Are We Losing the Ability to Read and Understand?

Over the past few months, I have been amazed at how many people fail to read and/or understand either written instructions, information or such documents as Terms and Conditions. T & C's are notoriously ignored as they tend to ramble on and on like the Mother-in-Law in a slanging match. But when those T & C's are fairly short, written in layman's terms and dictates what you will get for your money and when, you should go through them before you sign.

Not so apparently. I am coming across more and more people who sign their life away and then proceed on a daily basis to clag up my inbox with questions that are answered in paragraph one of the paperwork that they've already signed. Heaven forbid that I should be out the office with a client or at a meeting and don't reply within three nanoseconds. I even have my auto responder on with the message that I will reply to their email within 48 hours. I then get more emails within three minutes asking why I haven't replied!!

It's the same when you provide their service based on the questionnaire they filled in, "It's not want I wanted" they moan, "It's exactly what you asked for, nay, demanded" I retort. They then can't understand why it's going to cost more because my crystal ball is a little iffy, and my mind reading skills are definitely below par this morning. The fact is, if you can't follow simple instructions and be able to read ten short paragraphs, then you shouldn't be trying to force your business on me, let alone being out by yourself.

Fortunately, I am in the position of choosing whom I do business with to minimise exposure to these kind of people, but now and again, one slips through the net. So, my advice is, if you don't want to appear to have missed the first twelve years of essential schooling, read carefully any paperwork provided to you and just as important, absorb it and if you don't understand anything, for goodness sake ask. This will make the relationship so much more fruitful and you never know, I might just be able to come off my blood pressure tablets!




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