Advent
Posted: Tue 18 September, 2007 Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism, Festering Season Leave a comment »
We went to Sainsbury’s last night, and there, next to the Hallowe’en gear (Hey kids, only six weeks to buy this shit!) were chocolate advent calendars.
In September. I despair. Hell, the bloody fireworks aren’t in the shops yet, but the fucking advent calendars are.
I suspect D4D™ may be going anti-festive earlier than usual this year.
Slack Service – Not
Posted: Mon 17 September, 2007 Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism 1 Comment »Last weekend I wrote about some of the slack customer service we’ve been dealing with recently.
In order to provide some balance, this week we’ve also had some really good experiences too.
On Saturday we went and saw a local place that supplies wood-burners, coal and logs. We needed some fire tools as well for our wood-burner, but also needed that much-written-about load of logs for our woodpile. We bought the tools, and ordered a trailerload of logs, along with three bags of kindling. We needed a pallet as well to be used as flooring for the wood pile, which they just chucked on, no charge.
It was due for delivery “Late morning, early afternoon” today. It’s already here, and arrived by 8am. Definitely a place we’ll be going back to.
Also, that cycle shop mentioned last week had my bike ready and waiting when we went to collect it- and charged me less than I’d expected!
So yes, all told, fairly impressed.
Now, if the plumber turns up it’ll be a good day…
Long-Term Residents
Posted: Wed 12 September, 2007 Filed under: Charm School, Customer Services, Cynicism, Travel, Weirdness 1 Comment »I must admit, on my first reading of the story yesterday of the couple who have been living for 22 years in a Travelodge hotel (and I use that term very loosely) my first reaction was “Why?!?”, closely followed by “Freaks.”
It’s taken me a good 24 hours to get past that reaction- and if I’m honest, it still comes back to that on occasion. Personally, I couldn’t stay in a Travelodge for 22 days, let alone 22 years. I’ve written before about staying in one, and about their dodgy booking practices (although that appears to have stopped now) – but I have to admit that they’re comfortable to sleep in, if nowt else.
However, seeing one of the quotes from the couple, I can understand their motivation a bit more.
“The Travelodge room suits us so much better than our first-floor flat in Sheffield, which has no disabled access for Jean. It’s important as she now suffers from a bone disease and uses a wheelchair.”
Now yeah, fair enough – their disabled access isn’t bad at all, usually.
But still, twenty-two years in a Travelodge. Fucking hell. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Don’t buy from Mesh Computers
Posted: Mon 10 September, 2007 Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism Leave a comment »DON’T BUY FROM MESH COMPUTERS!
I wish I could say I was surprised by Blue Witch’s tale of woe with Mesh computers, but I’m really not. Over the years I’ve heard lots of similar stories, and Mesh have been long-time residents on my “people I wouldn’t buy anything from” list. (Yeah, I do have such a list – although it’s mainly just a mental one)
Still, it’s always good to have another reminder about them…
Slack Service Redux
Posted: Sat 8 September, 2007 Filed under: Customer Services 1 Comment »I finally went in to the cycle place in Attleborough today, thought I’d check first the useless fuckers were open. I’d called again this morning, and again no answer. So I went in.
The reason they hadn’t called me back? (after going back through the messages on the phone in front of me)
“You called on a Wednesday. We don’t open Wednesdays.”
“So what’s the point of an answerphone, if you don’t bother listening to the messages, or getting back to people?”
“You called at 1.20 on a Wednesday. We don’t open Wednesdays, and we’re closed for lunch between 1 and 2”
I gave up – there was no way I was going to get sense out of him. Still, the bike’s now in for a service, so we’ll see what they do with it.
I also finally managed to collect the picture we booked in to get framed two months ago. At the time they predicted it’d take two weeks. So, bit of a difference.
“I must admit, I’m a bit disappointed that this took two months instead of two weeks”
“Yes, that was a bit of an unexpected delay.”
And that was it. No apology, no nothing.
Tosspots.
Slack Service
Posted: Thu 6 September, 2007 Filed under: Customer Services, Domestic, Weirdness 2 Comments »One thing that’s beginning to get annoying about living here in Norfolk is the way so many of the inhabitants seem to be utterly incapable of simple tasks like replying to emails, or picking up a phone.
Recently I’ve been trying to talk to the local bike shop about getting a service for the bike I bought a couple of years ago. I’ve slacked off on this, but I do want to get back into using it, but before I can do so, it needs a good service. So I’ve been trying to get hold of the CycleLife shop in Attleborough to get them to service the poxy bloody thing. Do they answer the phone? Do they bollocks. Do they reply to messages on the answerphone? Do they bollocks. In short, they’re a bunch of tossers.
We’ve also been trying to get some response out of the poxy plumber, who we’ve asked to do some work. I’ve called him three times, and emailed him twice. Herself has called him two or three times. And so far? No response at all.
I don’t know if it’s just people being rude, or if they’re too busy to take on new work, or if they’re just tosspots. What I do know is that it’s incredibly bloody annoying.
Shocking News
Posted: Sun 19 August, 2007 Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism Leave a comment »Stop Press : NPower are cheating extortionist bastards.
Not that we didn’t all know it already, but the BBC News site seems to have caught on to it anyway…