Incompetence
Posted: Tue 20 September, 2005 Filed under: Customer Services, Sweary, Travel Leave a comment »Yesterday was almost amusing on the trains into work. Over the weekend, the line between Reading and Ascot was having engineering work done on it, so the train service was replaced by buses. Hey ho, all part of the joys of train travel – but at least it now affects me far less than it used to.
Monday morning and the local news (both BBC and ITV) were reporting that buses were still replacing trains, due to engineering work. OK, that slightly chuffs my morning travel, but thankfully not too much. Get to the station, the ticket machines have been turned off, and there’s a sheet of paper across each one saying that due to engineering works there’s no trains, and for some godforsaken reason known only to the train operating twats, you can only buy tickets from the ticket office itself. No good reason, it just must’ve seemed like a good idea at the time. Or something.
However, getting in to the ticket hall itself, there’s people waiting on the platforms. Eh? So when I get to the Ticket Twunt behind his little bulletproof glass shield, I ask where we’re supposed to be getting the bus from, and why are there people on the platforms? “Don’t know what you mean, mate – trains are running fine today” Turns out that the fuckwit cunts have a) forgotten to take the paper off the machines, b) turn the ticket machines on, and c) tell anyone that the train service is back to what passes for normal.
Still, it made my travel that little bit easier, not having to get a bus instead. But Jesus Christ, it’s really not that difficult to sort out, is it?
Weekend
Posted: Sun 18 September, 2005 Filed under: Customer Services, Health 2 Comments »Well, I now own a bow. And arrows. And case, quiver, sight, tab, bracer, stabilser, etc. And I’m £520 lighter for it too. Sheesh. One of these days I might even involve myself with a sport that’s cheap. One day. Maybe.
Other than that, the store we went to in Waterlooville was OK, but Waterlooville itself is – to be frank – a fucking dump. Strange, strange place.
And the weekend has been very quiet internet-wise, as we seem to be cursed by joint problems with the wireless network and the NTL connection. Not helped by the fact that motherfucking NTL don’t even have a customer services department that’s open on a Sunday. The cuntwit tossbags. So we’re unconnected (except via a slightly shonky dial-up connection through Tiscali, of all things) until tomorrow. Gah.
So all in all, a quiet weekend, and quite an expensive one. Roll on work. Never thought I’d say that…
Going Spare
Posted: Wed 14 September, 2005 Filed under: Customer Services, Thoughts Leave a comment »Like the numpty twat I truly am, I managed to lose the lens-cap for my camera while we were at Wells-next-the-Sea last week. Oops. It’s meant that I can’t/won’t carry my camera around with me (and thus also didn’t get any photos while in Amsterdam) as I do tend to just chuck the camera in my rucksack and be done with it.
Anyway, I’ve just ordered a new lens-cap from Fuji, the manufacturers, and it should arrive at home by the weekend. Not bad at all, particularly for a camera they haven’t been selling for a year.
Back to Work
Posted: Thu 28 July, 2005 Filed under: Customer Services, Thoughts 3 Comments »They finally turned up at just gone mid-day. So – not morning at all then. Tossers.
The work itself took just about an hour. Turns out that the company that had orginally fitted the carpet were utter fuckwits, and had managed to put in every single gripper-rod facing the wrong way, so basically the carpet just slipped off the nails that were supposed to be holding it in place. Cue lots of head-shaking, and “I’ve never seen a job as bad as this. Ever.” repeatedly.
To cap it all, I haven’t paid them. “Oh, the boss’ll be round to get the cheque. I don’t deal with the money side” sayeth the fitter. OK, this is the boss who couldn’t be arsed to tell me when they were coming until I called him to find out, the one who promised a quote for the other work we want doing and hasn’t provided it, and also the one who says “morning” and means “noon”. Fuck that, I’m not waiting for him to just turn up when he wants to in order to get his money, so I’m now in the office, and the shitepot can call me when he’s good and ready.
Seems fair to me.
Arse’oles
Posted: Fri 15 July, 2005 Filed under: Customer Services, Music, Photography, Sweary, Thoughts 7 Comments »Dear Brixton Academy,
You utter, utter bunch of cunts. I arrived at the venue last night to see Nine Inch Nails, which I’d been looking forward to since the tickets went on sale. When I got to the door, the security jobsworth motherfucker person searched me and my bag, and refused me access.
My sin? To be carrying a camera. To whit, a digital camera. Now, I realise that the ticket says “no professional cameras”, which is fair enough. And mine, while nice, is most definitely not a professional camera. But no, it turns out that – according to Brixton Academy – “professional” is the same as “digital”. If you’ve got a digital camera, you’re not coming in. If you’ve got a 35mm camera, you’re not coming in. Non-professional cameras would be non-digital, non-zoom, “use once” cameras. And that’s about it. Fucking hell, my bastard phone is listed as a professional camera under your classifications.
Oh, I did get told “you can leave it with us, and collect it at the end of the show“, but that comes listed under the “Yeah, right, pull the other one it’s got fucking bells on” scheme of things.
So, all told, that’s £40 up the swanny. I don’t know if the “no digital cameras” is the policy of the venue or the band, or if it’s just that you have utter fuckwit bastard cunts for doormen. Quite honestly I’ve no intention of finding out. Because I won’t be going back to Brixton Academy again.
You cunts.
Sincerely.
Lyle.
UPDATED : What really rankles is then seeing other people’s photos from the gig.
Inter-fucking-flora
Posted: Tue 5 July, 2005 Filed under: Customer Services, Thoughts 1 Comment »Ah yes, this one needed posting. This weekend is mental, (see the list below for more details) even without it also being our anniversary.
Anyway, on Friday (this being the best day to sort out anniversary-type stuff, due to aforementioned manic weekend) Herself is over at Grandfathers, as he’s having a heart thingy (don’t you love it when I get all technical?) done on Thursday, and Friday is a Day Of Rest™ for him. So last week (about Wednesday or so) I thought “I know, I’ll get some flowers delivered to her at Grandfathers, as a surprise.” Genius. Off I toddle to Interflora’s website and get it ordered, making sure the delivery date is 8th July.
Last Friday (the 1st) Herself gets a call from Grandfather. “Why have I been sent flowers?”. The useless tossers had sent it a week early – quite an impressive mistake.
In fairness, when I got hold of Inter-fuckin’-flora’s customer services, they were deeply apologetic, and have ensured that a) Grandfather can keep the first lot, and b) another lot will be delivered this Friday, when I wanted them delivered. Of course, it’s no longer a surprise, which pisses me off, but at least they’ve come through and done the right/ decent/ sane thing, which isn’t always the case in the world of retail.
However, it does also mean I’m going to cop a lifetime of piss-taking from Grandfather. Maybe I should’ve asked them for compensation after all…