A bad day at the coast.

When I retired from my life in commerce some 7 years ago and moved down to the coast some 4 years ago, I had hoped that “a bad  day in the office’, when through no fault of one’s own matters spiral out of control in a horrible downward vortex, was a thing of the past. Not so and yesterday proved  it.

I awoke to a text from my window cleaner, a man I like for his philosophising, could not make our appointment fixed in the morning due to his car having mechanical problems.

I duly changed the schedule of my morning only to receive a  further call that the problem was now fixed and that he could attend.

When he did so I opened my post as I half-listened as to why his car had experienced problems in the fuel gauge due to the heat and came across a letter from a debt collection agency enforcing a penalty payment from the DVLA.

Further enquiries of the DVLA established that they were still sending post to my old address, notwithstanding  my driving licence bore the new one. Determined to stay cool I listened to the man in Swansea who told me what to do. As the office is Wales the the phone menu does give a Welsh option. My efforts in the last dealing at humour by finishing with “yachir dar, bach …” had fallen on stony ground.

Next up was Heals and my lamp saga. They forgot to send me the compensation voucher.

After that, on reviewing my bank statement I noted the hotel I habitually stay in London took payment twice for my recent stay.

Finally I asked the laundry collection service to attend personally so I can settle up for past collections/deliveries when I was not in.

The driver left the laundry outside the door and left without seeing me, taking payment o collecting the latest laundry.

Now I realise these issues might seem tedious to all but me. However, I think with each issue there is a bigger story.

I would never have experienced the problem with DVLA if we had the old paper licence. The window cleaner might have said I am trying to get the car fixed early.

The lighting company, surely aware of the meltdown of the high street, should respond with a tip-top service to match their tip-top prices. The laundry service might have texted to ask ‘Are you in?’ as the lights on might indicate. When I texted the big Chief he said his driver tried the bell.

This I do not believe. In every instance there was failure of service, three of which to the profit of the company supplying it.