Relieved isn’t the word

I’ve just had the news I wanted to hear… The monster has passed the MOT. And the nasty knocking? A wheel bearing.

Ok – it could have been worse – I thought I had damaged the front suspension strut on the car, as I dropped the little beastie down a pothole. (Thanks a lot for using my road theft (aka road tax) for road repairs WCC!!)  

So, the dealership – (NOT Arbury I have to say) have got the pattern part on order. A price difference of £200 for not having Peugeot stamped on it (not to mention the delay in getting the things sorted out – ok, one whole day, but £200 is £200…)

And why am I not using Arbury after all this time? Simples. I have changed jobs and can’t trust them not to mess the booking up. After all, it took three attempts for them to sort out a dratted timing belt change for Mum’s car…    

First time, they didn’t let us know that they hadn’t got the part until 07:45 the day of the collection. That didn’t go down well… Second time… They forgot to book the car in, which Mum found out after she called them to ask where the driver was, who was supposed to collect the car from home at 08:30. As it was a 5-hr job (and she called them at 11:30) there was no way they could do the job.  

What really annoyed Mum was being told that there was a booking… For the day that they had called to say the part hadn’t arrived.  

Mum pointed out that she had re-booked the car, only to be asked who she spoke to. Not a good move, as it was the person on the phone who had allegedly booked the car in! 

Third time lucky – but only after Mum let loose with a few well-deserved verbal rockets at the so-called service reception.  

OK – the car is now sorted, but shall we say that Mum is less than impressed with them. As she has one more service courtesy of her service plan, the car will go to them for that, but after that… Arbury is no longer looking after the two family Peugeots.

Which is a shame as I have said. I have had my Peugeots looked after them for the past 18 years, and Mum has had her Peugeots looked after them for rather longer than that… Like about 30 something years.  

So now I shall be letting new engineers look after my little monster… Which is a shame, as the team in the Arbury workshop were really good – it was the service “reception” that let them down. And that will not help them in future, as the old saying goes…

“You get good service; you might tell 1 / 2 people about it. Bad service… You tell EVERYONE about it”

And that is what is happening now.

Ah well, time to call this quits – I’m due back from lunch in a few minutes…

Back when I have something else to rant about.

Karen

And now it’s time to cross that river
And show your feelings just before you depart
You know it’s real, you must consider
No good remaining, so hold back the tears
Don’t ever give up the fight

Another podcast....

Listening to another podcast - this time it's the Piers Morgan show - Uncensored.

I know that Piers is a marmite character - you either love him or hate him, but I make no apologies for being one of those that love him as a journalist.  He starts the show with his defence of free speech - and this quote from Winston Churchill was one of the quotes that he used:

So we must beware of a tyranny of opinion which tries to make only one side of a question the one which may be heard. Everyone is in favour of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people’s idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage.

 

Now onto the first show..  It was a block buster of a first interview..  With the former President of the United States - one Donald J. Trump.

Now I freely admit that I am *not* a fan of Trump. I think he was (and is) a repulsive, misogynistic racist bigot.  But I know that there are people who really like him, and would be overjoyed if he ran for the presidency again.

However, I will not dispute that he gives a good interview, and hits the nail on the head for several subjects - one of them being the so called Duke & Duchess of Netflix..  

Ah well, guess I'd better call this quits - I'm falling asleep.

Back when I am a bit more with it...

Karen

I must be sleepwalking

Can't believe that sweet talking

I must be sleepwalking

Can't believe that sweet talking

After the jab

As I write this, I am back at home, having had the spinal jab (or, to give it it's correct medical name Lumbar Radiculopathy).

Yes, it's as scary as the name, and the worst part (for me anyway) was the fact that it was done under local anesthetic.

It should take about 10 / 15 min for the jab...  Unless you're like me - are petrified of needles, have an awkward back, and an unfortunate tendency to breathe at the wrong time.  

Namely when the surgeon is asking for an X-Ray image to make sure the needle is in the right place. Because every time I decided to take a breath was just when the image was taken -  meaning my breathing blurred the image.  Whoops.

But that wasn't the worst part...  I felt really light headed (like I was going to pass out) and at the same time, managed to feel really queasy...  

Not really the best combination when the surgeon needs to make sure that he has got the needle in the right place for the jab.

The theatre staff were wonderful - they made sure that I didn't pass out, and managed to get me to relax enough to stop the queasy feeling.  And the best bit?  Being able to escape home the same day as the jab.  

I know this isn't a fix for the buggered disc - this jab was to stop the pain in my leg (hopefully stop the feeling of super heated barbed wire).  

Once the pain eases in my leg, I can move onto the physio, and hopefully start swimming again.  I know I will have to rebuild the distance that I swim (no aiming for 3k the first time back in the pool), but if this jab helps me get my life back, I will be more than happy. 

And no disrespect to the surgical & care teams - I really don't want to see them again.  One jab in my spine is more than enough for me.

Time to call this quits - my back is aching and I need to try and get some sleep.

Back when I feel less sleepy / bruised / loser in an ass kicking contest.

Karen

Hold on there's a new way a comin'
Looks like it's arriving tonight
There's no more hiding or running
There's no more walking on ice

Waiting for the jab

Well, I am now sitting in St Cross hospital, in the Day Surgery unit.  The nurses are really sweet - unsung heroes the lot of them.

It's really quiet in my bay - just two patients - me and another lady...  So the other  4 bays are empty.  Which suits me as I can sit reading my kindle.

Day surgery bay

Ah well, back to the kindle.  My book is calling...

Back later.

Karen

It's the time to make your play

Take the rose today

It's the time to have your say

Take the whole bouquet

Have no regrets and don't keep hanging on

Now all your yesterdays are gone

New month, new dealership

As I have said in a previous post, I’ve changed jobs. That means that it is no longer viable to use Arbury Leamington. 

Which is a shame in a way, as I have been a customer of Arbury for about 18 years… Now comes the main reason for the change – and it’s not because I no longer work in Leamington…

It was because of the way I was dealt with when I dropped the monster into Arbury to get the battery charging issue looked at by them.

I suspected that things were not going to go well when the monster was booked in. The girl on the service desk was less than helpful, and seemed to go out of her way to make it difficult for me to get a booking…

Mum was kind enough to offer me a lift into work, then go home and pick the monster up, and drop it into Arbury, simply because they couldn’t collect the car until the middle of this month. And I need a reliable car.

Because of Mum dropping me into work, she wouldn’t be able to get the car into Arbury before 10am at the earliest. So, the first time that was offered was 09:00. 

Not possible, as Mum would still be heading home from dropping me off at work (I start at 08:30), and then had to hope that the little horror would start so she could get it into Arbury…

So, she grudgingly made the appointment for 09:50 (I got the feeling she was hoping Mum wouldn’t be able to make it by then, and she could send her away, as she had missed the drop off time.)

Unfortunately for her, I was able to get the day off and drove the monster in myself, with Mum acting as recovery driver. I walked in at 09:30, and the look on her face was priceless. I don’t think she expected me to be able to get in by 09:50.. Let alone 20 minutes early….

I booked the monster in and was told that I was going to be called when the car was ready. OK – not an issue. Until 16:00 comes, and there is no call. So, I call, and am told “oh, the car is still in the workshop – we’ll call you as soon as it’s ready, but we won’t be able to wash it for you.”

I wasn’t worried about the car being washed – I wanted to know if there was an issue with the sodding battery… 16:45 comes, and there's no call… As service closes at 17:30, this is now starting to worry me, especially as traffic in Leamington is a nightmare between 16:30 and 18:00.

I make the decision to get a lift to Arbury… And I am still trying to get through to the service desk whilst Mum is driving. I finally get through at 17:15 (when we are about 10min in Leamington traffic) from the dealership.

“Oh yes – the car is ready. We were going to call you.”

Like hell. So, I walk in, and get the details from the service team, and pay for the diagnosis - the battery has a low charge. 

No, really? I wanted to know if the damned alternator was playing up and not charging the battery… Not be told something that I could have been told my local motor factor store for a lot less money.

Then came the final insult. Once I had the keys, the service team member who had sorted the keys (and the payment) walked out with me to the monster… 

Which had been washed and valeted. And it was obvious that it had been done a while, as the car was dry – not just because it had been wiped down with a chamois leather, but it had been long enough for the car to dry completely.

The scent of fear was in the air, as I just looked at the car, and quietly asked how long it had been ready, as I had been waiting for a call. 

The silence was deafening, and that was the final straw for me.

Now normally, I would have had a feedback form – asking how they had done, was I happy, etc... Not this time. 

Probably for the best, as I would have slated the service reception. The workshop staff are brilliant as normal – but service reception?

I am sorry, but they have gone from outstanding, to needs drastic improvement. And as I am considering a new 208… Well, the Arbury has lost that sale as well as the subsequent servicing that I would have had done.

Ah well, time to call this quits – I need to get my phone on charge as it’s making pathetic beeping noises at me again.

Back when I get chance…

Karen

In these days of no trust

Evermore hostility

We're all living

Under the same old sky

'Cause we're all living

We're telling the same old lie

In these days

In these days

In these days of no trust