questions I'm asked. For example:
'What is a share?'
'What does percentage mean?'
'Can you hang on while I get the birth certificate, I can't remember how to spell my child's name?'
These and many, many more idiotic questions are coming from people in their 20's and 30's...
No wonder this country has gone to the dogs
It took me over an hour to help someone set up ONE single pop 3 account (no problems, other than her understanding of computers) in outlook express. She works for a celebrity of sorts, and apparently fell down the stairs once and landed on her head 
various clients have said...
client: Id like a website please
me: Do you have a domain name?
client: Whats that?
me: Whats the address of your website?
client: clientName@HOTMAIL.com
me: I'll give you a ring back in 5 minutes
client: what, on the phone?
me: (wants to say) no, on a
broom stick
client
o I need to be on the internet to check mail
I actually replied by saying something to the effect of "If your computer has a telepathic processor, then no" ... Then silence. Then I explained that, well actually, yes.
me: Whats your email address?
client: how do I know if I've got one?
... had absolutely everything, nothing suprises me anymore
>> Edited by UKBoB on Wednesday 9th February 23:25
various clients have said...
client: Id like a website please
me: Do you have a domain name?
client: Whats that?
me: Whats the address of your website?
client: clientName@HOTMAIL.com
me: I'll give you a ring back in 5 minutes
client: what, on the phone?
me: (wants to say) no, on a
broom stick client
o I need to be on the internet to check mail I actually replied by saying something to the effect of "If your computer has a telepathic processor, then no" ... Then silence. Then I explained that, well actually, yes.
me: Whats your email address?
client: how do I know if I've got one?
... had absolutely everything, nothing suprises me anymore
>> Edited by UKBoB on Wednesday 9th February 23:25
zoe22 said:
I blame the parents
The teachers at my daughters school don't know which is greater 1/2 or 5/8 neither do they know the difference between metaphors and similies. Not all children come from well educated parents, but the schools should not use this as an excuse for failing.
Oh and if I go to another parents evening and hear "like" used as punctuation, I'll scream.
I feel like I'm losing the battle.
UKBoB said:
It took me over an hour to help someone set up ONE single pop 3 account (no problems, other than her understanding of computers) in outlook express. She works for a celebrity of sorts, and apparently fell down the stairs once and landed on her head
various clients have said...
client: Id like a website please
me: Do you have a domain name?
client: Whats that?
me: Whats the address of your website?
client: clientName@HOTMAIL.com
me: I'll give you a ring back in 5 minutes
client: what, on the phone?
me: (wants to say) no, on a
client
I actually replied by saying something to the effect of "If your computer has a telepathic processor, then no" ... Then silence. Then I explained that, well actually, yes.
me: Whats your email address?
client: how do I know if I've got one?
... had absolutely everything, nothing suprises me anymore
you confuse knowledge with intelligence.
She could be extremely clever, but just not know anything about computers.
You obviously know about computers - want me to guide you to some of your questions about cars in the (not too distant) past?
Yep, my mate works in a call centre selling double glazing and had a classic customer the other day:
Mate went through all the advertising tripe and the customer then said she would like to purchase and continue the ordering process.
My mate then went through the order process which lasts around 5 minutes and asked:
"Is it OK for me to process the order and confirm your purchase?"
Customer: "Sorry dear what are you selling again?"
Mate: "Double Glazing and Conservatories"
Customer: "Oh, I live in a council house and they've just replaced the old ones!!"
!!!!!
Mate went through all the advertising tripe and the customer then said she would like to purchase and continue the ordering process.
My mate then went through the order process which lasts around 5 minutes and asked:
"Is it OK for me to process the order and confirm your purchase?"
Customer: "Sorry dear what are you selling again?"
Mate: "Double Glazing and Conservatories"
Customer: "Oh, I live in a council house and they've just replaced the old ones!!"
!!!!!tvrgit said:Yes and no. When it takes an hour to set up a pop 3 account (I can do it in around 20 seonds) somethings amis upstairs. I have my share of highly intelligant but total novices re: computers, and we fly through things together.
you confuse knowledge with intelligence.
She could be extremely clever, but just not know anything about computers.
You obviously know about computers - want me to guide you to some of your questions about cars in the (not too distant) past?
I had an employee applying for a job make over 10 spelling mistakes on the front of the envelope containing her CV. That kind of stuff. In part its how people say things, not what they say.
For the record, Im a patient guy, very laid back about business and training, got all the time in the world for everyone attitude (probably why I work such long hours)
re: cars, guilty as charged
tvrgit said:
education does not equal intelligence.
I could teach a donkey to count with its hoof. It would then, by definition, be educated, but is still, in essence, a donkey.
(mind you, a better education does definitely help...)
A private school education is not just about the level of education provided. It instills an attitude that you don't get in state schools.
Which is one of the reasons why i'm so keen.
UKBoB said:
In nit picking mode tonight are we
Apparently.
Sorry, I wasn't having a pop (well I was, about cars, but hopefully in gentle jest) sorry I didn't mean to sound picky
I do agree that there seem to be an increasing number of supposedly educated people with brain apparently set to "pause" mode...
vixpy1 said:
A private school education is not just about the level of education provided. It instills an attitude that you don't get in state schools.
When I was a student (some years ago now!) I discovered that some of the instilled attitudes in my fellow students were good, and I was somewhat envious. Others were absolutely atrocious, and that balanced out the good ones.
You pays your money... you takes your choice.
UKBoB said:
Yes and no. When it takes an hour to set up a pop 3 account (I can do it in around 20 seonds) somethings amis upstairs. I have my share of highly intelligant but total novices re: computers, and we fly through things together.
I had an employee applying for a job make over 10 spelling mistakes on the front of the envelope containing her CV. That kind of stuff. In part its how people say things, not what they say.
For the record, Im a patient guy, very laid back about business and training, got all the time in the world for everyone attitude (probably why I work such long hours)
re: cars, guilty as charged
I'm with the git on this. For instance, my mum would have no idea how to answer any of your computer questions, but she's far from stupid, had a very successful career, and has brought her 3 children up with a similar ethic. She just doesn't have the neural networks to deal with the way computers work. She can e-mail but if things go wrong she waits for one of us to visit.
On the other hand, she wouldn't take very long to critique your grammar and spelling in this post
She'd probably tell you that if you are abbreviating words by contracting, then you put in an apostrophe to denote that you have removed a letter/letters. So something is would become 'something's', and it is would become 'it's'. She might even tell you that there are two s' in 'amiss'. 
If you said I was being unfairly picky, then you'd be right, but I'm only doing it to demonstrate that there are different kinds of smart, and different kinds of knowledge. I've got a Master's Degree, but I still get the 'rabbit in the headlights' look if anyone expects me to understand anything much beyond internet shopping!
Edited for poor spelling!
>> Edited by rude girl on Thursday 10th February 00:08
v15ben said:
Yep, my mate works in a call centre selling double glazing and had a classic customer the other day:
Mate went through all the advertising tripe and the customer then said she would like to purchase and continue the ordering process.
My mate then went through the order process which lasts around 5 minutes and asked:
"Is it OK for me to process the order and confirm your purchase?"
Customer: "Sorry dear what are you selling again?"
Mate: "Double Glazing and Conservatories"
Customer: "Oh, I live in a council house and they've just replaced the old ones!!"
I've been known to do things along those lines before (sorry, dislike telesales calls)
It depends, I agree that intelligence is a tool to sculpt knowledge with. One without the other is useless, however modern private schooling is different in quality than the good old boarding school. I know some people who went to some very good schools, they have among other vices, poor knowledge, poor intelligence and poor speech.
As the saying goes, you cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear. I was largely educated at home (which may explain a lot), I would (with a lot of consideration) educate my children myself. These days schooling is about training (not education) to tick boxes and have EVIDENCE of quality, not knowledge or how to use it. I say this as a trained teacher.
I would like my children to have a comprehensive insight into life and an ability to think properly. A mayhem class of 30 (or even 15) does not guarantee it, furthermore, the quality of "School Masters" has deteriorated from the good old days, the product of a poor education system are now becoming the chiefs.
But, it seems society demands a load of box ticking clones.....
As the saying goes, you cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear. I was largely educated at home (which may explain a lot), I would (with a lot of consideration) educate my children myself. These days schooling is about training (not education) to tick boxes and have EVIDENCE of quality, not knowledge or how to use it. I say this as a trained teacher.
I would like my children to have a comprehensive insight into life and an ability to think properly. A mayhem class of 30 (or even 15) does not guarantee it, furthermore, the quality of "School Masters" has deteriorated from the good old days, the product of a poor education system are now becoming the chiefs.
But, it seems society demands a load of box ticking clones.....
rpguk said:
I've been known to do things along those lines before (sorry, dislike telesales calls)
I too tell them I'm not interested, and if they insist on continuing, then I give them their 15 minutes, and then say "oh, I think you'd better ring back when my husband's at home".
Of course you're way ahead of me here - I'm single. Dumb is smart and smart is dumb? Maybe, but it's a bloody good laugh anyway!
rude girl said:
I've been known to do things along those lines before (sorry, dislike telesales calls)
I too tell them I'm not interested, and if they insist on continuing, then I give them their 15 minutes, and then say "oh, I think you'd better ring back when my husband's at home".
Dumb is smart and smart is dumb? Maybe, but it's a bloody good laugh anyway!
Yep, that's why I wouldn't go work with him when he asked me
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