TV Repairs, new phones and hectic weekends

[caddyman]

Well, it’s just as well I phoned up the TV aerial engineers; they had no record of their promise to come tomorrow to fix the TV aerial. Hopefully now they will arrive during the morning sometime as requested. They are supposed to be phoning to confirm tonight. I expect that I shan’t be back in time to take that phone call; why do I suspect that they won’t leave a message?

So, a busy weekend. Or at least a busy Saturday: TV reception to be fixed and then at some point I shall either travel into town with ellefurtle, or arrange to meet her later when she in turn meets up with snorkel_maiden. It’s all go. I had wanted to go to GOSH and get a signed copy of Alan Moore’s Lost Girls, but I can’t see me having the chance to queue. Happily Josh (of GOSH) has agreed to reserve a copy for collection on Sunday or Monday.

There is a 50-50 chance of me getting my new Motorola V8 RAZR 2 upgrade today after work. I nearly managed it yesterday, but they had none left in stock at the O2 shop in Victoria. They are expecting a delivery today. I was surprised when the woman mentioned that I was ‘being nice about it’. Do people really start giving the staff grief just because they might have to wait a day or two for stock to come in? Are people really that impatient and self-centred these days? I mean, I like instant gratification as much as the next bloke, but it’s not the be all and end all!

I despair sometimes, I really do.

Comments

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

"Do people really start giving the staff grief...?"

That's like the fellow at the snow plough yard the other day, when I had left a message asking them to come and take care of the white sludge covering Groove Street. He called me at home to say they would send a plough sometime that evening. When I said "Thank you very much," he told me "No, thank you for being so reasonable." Maybe he expected me to snarl, "About time too, MATE."

His gratitude surprised me, as I appreciated him taking the time to call, but I suppose people do think they ought to be first, and get what they want right the heck now. The item needs to be in stock exactly when they want it, and the snow plough needs to come and plough our quiet cul-de-sac before it ploughs the busy streets.

I wonder if it's our generation, Bry? Aren't we supposed to be the grumpy old men among the bright-eyed youngsters?

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Dammit I am a grumpy od man. But I like to think that I am a polite grumpy old man!

[bluesman.livejournal.com]

Usually I am an impolite grumpy old man, but when I called the yard, I was asking for something, and you'll get more by asking nicely than being irascibly demanding. Maybe others haven't learnt that yet.

[snorkel-maiden.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! For boozy lunches!

[phil99.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't believe the abuse that customer service people get over all kinds of issues. We used to get merry hell from people when I worked at a T-Mobile contact centre. You can become really hardened to it after a while and stop caring about their problem, because actually the problem is their attitude.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

If I have to get cross, especially through a call centre I always make a point of starting out by explaining that while I'm damn annoyed and am not going to pretend that I'm not, that anger is in no way aimed at the person on the other end, it's aimed at their idiotic bosses. I find that people are always really helpful after that. That people personally blame and rant at some poor sod already doing a thankless and poorly paid job makes them rude bullies.