Time gentleman please
Had a card through the door confirming an appointment today.
I confirm that I will be calling on: Tuesday between 9am -9pmWell that narrows it down. Of course I have the time myself; oh no wait I don't as this card is addressed to someone who used to work at a company that ceased trading about two years ago. So how are they 'confirming' this? I called them up and they deleted the details from their database; I'm almost curious to hang-around and see if anyone does show up this evening.
I then get another letter stating that one of the "meter(s)" in one of our buildings is approaching the "end of its certified life", which I find to be both an amusing and ominous statement. So they're coming to replace it during their normal working hours, as opposed to ours. So that's Mon-Fri 8.00 AM to 5.00 PM sometime in the next few weeks; damn even the 9am-9pm gave me an actual date.
I'm waiting for a delivery from Amazon, nothing of a 'I need it now' basis so I went for the free postage option. Ordered on the 23rd and tracking it I see that it was despatched on the 25th and arrived in Droitwich on the 28th. Delivery estimate 4th June.. so it's now less then 10 miles away from me and it might take a week to get here. Wow hasn't the world progressed since we gave up the horse and carriage. Okay sarcastic remarks aside they often arrive well before the estimate, of course that means you've got no idea of when it's actually going to turn up.
On a final note I assume the kids are on holiday; said assumption being based on the fact it only took ten minutes to get to work and that included picking up and dropping off someone not on my regular route.
6 comments:
On the subject of free delivery: I have recently and on three occasions ordered cycling equipment from http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ The first two shipments I ordered on Fridays and decided to pay the trivial "priority shipping" free; the orders didn't go in the post 'til the following Tuesday and didn't reach me until the Thursday. The third time, having learned my lesson, I went for free delivery and put off ordering until the Monday morning; it arrived Tuesday.
This is all a far cry from Dabs, the powerhouse of internet shopping. On two separate occasions I've ordered RAM from them after midnight, opted for first class post, the cheapest delivery option, and had it arrive with that morning's post. One of my friends ordered at 0300 and had his first class post arrive that same morning.
In contrast, eBuyer (I think it was eBuyer; I could be wrong), their slightly cheaper and less business-oriented competitor, offer delivery options by date rather than by method. They give an option for each day from the day following the order 'til a week away, the delivery cost going down about 20p per day. Whichever day you choose, they leave the goods in their warehouse until the day before and next-day it to you by courier.
Well apparently it's out for delivery now, so not too bad for free.
Stationers and computer firms seem to me to get things out almost instantly, everything else seems to take a while. Ordered some refills for a pen on the 11th, all quiet so I called them yesterday. They'd got my order, but they'd been sent the wrong ones. Not their fault, but it would have been nice to let me know.
So still enjoying your new bike?
Yes, I am, as it happens. I must have done about 18mi on it during the hot weather over the weekend. Actually, I got so much exercise over the weekend I could barely bend my knees today, but don't tell me, you're lucky on days when you can bend your knees at all :->
It's due its 30 day service around now, but I'll first have to summon up the effort to phone Townsend's and make an appointment, and then actually take the thing and pick it up again.
It one of the things I've regretted not being able to ride. I can stay on for about 2m then my balance goes; the plus side was that a) I became a reasonable runner and b) walking/running means you get to hold full conversations with the people you're out with.
Do Townsend provide you with a loaner? I recall a while back booking my car in at a garage, getting there and being told they'd not got a spare car had to drag a friend out to pick me up. Didn't use them again.
No, they don't, but unlike motor mechanics it's not usually necessary. With an appointment you can take your bike in in the morning (on my way to work, in fact) and pick it up later the same day.
It's never to late to learn to ride a bike, as long as you don't embarrass easily. As a nerdy child I didn't learn until I was 11. I went on a few rides with my family round that time, then didn't touch a bike again 'til I arrived in Cambridge. Lots of students here also don't ride and take lessons or get their friends to teach them.
As for talking to the people you're with, I very rarely cycle with anyone. They always go too fast or too slow -- these days, usually too slow.
Well so long as where you're dropping it off is close to where you want to be or at least close to a bus-stop.
Balance is my problem, I can't even balance on those push-scooter things.
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