I've just tried to renew our house and contents insurance policy. The guff accompanying the renewal notice says this can be done very simply by phoning the number stated. So I do ....... and give my name and details of the address and policy number....only to be told that the policy is in my wife's name and despite the fact that I am also listed on the policy I cannot renew the policy without confirmation from her. Of course she is out, as this is the only time I get to get any serious matters dealt with. The fact that I am also listed on the policy apparently does not make it a joint policy (so what is it then??).
The reason they cannot renew on my say-so is apparently due to the Data Protection Act (that iniquitous instrument which prevents anyone being in the slightest bit helpful over the phone despite the government's pressure for everyone to transact business by phone or online). I politely point out that this is complete rubbish as I am giving him the information, not the other way round. I am not covered by the Data Protection Act and I'll tell him anything he needs to know. As usual with these brainwashed automatons, he refuses to see logic. The best he can offer is to convert the policy to a "joint" one ........ but that will involve talking to Mrs Journeyman ........ who, of course, is not in!!
So we have to phone back later and, of course that particular gentleman won't be there and we'll have to start all over again...... thus wasting our time, his time, and extra phone calls. And the government really can't see why the country is going down the tubes. It beggars belief.
Monday, 11 January 2010
A Follyville Christmas
Thursday 7 January
Slightly quieter today ..... but still like a chicken shed. Thank goodness I have not had to come in for the past two days. Change my voicemail message to inform callers that as we are now "hot desking" I won't be in the office much to pick up any voicemail messages, so they are better off sending me an e-mail. Survive till lunchtime and then go home. Conclude that four hours is about as much as anybody can reasonably be expected to take of this. Pity the poor buggers who have to be here all day!
Friday 8 January
Snowed in at home.
Monday 11 January
Can't face it - take a flexiday!
Slightly quieter today ..... but still like a chicken shed. Thank goodness I have not had to come in for the past two days. Change my voicemail message to inform callers that as we are now "hot desking" I won't be in the office much to pick up any voicemail messages, so they are better off sending me an e-mail. Survive till lunchtime and then go home. Conclude that four hours is about as much as anybody can reasonably be expected to take of this. Pity the poor buggers who have to be here all day!
Friday 8 January
Snowed in at home.
Monday 11 January
Can't face it - take a flexiday!
A Follyville Christmas
Monday 4 January
First day back after Christmas so everyone is in the office. Luckily I get in early and bag a desk. Pleased to see that our manager comes in later and doesn't get either a desk or a seat. Serves him right for casually going along with such a stupid idea.
One of the executive directors comes past and asks him how everything is going. "Fine," he says, "it's all going smoothly". I shake my head sadly from side to side. "What's the problem?" says executive director. "Everything!" I say. "Oh that's just Tim", says manager, "he's negative about most things". The latter statement is, of course, total slander. I usually like to take a positive stance on life, but it's very difficult to be optimistic about a total disaster!
I survive until lunchtime and then go home. The noise is intolerable. From now on the new office will be referred to as "The Chicken Shed".
First day back after Christmas so everyone is in the office. Luckily I get in early and bag a desk. Pleased to see that our manager comes in later and doesn't get either a desk or a seat. Serves him right for casually going along with such a stupid idea.
One of the executive directors comes past and asks him how everything is going. "Fine," he says, "it's all going smoothly". I shake my head sadly from side to side. "What's the problem?" says executive director. "Everything!" I say. "Oh that's just Tim", says manager, "he's negative about most things". The latter statement is, of course, total slander. I usually like to take a positive stance on life, but it's very difficult to be optimistic about a total disaster!
I survive until lunchtime and then go home. The noise is intolerable. From now on the new office will be referred to as "The Chicken Shed".
A Follyville Christmas
Wednesday 23 December
Unpacking day. Arrive at new office to total chaos. A few computers were up and running ....... but that was all that resembled an office. Lots of loaded crates were lying around waiting to be unpacked. My personal crate, of course, wasn't among them, so I couldn't unload that yet. Our communal team crates were standing there but ..... nowhere to unpack them to. We couldn't put anything at all onto the desks as these have to be used for "hot desking", and the few shelves next to our team area appeared to have been reserved for Building Control. As the computer is the only thing working, I get on and write my blog! I reckon the sinking of the Titanic was better organised than a simple office move.
Receive first e-mail in the new office. Apparently the workmen are in today converting the gents toilets into ladies toilets! - Net result ...... no-one can actually go today. I suggest we all use the car-park which is heavily iced up and could do with a bit of de-icing treatment. This doesn't find much favour with the ladies. The good news - the drinks machine is set to "free vend". The bad news - if you want to take advantage of it you will need the bladder of a camel.
Unpacking day. Arrive at new office to total chaos. A few computers were up and running ....... but that was all that resembled an office. Lots of loaded crates were lying around waiting to be unpacked. My personal crate, of course, wasn't among them, so I couldn't unload that yet. Our communal team crates were standing there but ..... nowhere to unpack them to. We couldn't put anything at all onto the desks as these have to be used for "hot desking", and the few shelves next to our team area appeared to have been reserved for Building Control. As the computer is the only thing working, I get on and write my blog! I reckon the sinking of the Titanic was better organised than a simple office move.
Receive first e-mail in the new office. Apparently the workmen are in today converting the gents toilets into ladies toilets! - Net result ...... no-one can actually go today. I suggest we all use the car-park which is heavily iced up and could do with a bit of de-icing treatment. This doesn't find much favour with the ladies. The good news - the drinks machine is set to "free vend". The bad news - if you want to take advantage of it you will need the bladder of a camel.
A Follyville Christmas
Tuesday December 22
The start of the big move - packing up day. Which bright spark thought it would be a good idea to move immediately before the Christmas holiday? I suppose they thought that not much work would be done on these two days anyway - apart from all the senior managers, of course, who all had very pressing meetings they had to attend and were extremely conspicuous by their absence from the chaos that was going on all over the office. It was left entirely to the grassroots to decide how to organise things - which was probably for the best, judging by past performance. All went reasonably well until the crates ran out. An e-mail had been sent to all staff making it quite clear that everything had to be packed up and ready to go by the end of the day ........ All very well if you've got crates to pack in .......... a bit difficult if not! Crates had to be labelled with personal and team names to make delivery easier at the other end ....... but the printers were removed at the beginning of the day so no labels could be printed. The computers were taken at lunchtime so no-one could do any normal work. So the afternoon was a case of sitting around reading the paper and doing Sudoku ....... couldn't do anything else. We saved one crate for the Emergency Planning Manager (who obviously had not planned for the move and had disappeared to a meeting all morning). He had not had the foresight to start packing his stuff in advance, and I left him pondering how to get about four crate-loads of stuff into the last remaining crate.
The start of the big move - packing up day. Which bright spark thought it would be a good idea to move immediately before the Christmas holiday? I suppose they thought that not much work would be done on these two days anyway - apart from all the senior managers, of course, who all had very pressing meetings they had to attend and were extremely conspicuous by their absence from the chaos that was going on all over the office. It was left entirely to the grassroots to decide how to organise things - which was probably for the best, judging by past performance. All went reasonably well until the crates ran out. An e-mail had been sent to all staff making it quite clear that everything had to be packed up and ready to go by the end of the day ........ All very well if you've got crates to pack in .......... a bit difficult if not! Crates had to be labelled with personal and team names to make delivery easier at the other end ....... but the printers were removed at the beginning of the day so no labels could be printed. The computers were taken at lunchtime so no-one could do any normal work. So the afternoon was a case of sitting around reading the paper and doing Sudoku ....... couldn't do anything else. We saved one crate for the Emergency Planning Manager (who obviously had not planned for the move and had disappeared to a meeting all morning). He had not had the foresight to start packing his stuff in advance, and I left him pondering how to get about four crate-loads of stuff into the last remaining crate.
When Christmas came to Follyville
When Christmas came to Follyville it was a total cock-up.
The executive directors should be sent straight to the lock-up.
We had to move from Office One across to Office Two
the same day that the plumber was there taking out the loo!
We didn't have sufficient crates to pack up all our stuff
and by the time we got to Office Two we'd all had quite enough.
We had no seats to sit upon, unless you got in early,
but "more are coming soon", they said, "we hope" ......... "they must do - surely?"
There were no shelves on which to put the content of our boxes.
We'd better dump them all outside to amuse the local foxes.
The noise in here is quite intense. In fact, it's almost nearing
the levels in a poutry shed used for intensive rearing.
I'll have to go and work from home - the buggers have won the battle.
I'll work far more effectively ..... just miss the tittle-tattle!
The executive directors should be sent straight to the lock-up.
We had to move from Office One across to Office Two
the same day that the plumber was there taking out the loo!
We didn't have sufficient crates to pack up all our stuff
and by the time we got to Office Two we'd all had quite enough.
We had no seats to sit upon, unless you got in early,
but "more are coming soon", they said, "we hope" ......... "they must do - surely?"
There were no shelves on which to put the content of our boxes.
We'd better dump them all outside to amuse the local foxes.
The noise in here is quite intense. In fact, it's almost nearing
the levels in a poutry shed used for intensive rearing.
I'll have to go and work from home - the buggers have won the battle.
I'll work far more effectively ..... just miss the tittle-tattle!
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