It has been an irritating, "jobs worth" experience all round , and one that has not helped the monitoring of my blood pressure, which I am doing four or five times a day ( I have a clinic appointment on Monday!)
So every week I either phoned or (god forbid) personally popped in to the Prestatyn branch to see whether or not my lost photos had been found.
I pointedly refused to deal with one shop assistant who could not curb her tendency to babble, and when the manager informed me that my photos had been sent to their branch in the internal post three weeks previously, I took some solace by loudly stating that if they had been sent by passenger pigeon they would have reached me earlier.
Of course my bad humour remains somewhat of a game......but bad service is endemic in this country and I have to say that this unnecessary stress is NOT good for my elevated blood pressure (which I suspect is a legacy from my father and grandfather)
Yesterday the manager of Boots rang me and left a somewhat disappointed message on our answerphone
I say disappointed ,as I am sure she wanted to speak to me personally to give me the victorious news that the photos had been located (originally they had been sent to Oldham of all places)...
God knows where they ended up this time probably some poor old duffer from Bath was surprised to find a few old photos of a knackered Trelawnyd cottage among his holiday snaps ....
tee hee
Postscript
That post was written around 8am
It is now 11.31am
Boots have just called
They have my photos but have mislaid the original slides....
I told them I would be down to " see" them today
They are all shitting themselves
Triumph! Even Rebecca of Sunnybrook had her days I'll bet!! Glad you got your photos Mr.Gray.
ReplyDeleteHubby has high blood pressure - blame his job. xxxx
ReplyDeleteHello John:
ReplyDeleteBad service? What bad service? Do join us here where the very word 'service', let alone its meaning or execution, went out with the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
But we are sure that TS will have delighted in your phoyographs!!
But ... you still haven't actually got your photos in front of you, have you! They've only been located ... they could soon be skittering off on another adventure to some remote part of the UK. Don't rejoice too soon! I agree that shoddy service is exasperating and infuriating.
ReplyDeleteHope they don't lose them, again!
ReplyDeleteDo be careful, just got hubby home from heart surgery.
It would have to be a very old buffer indeed who was still taking 35 mm film to Boots for processing. There is probably a more simple explanation:
ReplyDeleteIn the old days, before everyone became hysterical about the odd bit of dubious pornography that was innocently taken to Boots for printing, they used to pretend they had 'lost' the film, just to save the embarrassment of prosecution. Up there in Wales, they probably still stick to this quaint old tradition, in much they same way as you stick to 35 mm.
We love your tendency to crow and be naughty (well, at least I love it). My favorite is the poo bag flinging episode. Wonder what that driver thought when he reached his destination to find his gift?
ReplyDeleteLol, Tom Stephenson! So glad I'm not the only one who hates dealing with Boots but I hope you get your photos back safely.
ReplyDeleteoh Tom!
ReplyDeletelol
the slides which have been "lost" are old ones taken by several residents from the 1950s and 1960s
Thats why I was no annoyed...
have you read my postscript>?
At least they have located the photos for you. Deep breath.
ReplyDeleteI used selective vision when not reading your postscript John.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how they can be so efficient at keeping track of the photos, yet so inept at getting them delivered to the correct branch of Boots...
ReplyDeleteI guess they get marks for their tracking skills.
Give 'em hell lad !
~Jo
I admire your persistence.
ReplyDeleteI'm good at the 'big bang' bit when the problem first raises its head...but I do find it a chore to carry on week after week.
Though in this case, given the nature of the photographs, I'd have had to stick to it.
You could have made a good business in France with your attitude!
Well done in getting a result but it appears there is still a fair amount of minutes to be added on before it's over - hope this recent episode hasn't hiked up your results for Monday - enjoy your visit up to Steel City Wednesday hope the journey doesn't send your bp sky high.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get the slides back as well.
ReplyDeleteHopefully you get to see your slides soon as well. Nothing worse than poor service to elevate the blood pressure. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteConnie
God you sound like Jim's 95 year old father...all bark and no bite....try some honey sweet cakes!!!
ReplyDeletePoor thing, I do believe poor manners, horrible customer service, and cell phone communications have gotten far out of hand in just about all countries. Nice to see your pics if they are indeed your pics.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Mal
Some businesses her (in California) are starting to realize how much customers appreciate good service. One in particular is my favorite plant nursery, Green Acres. All of their employees seem to love plants too, and they greet you and treat you like you were a guest in their own personal garden. As a result, all the customers are cheery and having fun - talking and laughing with the employees and each other. I spend a small fortune there. If they had tables and chairs and sold coffee, I'd probably stay for an hour or two and find even more things to buy. Now if the government would just take that attitude...
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrifying wrestling photo. Was this from the lost collection? :-)
ReplyDeletelol
ReplyDeletedia
tis a metaphore for my frustration
I don't even want to consider the pictures you had to trawl through to get the one at the top but I guess just like him, once you get your teeth in you wont let it go until ..... oh dear this comment is going in the completely wrong direction.
ReplyDeleteCustomer Service? What is that? Oh yes I remember now. Many, many years ago it was something business offered regularly to their clients. It was thought to be very important to offer this if you wanted to stay in business!
ReplyDeleteThe time we all spend straightening out, calling back, returning, making phone calls, sending emails to corporate, well just think how much time that adds up to. Not to mention how stressful it all is.
You seem to be hitting on several topics that tork me as well lately LOL.
A partial victory for the common man! Hurrah! But why is your tale accompanied by a pornographic image? Is it a picture from a Boots training video or perhaps two hill sheep farmers on a night out in Rhyl?
ReplyDeleteGood grief. As bad as here.
ReplyDeleteI hope they find your slides before you get there, John.
LOL I read this to my hubby the other day and forgot to comment. I have to tell you...when I first found out about my sister in 91...my daughter and I went over to England to meet her husband and children for the first time. I have to admit that I was really shocked at the unfriendly service that seemed to be all over the place. The smaller shops served by the owners were great but in the Malls and other large shops we were really surprised. My sister who has lived in England all her life never noticed it until she came to visit us in British Columbia Canada. The Province had what was called 'The Good Host Program' and it taught people who worked in the retail and service industries how to treat customers with a smile and good service and they were to have a knowledge of the areas where they lived so they could suggest places to eat or to visit etc. Anyway...my sister said she was really impressed. Maybe the UK should start a program like that! Hope you get things sorted out with your pictures...what a pain in the butt!
ReplyDeleteMaura :)
Breathe slowly.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCustomer service sucks in this country too. I need you to come over and be my enforcer! When I visit the USA, I am always hugely impressed by the customer service there, compared to Canada!
ReplyDelete