I was over at Boing Boing and saw this post. A man was qouted over and over .002 cents per K of data on his phone. He used about 30,000 K and was charged $76. After talking to 3 or 4 different people, he could not convey the idea that .002 dollars was different than .002 cents. The recording of the call is included, which must go on for like, 20 min. -not trying to explain the mistake, but just trying to explain basic high-school math!!!
I am posting this here as I assume most if not all folks around here are probably the math type and should get a kick out of the call. At the same time this could be an indication of America's educational system... ...or lack there of.
I couldn't believe the patience of this guy. --Scream along with me.
I totally agree with you and that dude too CtC. 0.002 cents and 0.002 dollars is different.
If we talk about a price, everyone (using dollars) understands implicitly that 0.01 is 1 cent and 1.01 is 1 dollar and 1 cent without having to write "dollar" on the end, like "1.01 dollars".
2 dollars != 2 cents
therefore…
2dollars/1000 != 2 cents/1000
The reason they screwed it up is by actually writing cent/dollar on the end. They should have just said "0.002/Kb" and everyone would know its 1/5th of a cent.
God, I love that recording I’m simply amazed every time I listen to it. My favorite part is probably when the woman (who I think is like a 2nd or 3rd level supervisor) say, "Clearly we’re just having a difference of opinion."
yea but when people say yea but when people say america, most of the time they mean USA, unless they say "americas" with an "s", otherwise it refers to all of the american countries (including south)
There is a passage in "Backatcha" by Ken Kesey where a chicken is held down to observe a line on the road. The chicken freezes, because of the omnipotent idea of a geometric "Line" becomes blazingly apparent to the chicken. It succumbs to a universal truth and is dumbfounded by the beauty of it.
Unfortunately, there was no similar rapture with the Verizon call center, even though the caller was eloquently explaining the concept of "Decimal".
I’m simply amazed every time I listen to it. My favorite part is probably when the woman (who I think is like a 2nd or 3rd level supervisor) say, "Clearly we’re just having a difference of opinion."