Well I think I have finished gathering together all the stuff to be shredded and got it ready for the auditor. It has been quite a job but as it is too windy for me to walk at the moment it is good exercise.
Half way through the morning friend S called to collect a bag of craft materials I found in my cupboard clearing out and also to collect an electric hotplate which I shall never use again as I am not likely to do any more entertaining and which I asked her to take to the tip for me. She decided that T may well find it useful for melting wax -he keeps bees
As we stood in the kitchen chatting suddenly the loud buzzing noise I heard yesterday struck up again. We went into the garage and she is pretty sure it is emanating from the gas boiler. After a few minutes it stopped but it is quite alarming. We came into the sitting room and she rang the Gas Board for me. She tried number after number and could not get through to a human. All the spoken recorded messages were the same, giving three alternative numbers to press. None covered the area she wished to ask about. Finally she got a human who made an appointment for the gasman to come in the morning and when she asked about switching the boiler off - was it dangerous? - she was told that was for her to decide.
She was not happy about the standard of service - nor was I. After lunch I decided to ring Northern Gas Network and ask them (British Gas number is unavailable from the phone directory) - I got a human immediately on a line manned for twenty four hours. She listened to my story and then said she would give me a number to ring that would help. It was an unfamiliar number - I rang it - and got the same disembodied voice asking the same three questions that had been asked all morning. I gave up. Lets see what happens in the morning.
I was just standing looking at the empty cupboards where the accounts had been when the phone rang - it was friend M to say she was coming round for a cup of tea - lovely hour's chat after a morning of beaurocracy -thank goodness for friends.
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18 comments:
Oh dear - I hope you get the problem with the Gas Co. sorted soon! How frustrating all those recordings are - and no - there never seems to be the option you are looking for!
Glad to hear that you had some company and a chance for a nice visit. Take care.
It can be so difficult to get hold of a real human on the phone anymore! I hope they discover what caused the noise and repair it soon. It's wonderful that you have good friends who stop by to visit.
Remember the good old days when the person(!) who answered the phone could either directly answer your question or transfer your call to another person who could? No long periods on hold or having to listen to recorded messages directing you to touch certain extension numbers.
I’ve just spent a great deal of time trying to correct an error in online grocery delivery order system. I was told by the grocery email that it was resolved but course it was not.
I hate it when I can't speak to a real person. Nearly always the recorded options do not cover what one needs to talk about. Hope the gas engineer will put things right for you.
You friend turned up just in time to restore peace and calm, and a good chat.
Hope everyone up there is safe after the storm. We are bracing ourselves down her for tonight's performance!
When we reported a smell of gas at my mother-in-law's house they came immediately - and disconnected the gas at the meter!
Let's hope it is not a serious problem or your boiler could end up being disconnected and in this cold weather you would need some back up heating. It is a sign of the times that talking to humans is near impossible!
I hate automated systems. I have a tip. When you get an automated system asking questions, just say "blah, blah, blah' as long as necessary. The system assumes you have a speech impediment and transfers you to a person. I have used this before.
People in such employ are all very well paid, and know that their jobs are safe. They can do what they want without any risk of being sacked.
My oldest recent bought a new bathroom, one bit of which he didn't use. He phoned to ask if they would take it back and they said 'no problem'. When he took the piece back (about £100 worth) they said 'no'. He was furious, and told them that a second entire bathroom that he had ordered might now be cancelled, and he would look elsewhere. The £100 was refunded very quickly.
What a different world we live in. There was a time when you could pick up a phone and talk to someone. Now you might swan over to Ireland or India to talk to someone eventually. Still you had your friends to keep you company. Keep safe from the impending storm, though it is acting out its drama down the South West there is snow up on the moors up here.
Thelma is right about finding yourself dealing with someone is another country.
In Australia, in can often be the Phillipines or India.
When we FINALLY got to speak to someone, we thought it would be local in South Australia. We were told by our operator he was in 'Parameter' in Sydney.
It is actually spelt and pronounced Parra-MATTa, and no, he was not operating out of Sydney at all.My elderly mother gets beside herself as her hearing is bad and her understanding is not sharp at the best of times. Nothing against the operators but the outsourcing just make life difficult.-Pam.
Hopefully, whatever was wrong with your boiler is sorted by the time you read this. Such things can stress me out quite a bit; I just want my stuff to work!
Thank goodness for friends, indeed!
And well done on completing your paperwork sorting.
I hope it won't be anything serious. It is unbelievably frustrating trying to get hold of someone on the phone these days, and that is when you actually have a number to call. Many companies can only be contacted online. X
Yes, thank goodness for friends. They take away the sting of life. I hope you had a good visit and that your boiler is ok, Weaver, without costing you an arm & a leg. ~Andrea xoxoxo
I suppose the lack of advice was from fear of litigation should you get blown up, Weave. That's the way it goes these days. If you smell a leak and report it they are duty bound to come around in minutes. Maybe try that next time if you want some simple advice.
Yes, more or less a case of 'all's well that ends well' but not quite - read my next blog. Thanks for all the sympathey - much appreciated,
Years ago I had an incident involving a suspected gas leak in my basement. Since we have a gas furnace, it was entirely plausible. I was particularly nervous because I was home with my two little boys and I was also caring for my friend's three boys at the time. The oldest of the bunch was 7. I called the emergency number for gas related issues and before I knew it, two fire trucks were screaming down my street. The firemen took their gas detecting device all through my house but found nothing of concern. One of them did tell me he wondered if the smell might be coming from some new item we'd recently brought into the house. Two days later I was down in the basement and I picked up a batting practice toy my husband had brought home for the boys. It reeked of that same gassy smell. It was embarrassing to realize I'd caused that kerfuffle over a toy but I did learn one thing...suspected gas leaks get action! I hope the noise from your gas boiler gets resolved today. Anything involving gas makes me a bit nervous.
Wow. Here in Atlanta GA, there is a designated line to call for suspected gas leaks, and they don't play. They answer, take your info, tell you to not touch anything - like light switches, etc that could spark an explosion - and to leave the house and wait for them to show up. Then they come right away, and check everything out. I've called numerous times for just faint whiffs of gas, and indeed, there have been minor leaks around my gas fireplace jet, and my gas oven. At my daughter's house, too...
It surely is a brave new world. Thanks be for friends.
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