Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Olympia5776]

I don't think I'd cope in UK now . Over here life is much slower ,shop assistants talk to their customers which initially made me angry when I was next to be served but I've learned to respect it now.
I ordered two special vent tiles from a supplier whom I had never dealt with . When I went to pay for them with my card  he waved his arm and said " Och I cant use the machine drop the cash in next time your in town " The town is 40 miles away and the sum was over the equivelant of £100 .
I buy all my auto parts from a little supplier in the same town ,he sends them down to me the next day with his mate who drops off all the newspapers in the region. I can call him up to 7 pm and the parts are in my newsagent at 7 am.Absolutley refuses to accept any delivery payment and gives me trade discount off everything.
I couldn't live in the city again.....

[Humpy]

I had a mate who used to work for Comet, but he didn't work for them for long! They were always getting their sales assistants to push one thing or another and one month it was Beacon Gas (when the gas companies were deregulated/privatised whatever!) It's like he said, how could he sell someone gas if they'd only come in to buy a video? Don't exactly go hand in hand does it?

Another story, I went with one of my kids to buy a TV DVD package and the assistant was trying to push him into buying a posh Scart lead. A posh Scart lead for £74 Needless to say when he looked at me I shook my head. The assistant then remonstrated how good this lead was and how an 'ordinary lead' would spoil the picture. In the end I got a bit shirty and asked "What's so good about this flippin' lead then?", "It's got gold contacts" says the assistant. "Oh yes" says I "What's so good about that then?". "Gold's a good conductor of sound!" After laughing, I said "No, gold's a good conductor of electricty" which it is, hence why you get gold plated contacts in connectors etc. "Are you an engineer then?" says the assistant. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am!" said I. That took the wind out of her sails

Anyway, you had to be there!!!

Humpy

[Paulus]

There's a small Garage on the edge of the village with a single fuel pump. When you pull up, someone runs out and fills it up for you.

I like that. It makes me feel special

[Varche]

Haven't seen one of those street petrol pumps for years though do remember Jones's in Llangranog and one opposite Trent Bridge cricket in Nottingham on the "Colwick" road. My Mum still refuses to use self service pumps but methinks her time is limited( self service not life).

We ordered a load of tiles, tile cement and so on and the firm said they would be about a week. We will ring you before we deliver. TWO days later the lorry rumbled down the track with all the materials and I said I can't pay you as haven't been to the bank. No problem just drop the money (everything is cash here in Spain) into the office (20 miles away) when you are next passing.

varche

[Debs.]

Haven't seen one of those street petrol pumps for years though do remember Jones's in Llangranog and one opposite Trent Bridge cricket in Nottingham on the "Colwick" road. My Mum still refuses to use self service pumps but methinks her time is limited( self service not life).

We ordered a load of tiles, tile cement and so on and the firm said they would be about a week. We will ring you before we deliver. TWO days later the lorry rumbled down the track with all the materials and I said I can't pay you as haven't been to the bank. No problem just drop the money (everything is cash here in Spain) into the office (20 miles away) when you are next passing.

varche

There are two such kerb-side petrol pumps in Bala (and one in Corwen).....all are attended service; at no extra cost.
The Bala-Texaco also has a red-diesel pump (for plant/generator/tractor/marine use).
Nice to have the personal service and a bit of a chat

[Leomas]

Got friends who live in Patterdale in the Lake District and the garage near them has attendant service. The guy who owns it also does motor repairs, breakdown service, fishing tackle, boat hire, etc etc etc. Brilliant place and we always try to stop there for a day if we are heading up to the wife's family in Scotland

[theowletman]

My chainsaw has been losing it`s edge rather quickly recently and needed constant sharpening; I figured it had been sharpened beyond it`s electro-hardening and needed a new chain.
I went down the family-run tool shop in Bala: I was greeted with an immediate and friendly "good morning; how may we help?....they had a new chain in-stock and the assistant fitted it to my saw 'there and then'.....he gave the saw a decent clean and 'look-see'....fitted a new fuel and air filter elements and even carried it to my car for me with a cheerie "thankyou for your custom madam"....all for just £12.10! (inc. VAT)  

It reminded me what good-service feels like; not like in some town shops where you have to interrupt the assistant`s discussion about their boyfriend/night-out etc. just to get noticed....and god help you if you expect "hello or "thankyou"  

  OMG, I`m turning into a grumpy old woman

Its not just good service, its good business, where will you go next time you need something that they stock ?

[Marks DTM Calib]

I had a mate who used to work for Comet, but he didn't work for them for long! They were always getting their sales assistants to push one thing or another and one month it was Beacon Gas (when the gas companies were deregulated/privatised whatever!) It's like he said, how could he sell someone gas if they'd only come in to buy a video? Don't exactly go hand in hand does it?

Another story, I went with one of my kids to buy a TV DVD package and the assistant was trying to push him into buying a posh Scart lead. A posh Scart lead for £74 Needless to say when he looked at me I shook my head. The assistant then remonstrated how good this lead was and how an 'ordinary lead' would spoil the picture. In the end I got a bit shirty and asked "What's so good about this flippin' lead then?", "It's got gold contacts" says the assistant. "Oh yes" says I "What's so good about that then?". "Gold's a good conductor of sound!" After laughing, I said "No, gold's a good conductor of electricty" which it is, hence why you get gold plated contacts in connectors etc. "Are you an engineer then?" says the assistant. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am!" said I. That took the wind out of her sails

Anyway, you had to be there!!!

Humpy

Not true actually, its not a particularly good conductor (not as good as copper etc).

Its used because its hard and does not easily oxidise and hence is quite an effective plating for connectors!

If we were looking for a good conductor you would be backing silver but, its soft and tarnishes easily and because connectors only have a plating over say a steel base metal, the conductivity is of less importance because its mega thin (a few microns)  

Some scart leads are better but thanks in the main to improved screening of the analogue signals (many cheap scarts have little or no screening and you get crosstalk), not worth that sort of money though!

Sorry for thread jumping......

But yes, service is not what it used to be at all!

[Martin_1962]

A recent phenonema is decent budget SCART leads.

You used to see the difference between a £10 lead and a £40 lead, now the £10 leads are as good, the cheap shit though is still unusable.

Almost all of it is due to shielding. Very cheap leads are usually rubbish.

You need decent shielded cables and metal SCART plugs, gold stops the tarnishing.

With decent kit you can see the difference between a rubbish and a decent lead. But the price level has dropped by 75%!

My most recent £10 or so jobbie is very heavy and stiff and connects a top end SCART switcher to the TV, my other top end lead goes to DVD, a mid range decent lead from years ago goes to the PVRs.

[Gaffers]

My chainsaw has been losing it`s edge rather quickly recently and needed constant sharpening; I figured it had been sharpened beyond it`s electro-hardening and needed a new chain.
I went down the family-run tool shop in Bala: I was greeted with an immediate and friendly "good morning; how may we help?....they had a new chain in-stock and the assistant fitted it to my saw 'there and then'.....he gave the saw a decent clean and 'look-see'....fitted a new fuel and air filter elements and even carried it to my car for me with a cheerie "thankyou for your custom madam"....all for just £12.10! (inc. VAT)  

It reminded me what good-service feels like; not like in some town shops where you have to interrupt the assistant`s discussion about their boyfriend/night-out etc. just to get noticed....and god help you if you expect "hello or "thankyou"  

  OMG, I`m turning into a grumpy old woman

I'm shocked they didn't start speaking welsh when you entered!

Sorry just had some very bad customer service experiences in N.Wales... this place sounds like a true gem though