Shops - Downturn (OT)

[Pete Verdon]

Not at all. When I enjoy my work I get vastly more done than when I don't.

Pete

[Appin]

The message from Chris J Dixon contains these words:

No problem, some of us work from home. And accept deliveries for a number of other people. And know the delivery drivers for all the major delivery companies. And have two alternative delivery points clearly specified for use in the very rare circumstance that we're not at home.

[Huge]

Not just charges. Inconvenient, unsafe (or perceived as such), smelly multistories, and so on. All seen as a message to go elsewhere.

[Huge]

Not needed. Out stuff gets left at the village shop, if they don't leave it in the porch.

[Huge]

[The Natural Philosopher]

[The Natural Philosopher]

you would be surprised how much more it feels like a 'community' and how much less crime there is when everyone IS at home..

[S Viemeister]

Ours is generally left with my cousin down the road.

[Tim S]

The recession is here. I still can't believe the customer misservice attitudes abounding.

Went into a kitchen suppliers in T Wells this morning... Supposedly a good one. Superficially nice stuff, but on closer inspection, lots of chipboard in the shelves and carcasses.

OK - it's a certain price bracket - but I despise chip personally, especially near things that are wet or need cleaning. But what got me was the bloke's attitude (paraphrased):

Me: Hmm chip. I'm worried about spillages killing it.

Him: None of the other customers have complained. You don't spill things in cupboards anyway.

Me: We do.

Him: How?

Me: Soy sauce bottles always seem to dribble, once a jar from a supermarket wasn't noticed to be cracked, got put in and collapsed spontaneously later. And washing the shelves always exposes the chip to damp

Him: Well, no one puts jars in cupboards - they use this

Me: Thinks WTF? He's telling me that my experiences didn't happen - does he think I'm dreaming them?!!

Sigh...

Then...

Me: Are the feet the usual adjustable affairs? I have a flat but not perfectly level floor.

Him: Oh just put some latex down - it levels itself.

Me: No it doesn't, it smooths itself. Please explain how to level a floor with 30mm variation without ending up with a step.

Him ???

Me: Other than a *lot* of grinding or digging out the floor, the only practical solution is a little grinding and a little screeding *flat* but slightly off level. Maybe 8mm in 2m.

Him: Oh, er. Yes, the feet will adjust to that.

[Dave]

I have always found Topps Tiles to be one of the best shops I have used. Helpful, very knowledgeable and eager to please.

Dave

[Tony Bryer]

No idea on what happens here in Melbourne wrt couriers, but if Australia Post can't deliver a package that needs a sig they card you and leave it at the nearest post office - a few minutes walk away in my case. Beats trailing off to a distant sorting office. ISTR that there was some talk of UK post offices offering a take-in service - did this ever happen?

[Bob Eager]

My delivery office (not the same as a sorting office, but the one you mean) is 400 yards away..

Quite a while ago. You can have an undelivered item left there for a small fee (50p). In fact, they waived the charge for the month of December. Or have it redelivered (to an alternate address if you wish) free.

[dennis]

The point is that you might drive in and park even if you don't want anything specific when its free. If its going to cost money to park then you want a reason to go there. This reduces the sales of many shops and they go under. Once they go under nobody wants to shop where half the stores are empty and the rest are run by Oxfam.

Councils think the way to fix this is to make sure everywhere has parking charges which obviously isn't going to work.

[dennis]

Really? I have worn out tyres but I have never had to have the brakes relined on any car I have had. They appear to last at least 60,000 miles.

[Alang]

Our local post office is in the town centre. It's right on a main road dual carriageway clearway. No parking if you need to get a heavy parcel. They used to have a drive in pickup point round the back but closed it off on grounds of 'security'. Royal Mail is crap. Not because of the workers but because of crap managers.

I'm currently waiting for delivery of some equipment sent by their parcel force sector. They were supposed to deliver Friday. I had someone waiting all Friday so they decided to deliver Saturday morning. Nobody at home. I'v arranged to have someone in on Monday but if the delivery gets here before 8am It means I have a 40 mile drive to their nearest depot.

[Stuart Noble]

My parcels get left at the local sorting office (1 mile).... if they happen to have space. If not, it gets left a the bigger depot 10 miles away. Luck of the draw

[Bob Eager]

That works for Royal Mail parcels, and for me that delivery office is

400 yards away. In fact I often force delivery there (saves a day when they try to deliver) by using my PO box.

ParcelForce is a different matter - their depot *used* to be 7 miles away - now it's 30 miles...

[Huge]

BTDTGTTS.

I was trying to buy a racing seat for my car, and the guy in one shop told me I must be imagining that I couldn't fit in the one I was actually jammed into at that very minute.

I wouldn't have mentioned it, except that I was delighted to see that he went under on Wednesday.