So today I was randomly selected form the millions of people who, in the last month, have contacted the company I have been dealing with for my broadband.
They wanted to survey me on my customer experience.
Oh the sweet, sweet justice of it all.
I was ABSOLUTELY honest. I feel exorcised.
Interestingly, last night a prime time current affairs show awarded the very same division the 'Complete Ass Award'
I'm so pleased that my experience was a consistant one.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
FINALLY
I have just now managed to get broadband.
Finally.
Once the modem arrived it didn't work.
It took two more phonecalls and the patience of a saint. I also had to lug the Tv out of the wall, replug all of my appliances with extra power boards etc and pretty much almost kill myself moving it from my phone line to my /sky line and back agin several hundred times.
The USB cable (or 'the blue one') is about half a metre too short to be of any use to anyone but there you go.
I'm exhausted
Finally.
Once the modem arrived it didn't work.
It took two more phonecalls and the patience of a saint. I also had to lug the Tv out of the wall, replug all of my appliances with extra power boards etc and pretty much almost kill myself moving it from my phone line to my /sky line and back agin several hundred times.
The USB cable (or 'the blue one') is about half a metre too short to be of any use to anyone but there you go.
I'm exhausted
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Stupid week
The stupid week continued .... and so did my saga with my alleged braodband provider. I was supposed to get my modem last week and then call on Saturday to set it up. But the modem didn't show so the following conversation took place:
Me: Hi, I haven't received my modem
Broadband person: Let's have a look. It was delivered
Me: Well I haven't received it
Broadband person: Well it was delivered.
Me: (Verify they have the correct name, address etc) Nope it hasn't shown up
Broadband person: Well according to the file it was delivered at 11.15 on Wednesday
Me: ....
Broadband person: Hang on I'll check with the courier company.... Thanks for holding, they're not there but according to the file it was delivered at 11.15 on Wednesday.
Me: (slightly angry) I'm not here at 11.53 during the day, neither is my flatmate. I cleared the mail that night and it wasn't there. I am now standing in front of my letterbox and it's not there. It may have been delivered but it's not here.
Broadband person: Is there a delivery card from the comapny?
Me: No
Broadband person: Well I can leave a message for the courier company but I'm not on again until Monday at 12.00. so...
Me: (speaking in very clipped tones to illustrate that despite her not being at work until 12.00 on Monday I am NOT letting her off the hook). What do you think I should do?
Broadband person: I'll log a call with the courier company and call you back on Monday...
Cut to Monday
Broadband person: Hi I checked with the courier company and it was delivered at 11.53 on Wednesday.
Me: (Through clenched teeth). Well I didn't get it.
Broadband person: Was there a card from them?
Me: (Pause to dwell on the thought that I work for the same group of companies as this person and so would not struggle to track her down and have this conversation in person). No.
After further conversation backwards and forwards, we agreed that she would order another one to be sent to my work address this time, where there would be someone to receive it and she would credit me $5.23 which is exactly four days of broadband usage taking me to Tuesday.
It still hasn't shown up.
I have my angry face on.
Me: Hi, I haven't received my modem
Broadband person: Let's have a look. It was delivered
Me: Well I haven't received it
Broadband person: Well it was delivered.
Me: (Verify they have the correct name, address etc) Nope it hasn't shown up
Broadband person: Well according to the file it was delivered at 11.15 on Wednesday
Me: ....
Broadband person: Hang on I'll check with the courier company.... Thanks for holding, they're not there but according to the file it was delivered at 11.15 on Wednesday.
Me: (slightly angry) I'm not here at 11.53 during the day, neither is my flatmate. I cleared the mail that night and it wasn't there. I am now standing in front of my letterbox and it's not there. It may have been delivered but it's not here.
Broadband person: Is there a delivery card from the comapny?
Me: No
Broadband person: Well I can leave a message for the courier company but I'm not on again until Monday at 12.00. so...
Me: (speaking in very clipped tones to illustrate that despite her not being at work until 12.00 on Monday I am NOT letting her off the hook). What do you think I should do?
Broadband person: I'll log a call with the courier company and call you back on Monday...
Cut to Monday
Broadband person: Hi I checked with the courier company and it was delivered at 11.53 on Wednesday.
Me: (Through clenched teeth). Well I didn't get it.
Broadband person: Was there a card from them?
Me: (Pause to dwell on the thought that I work for the same group of companies as this person and so would not struggle to track her down and have this conversation in person). No.
After further conversation backwards and forwards, we agreed that she would order another one to be sent to my work address this time, where there would be someone to receive it and she would credit me $5.23 which is exactly four days of broadband usage taking me to Tuesday.
It still hasn't shown up.
I have my angry face on.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Back in New Zealand
I'm home! Again.
It's good to be back although it's not good to no longer be in Dublin. The weather is better here though!
It does appear that I have left my brain in Dublin however. I have reached this conclusion based on the following incidents:
I really wanted to buy perfume while I was travelling. I need some and I really wanted to get it duty free. So I found some I wanted in Dublin Airport just as they called my flight. In a rush I brought it up to the till and paid for it and hopped on my flight. When I got to Auckland and opened the box what I found I had purchased was this:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P167638&categoryId=B70
For $100. I. Hate. It.
But I wasn't finished there. In Hong Kong Airport they were doing a two for one special on Pashminas. They were HK$1050 each. Brilliant I thought. I applied my advanced currency conversion skills. Two geniune pashminas for $50.
No. Try $200.
Brilliant.
But wait. There's more.
Yesterday I was in a pay and display car park trying to text to park. After four attempts I realised that it wasn't working because it was a VODAFONE text to park and I have a TELECOM mobile. Rocket science. so then a gent wandering by said he still ahd an hour of parking left and he was leaving. Did I want it? Oh yes I did.
So what this meant was that I should follow him to his car, get the ticket and display it on the dash of my car.
What I actually did was run away from him to the other end of the car park where my car was and hop in it because somewhere in my brain I had decided that I needed to be in his actual space. I realised my mistake about half way between my space and his. He was at the car park exit. Feeling flustered and embaressed, I hopped out of my car, ran up to him and said... wait for it..."I'm such a blonde".
No Lorraine. You're not. You have red hair.
So now the guy is thinking that I'm not only stupid, I'm also deluded.
Got home and opened up my brand new laptop (I have a new lap top). I called a broadband provider from the land line to set up my internet access on it. They asked me if I was plugged into the phone socket and I said no but I'll do it right now. Once I pulled the phone jack out of the wall to put in the internet cable I realised my mistake. I tries to call them back on my mobile but I'd made the call at 8.55, they close at 9.00 and it was now 9.05. So I missed them
Seriously. I'm eating fish every day but it's not doing that brainfood thing it's supposed to. Anyone got any other ideas?
It's good to be back although it's not good to no longer be in Dublin. The weather is better here though!
It does appear that I have left my brain in Dublin however. I have reached this conclusion based on the following incidents:
I really wanted to buy perfume while I was travelling. I need some and I really wanted to get it duty free. So I found some I wanted in Dublin Airport just as they called my flight. In a rush I brought it up to the till and paid for it and hopped on my flight. When I got to Auckland and opened the box what I found I had purchased was this:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P167638&categoryId=B70
For $100. I. Hate. It.
But I wasn't finished there. In Hong Kong Airport they were doing a two for one special on Pashminas. They were HK$1050 each. Brilliant I thought. I applied my advanced currency conversion skills. Two geniune pashminas for $50.
No. Try $200.
Brilliant.
But wait. There's more.
Yesterday I was in a pay and display car park trying to text to park. After four attempts I realised that it wasn't working because it was a VODAFONE text to park and I have a TELECOM mobile. Rocket science. so then a gent wandering by said he still ahd an hour of parking left and he was leaving. Did I want it? Oh yes I did.
So what this meant was that I should follow him to his car, get the ticket and display it on the dash of my car.
What I actually did was run away from him to the other end of the car park where my car was and hop in it because somewhere in my brain I had decided that I needed to be in his actual space. I realised my mistake about half way between my space and his. He was at the car park exit. Feeling flustered and embaressed, I hopped out of my car, ran up to him and said... wait for it..."I'm such a blonde".
No Lorraine. You're not. You have red hair.
So now the guy is thinking that I'm not only stupid, I'm also deluded.
Got home and opened up my brand new laptop (I have a new lap top). I called a broadband provider from the land line to set up my internet access on it. They asked me if I was plugged into the phone socket and I said no but I'll do it right now. Once I pulled the phone jack out of the wall to put in the internet cable I realised my mistake. I tries to call them back on my mobile but I'd made the call at 8.55, they close at 9.00 and it was now 9.05. So I missed them
Seriously. I'm eating fish every day but it's not doing that brainfood thing it's supposed to. Anyone got any other ideas?
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Packing
I'm going back to NZ tomorrow. And so what I should be doing is packing. what I am doing is sorting through a bag of papers that my mam wants me to take with me or throw away for chrissakes.
Oh. My. God.
There is the usual dreadful diary shit that I will have to take with me as we don't have a shredder and there's no way I'm just throwing it away. Embarassing.
There are hundreds of letters written to me in Donegal, Cork, America, Dublin from friends family, boyfriends. Including one of the most beautiful love letters from a guy I knew for a total of two weeks in Wisconsin. Some I am keeping, some I am binning, some I am keeping but know I will never have the courage to read.
There are dozens of poems written by friends. Some are hilarious and some are very, very good.
There is a Valentine Card 'to my wife, Lorraine' signed from 'Mr Pitt'.
There is a letter from Kerry that I CANNOT WAIT TO READ TO EVERYONE WHO KNOWS HER.
I have also found two and a half episodes of a radio play that I worked on with seven other people. Five episodes actually went to air before we got cut for being generally unreliable. I was originally supposed to be one of the actresses but muscled into the writing team eventually and ended up doing a bit of directing too.
It was based on six students sharing two flats on campus at University College Dublin. Sort of Friends, only on the radio and with Irish accents, limited sex and no money. The writing teams worked in two teams of four and I can't remember who wrote which of the spisodes but the half episode is the worst.
However, it has handwritten notes at the end that made me choke with laughter and nostalgia for the sheer clever pretentiousness of it all.
The scene is fairly typical. Fresher student (dave) tries his hand at some clever debating at the immensly popular and well attended debating society friday night event. He is lucky to escape with his life. His dignity is another matter. The girl (emer) who fancies him is trying to comfort him and he lashes out at her and stalks off. Fade to next scene (the handwritten bit)
The handwritten notes are clearly intended to take the piss out of the simplistic nature of the scenario by doing a pastiche of Sam Beckett's Happy Days/ Waiting for Godot
Notes in handwriting unknown:
A scream. Pause (five seconds)
Fade to Emer buried up to her neck in rubbish. Parasol goes on fire reflecting the essential meaninglessness of existance
My handwriting:
(alternatively we could just fade to Emer snogging Dave)
Back to unknown handwriting:
Emer: Argh! (pause five seconds) My parasol (pause three seconds) is on ... fire (pause) reflecting the essentail .... meaninglessness... of existance.
Fade to country lane. Enter Pozzo and Lucky on hands and knees.
Pozzo: so... where's the debate
Seriously. We were subsidised to be at university for fukes sakes.
Oh. My. God.
There is the usual dreadful diary shit that I will have to take with me as we don't have a shredder and there's no way I'm just throwing it away. Embarassing.
There are hundreds of letters written to me in Donegal, Cork, America, Dublin from friends family, boyfriends. Including one of the most beautiful love letters from a guy I knew for a total of two weeks in Wisconsin. Some I am keeping, some I am binning, some I am keeping but know I will never have the courage to read.
There are dozens of poems written by friends. Some are hilarious and some are very, very good.
There is a Valentine Card 'to my wife, Lorraine' signed from 'Mr Pitt'.
There is a letter from Kerry that I CANNOT WAIT TO READ TO EVERYONE WHO KNOWS HER.
I have also found two and a half episodes of a radio play that I worked on with seven other people. Five episodes actually went to air before we got cut for being generally unreliable. I was originally supposed to be one of the actresses but muscled into the writing team eventually and ended up doing a bit of directing too.
It was based on six students sharing two flats on campus at University College Dublin. Sort of Friends, only on the radio and with Irish accents, limited sex and no money. The writing teams worked in two teams of four and I can't remember who wrote which of the spisodes but the half episode is the worst.
However, it has handwritten notes at the end that made me choke with laughter and nostalgia for the sheer clever pretentiousness of it all.
The scene is fairly typical. Fresher student (dave) tries his hand at some clever debating at the immensly popular and well attended debating society friday night event. He is lucky to escape with his life. His dignity is another matter. The girl (emer) who fancies him is trying to comfort him and he lashes out at her and stalks off. Fade to next scene (the handwritten bit)
The handwritten notes are clearly intended to take the piss out of the simplistic nature of the scenario by doing a pastiche of Sam Beckett's Happy Days/ Waiting for Godot
Notes in handwriting unknown:
A scream. Pause (five seconds)
Fade to Emer buried up to her neck in rubbish. Parasol goes on fire reflecting the essential meaninglessness of existance
My handwriting:
(alternatively we could just fade to Emer snogging Dave)
Back to unknown handwriting:
Emer: Argh! (pause five seconds) My parasol (pause three seconds) is on ... fire (pause) reflecting the essentail .... meaninglessness... of existance.
Fade to country lane. Enter Pozzo and Lucky on hands and knees.
Pozzo: so... where's the debate
Seriously. We were subsidised to be at university for fukes sakes.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Your opinion please
In the States I tossed a coin to pick an apartment to live in , after university I tossed a coin to pick a city to live in. In light of the last entry, would it be ridiculous to toss a coin to pick a hemisphere?
Hello. Again
Is once a month poor show for blogging? I think it probably is.
So I'll join each and every other blgger on the planet and vow to blog more in the New Year. Hmm yeah. Whatever.
No really.
Anyway I'm getting a laptop this year. For sure. As soon as I get my MASSIVE xmas debt under control. So in October 2008 then. We'll see.
I'm currently in Dublin and the rain is pitter pattering on the roof over my head in a very Oirish kind of way. I've been away from NZ for almost a month and some features of that time have been:
So I'll join each and every other blgger on the planet and vow to blog more in the New Year. Hmm yeah. Whatever.
No really.
Anyway I'm getting a laptop this year. For sure. As soon as I get my MASSIVE xmas debt under control. So in October 2008 then. We'll see.
I'm currently in Dublin and the rain is pitter pattering on the roof over my head in a very Oirish kind of way. I've been away from NZ for almost a month and some features of that time have been:
- two (boozy) thirtieth birthday celebrations
- diving in Lanzarote
- xmas with my family for the first time since 1999
- my mammy cooking me dinner a lot
- a new year's party that flung me right back into the days of university parties where we sang for eight hours without stop, you had at least three fascinating conversations with people you've just met, people recited poetry and you caught unsuspecting revellers in random pashes on your way to the loo
Everyone keeps asking me am I looking forward to being back in NZ. The answer is yes I am. But if they asked me if I am looking forward to leaving Dublin, the answer is no.
I rang Auckland on christmas day and managed a few words with Kerry and Claire over a resounding Singstar rendition of A Thing Called Love which sounded as if it was being performed by about forty people after forty drinks each. I was dying to be there. I miss everyone in NZ and my cats and I am looking forward to going back to work and doing more diving this summer and running again because Dublin sucks for that kind of thing.
And Lanzarote was great and I've had a ball and I love being in Dublin. The city is beautiful the people are magnificent (except for shop assistants who are universally rude and need a freekin good slap in the gob) and I don't actually mind the weather all that much. My family are brilliant, the dog is the cutest canine in the world, my friends here are great too. And then there's the central heating...
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