Computers and Productivity

Thai Society and culture, Living in Thailand.
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parrot
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Computers and Productivity

Post by parrot » April 26, 2019, 1:49 pm

The Air Force long ago taught me to be reliant on and trustworthy of computers.......the people who ran the IT departments backed up on a regular schedule, and in the end, I can't recall any major incidents of losing data......even back in the mid-late 1970s. If you lost it, it was more likely you didn't save it in the first place (that was in the dinosaur days when you actually had to save info......today it's auto-saved to the cloud as you type). And so, somewhere in the mid-late 1980's the hammer came down on using green ledgers to record information. Some of the luddites....mostly older civilians.....fought the hammer, but they eventually moved on.
So....today, off to the main Viriyah office to renew the insurance on our truck and then to AEK to renew the registration. A tale of two cities.
Viriyah: Computers on every desk and all the information from last year's policy was on the computer. Yet, the agent (one of about 20+ who were working) wrote up a new info page by hand......name, address, telephone number, truck VIN.....all info on the computer but handwritten on the new info page. Ok, I approve the amount and she then transcribes the new info into her computer. Several trips to the copy machine, a trip upstairs to have the new policy initialed by someone, and I was out of there in 30 minutes.
While I was waiting, another agent next to mine was handwriting policy numbers down on a long sheet.....one of many she had already filled out. As I walked out, I passed a long counter that was stacked with folders, easily 2 feet high and 7 feet long.
Ok, paid my insurance and off to AEK. No pens, no ledger books, total reliance on the computer to complete the forms.....then hand my money to the girl next to the agent.......2000 Baht for a 1350 Baht registration. And then, she broke out her calculator to figure out the change. Ok, mission accomplished. In and out in less than 5 minutes.
All in all, pretty simple stuff......and an opportunity to compare a tale of two cities.



bluejets
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Re: Computers and Productivity

Post by bluejets » April 26, 2019, 2:32 pm

Depends on the why's and wherefor's.

Many countries still use paper voting slips.

I don't see why you are complaining really.

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parrot
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Re: Computers and Productivity

Post by parrot » April 26, 2019, 2:47 pm

"I don't see why you are complaining really."

Not complaining at all.......just an observation on how things are done in a different part of the world.

RLTrader
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Re: Computers and Productivity

Post by RLTrader » April 26, 2019, 3:09 pm

Hmm, everyone has a different experience, I guess.

Same company, give her my bill, brings up a couple of screens, scratches her head, brings up another couple of screens, disappears for about five mins, comes back, get out her calculator, keys in what I owe, hand her my credit card, she disappears for about 10 mins, comes back, I sign, she hands me my paper work. Maybe about 20 mins. :lol:

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tamada
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Re: Computers and Productivity

Post by tamada » April 26, 2019, 8:53 pm

Roojai... did the whole option selection and pay malarkey online, maybe 20 minutes. A call from them about half an hour later reminding me to supply this and that whereupon I told them I had already emailed what she's asking for. Apologies and she says she'll go check. Calls back and apologizes again, tells me it's all good and I have new insurance... which is exactly what their website and confirmatory email had already told me less than an hour earlier.

Package turned up via EMS about a week later but then I had to drive to AEK to renew my road tax...

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