Comments: No more Nice Mrs BW

'Best' means FOAD in those circumstances to me too. I felt a zing of connection with you, BW.

I've been pretty lucky with work people, of late, fortunately. I was a bit anxious the other week - I'd paid a sizeable deposit for a new boiler in the annexe just before lockdown and, when I finally was able to give the engineer the all clear to fit it, he didn't reply to my text for two days. Turned out he'd taken a week off, for the first time this year and was profusely apologetic, so I could be airy and not at all worried. Only people who haven't got back to me are from the Council Tax department, so I must phone again.

Posted by Z on 21 July, 2020 at 10:25 PM

I think the problem is that we are so unused to having to rely on tradespeople that we just aren't used to the level of customer disservice and lack of communication they display.

Mr BW can do most things, but there are some things he can no longer legally do (eg fit wood burners, many electrics etc etc) and some things best left to professionals (plastering, re-plumbing).

We're both the kind of people who will do what we say, when we say, keep paperwork in order and up to date, and we find it hard to accept/believe that other people manage to run their businesses so sloppily.

No effort at all seems to go into making sure that things happen on time, that paperwork is provided, or that, if there is an unavoidable problem or delay, they let their customer know.

There is a general rule round here that you leave your home at your starting work time, and leave the job at a time allowing you to get home at your normal finishing time. Which means that a working day is 10am to 2.30pm, if you have a customer who lives at some distance from you.

I think we've discovered why the north-east is poor: people just do not put in the effort, or the hours, or have the drive or ambition.

We're used to living somewhere where people travel to work, many into London, and many leave the house before 6am and get home after 8pm. That mindset is totally alien up here. They might have a better work/life balance, but they don't seem to be happier, or to do anything useful or productive with their non-working time. Talking to workmen, a lot of TV seems to be watched.

I am reminded of the Greek Fisherman story here.

Posted by Blue Witch on 22 July, 2020 at 7:52 AM

Greek fisherman? Do tell...

Posted by Tim W on 22 July, 2020 at 11:40 AM

Which blind company delivered and which didn't? Intrigued... :-)

Posted by Lyle on 22 July, 2020 at 12:43 PM

Lyle - as you would expect (and me too, having now successfully had two from them) Blinds2Go delivered quickly, whereas Blinds Direct didn't.

Had Blinds2Go had the white opaque pattern I sought, they'd have had another 2 to make for us, but sadly they didn't.

I know, from what you've said en blog, this scenario accords with your experience too.

Posted by Blue Witch on 22 July, 2020 at 5:37 PM

Ah good, I'm glad it was the ones I recommended who lived up to their billing!

Sorry that the others have been rubbish though.

Posted by Lyle on 23 July, 2020 at 11:57 AM

I'd already ordered the first blind from them at the point you posted your story Lyle. But, your experience did ensure they got another order too, before the first blind had actually arrived.

Posted by Blue Witch on 23 July, 2020 at 12:33 PM