Simple Stories from everyday life in capitalist civilisation ...
Nearly two years ago I dished out the 'C@W Probate Awards' - a ranking of organisations in terms of their bureaucratic efficiency, based on one person's experiences. Here's another personal tale.
A couple of weeks ago I lost my wallet. Argghh. Turned out it was probably 'mislaid for me' by a young family member during a game of hide-and-seek, because it turned up in a very odd place around the house. Well, there ya go, all part of life's rich tapestry. Anyhow, as a reflex security measure I promptly cancelled all the cards etc & had them reissued. Here's the resulting ranking.
"No more than what I'd expect" award - 'Sentinel' card protection scheme. One call did it all, as regards getting the process started. And, very promptly, they called back with a status / next-steps-with-helpful-details report from each of the relevant companies.
"Quickest off the mark" award - Amex. This required a 'phonecall on top of Sentinel's actions, but the replacement card was in my hand and activated in less than 24 hours. OK, Amex fees are relatively high, but boy, the service reflects it.
"Dealing with complexity" award - Barclays. This isn't the first time I've praised B for this (see earlier story), though BTL on that post somebody gave us a very different tale. To be fair, this time around only B really had anything complex to deal with, but anyhow they rose to the occasion.
"Sluggard" award: jointly to Santander and Transport for London (my 'BorisPass'). Each took a full week - and plainly, these things don't need to take that long. It has to be said, though, that the lady in branch at S was the most pleasant person I've had to deal with in quite a while, and showed initiative, too. So I'm generously marking it down as "not her fault"!
One final thing: in the past I had sometimes mused, in the abstract: which would be worse - losing wallet, or mobile 'phone? Based on this fairly satisfactory experience, I'd say: deffo the 'phone. I needed it so many times to sort out the wallet thing (making temporary alternative dispositions, 2FA, etc), I have to believe it would be significantly more incapacitating to lose the 'phone. An important learning experience.
Learning the hard way is always often tough, but hey, that's how we (well, the survivors, anyhow) move forward. Any other stories that aren't too painful to dredge up?
ND
14 comments:
You do, of course, back your phone up, Nick? And your PC? Astonishes me how many people don't backup either.
We've been pleased by the service of two firms recently. (i) National Tyre - ooh, we needed to change all four. Done with dispatch. To get the wheel nuts retightened after a few days driving we visited a branch two hundred miles away - did it without any hesitation.
(ii) The furniture emporium in Bury St Edmunds, Glasswells. They are so good that a family member drives up from London to shop there.
My father died in 2021. It took a year to get probate and the Land Registry still haven't dealt with all of the property transfers to my mother. One solicitor who was dealing with it resigned halfway through to go travelling around the world, which turned out to be a bonus, because she was utterly useless, and her replacement was far more efficient.
And Rachel from Accounts wonders why the economy isn't growing.
Nectar. After shopping in Sainsbury’s on 12th, I had an email thanking me for spending (the bulk of) my points. I found the Help chatline worked well, after a few minutes checking, they confirmed my card number had been hijacked and they would sort it out. That evening another email - most of my remaining points gone. Back on the helpline; my card would be canceled and a new card issued with my points restored. So far ‘Excellent’. However I had to wait until the 17th for a text that my card would come in the next 10 days, over a fortnight from reporting the problem. Fail!
Do you use google backup for an Android phone, putting all your stuff on a google server?
Anonymous
Do you use google backup for an Android phone, putting all your stuff on a google server?
5:53 PM
Samsung cloud
Nothing "sensitive" on my phone. No way I would EVER run a financial app on a "smartphone". Only recently got it, to access somethings which require such. Encrypted messaging, nature apps, and such,
Apart from YouTube, I spurned Google (our Tyrrell
..Corporation, many years ago.
g-maps / g-earth, surely?!
Following the recent death of a family member.
Aviva home insurance IVR transcript:
"Please press option 3 to inform us of the death of a policyholder"
3
"You must have the policyholder's permission to speak to us on their behalf"
Phoned DT to cancel ,y sub.
"You are number ZERO in the queue"
... pause....
"Due to the heavy volume of calls...."
... 5 mins ...
Puts phone down
You used to be able to cancel it online. Guess this way means nobody can cancel their sub any more.
"Nick Drew said...
g-maps / g-earth, surely?!
11:11 am"
Occasionally. As needed. For UK Maps, I have the OS app Memory-Map.
OurEnHaitchEss.
In May 2024, dentist says: "That tooth root needs to come out, but it can't be done here, it will have to be done in hospital under general anaesthetic. I'll refer you to the NHS and they'll be in touch."
In December 2024, OurEnHaitchEss says: "We're not yet able to suggest a date when we can see you for an assessment. BecauseOfCovid."
Yes. The convenience is astonishing.
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