Stop! Wheelchair thief about!

I was horrified to hear that a disabled colleague has had her wheelchair stolen while she was at work.

The chair was positioned outside her pod because of its size. Someone, it is thought, probably a local kid had taken the chair valued at £1,000 and dumped it in the local woods. To date it has not been found.

The large superamaket chain has asked their employees to donate £2.50 each to buy her another chair. While I am a supporter of those in need of help, I object to paying out anything when the supermarket in question has just announded £millions in profits. Surely the company and company items are insured against theft on this level. I can't believe that the company will not pay up - they can afford it.

This issue of who pays for the replacement wheelchair has divided employees because most people think that the company, with or without insurance, should give this poor girl the £1K she needs for another wheelchair.

Just another example of what the big supermakets think of their employees i.e. not much - you are only there to make us a lot of money.

Ice is bad news for checkout operators

Just heard a report from Justin King CEO Sainsburys saying that there was no panic buying in his chain. The empty shelves are a result of customers buying extra because of the bad weather. Does he realise that extra is "extra shopping trolleys" piled to the hilt with anything that may not be available if the bad weather continues? Things like: milk, bread, tinned food, fresh food, chilled food, toilet paper, coffee, tea, cereals - basically most things that Sainsburys sell.

When he was speaking on the telly he looked quite tanned so I am assuming that he had been away to somewhere hot. Therefore, he would not know the extend of deplication in the stores coupled with the problems lorry drivers have had getting through to stores. However, it is not just the smaller stores, it is the larger ones as well.

A further problem is the lack of staff. Most staff are not able to make it in and according to Justin they have a month to make up their time or take it as holiday.

My problem is that when the government and motoring agencies advise against travelling we, the staff who serve customers, should NOT be penalised if we are unable to get to work.

As the unions have said, the problem will be that staff will not be motivated to help out ever if the bigger chains don't relent and give way. These organisations should not be allowed to have their cake and eat it too - look at the vast profits they make.

Snow Shopping

Here is my guide for shopping in the snow!

1, The best time to go out is at the sign of the first snow flakes.

2. Have a plan.

3. Think of the things you can't live without . . .
- bread
- milk
- vegetables
- fresh meat
- toilet paper
- spirits like whisky, run, volka, gin, booze

4. You should have parked as close to the store as possible.

5. Keep in minds that you may be snowed in for at least one day, so be prepared.

6. Don't worry about sliding all over the road.

7. Be prepared for hargy bargy!

8. Snow brings out the worst in people! Brilliant!

Why is Christmas so depressing?

The day after Boxing Day is always the most depressing day of the year. You spend too much on Christmas presents that no body wants, uses or is interested in then you spend the rest of the year worrying about how you are going to pay back the money you spend on presents. And if that wasn;t bad enough all those pounds in weight you put in. Everything revolves in losing those pounds and inches. Everything. When you don't loose the weight you gained in a matter of minutes you become depressed.

Gyms are crowded with people who remind you how fat you are. So do you want to lose weight or not?

January is always a "months of Mondays" - everyday is a Monday. Nothing happens. Days are long. Easter is a long way off. It's just everything.

Last minute Christmas shopping

Why is it that shops and supermarkets are heaving with customers to the point where it seems like the end of the world. Supermarkets and food shops are only closed for one day Christmas - and even then you could probably find a shop somewhere that is open.

I don't know about you but by the end of Christmas day the last thing I want is food. And the last place I want to go is a shop or supermarket. I have bought too much, feel bloated, overweight and uncomfortable. All I can think of is how much weight I put on and how long it will take me to get rid of it.

What has happened to buying one thing for each person on your list and making the most of the day rather than trying to outdo each other buying presents nobody wants and that will be forgotten about in a matter of hours.

What has happened to the our society? We have never had it so good, even in this recession but we are not happy, in fact, we are more depressed than ever.

Anyway,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - I hope that 2010 will be a happy and healtby year for you and your families.

Who said that life is easy?

What a weekend this has been! Nothing to do with work just BT engineers, BT customer services and BT management.

Friday my broadband connection went. Great start to the daty Rang BT and they did send someone out quickly and it was free!

The engineer disconnected my modem from the extension and hooked it up to the main telephone line - that left me with no extension which I needed. But the broadband was working - yipee.

One problem sorted but the telephones decided to to pack up. It's funny how you have things for ages then nothing, gone, and everything goes at once. Yep, one phone after another - although I have had them for ages.

Tesco's have an inexpensive range of landlines. However, when I went to buy a new one all they had was phones with large numbers on them - and when I say large - you can see the numbers from another room. So that's what I bought, a few of them because I have 3 extensions and they all went, one after another. That cost me a small fortune.

Next problem, getting the landliens to fit into small corners - I suppose I could have nailed them to the wall but do I want to ruin my wall - no.

My problem with BT is trying to convince them that it was their engineer who disconnected my extension that I can no longer use. To reconnect it would cost £125 plus and I refuse to do it because the extension worked fine till the engineer disconnected it. I'll know tommorrow if the battle with BT continues. Whatever next????

Merry Christmas to Checkout Operators Everywhere

Don't you just love this time of year? Festive decorations, lots of nice things on the shelves of stores, supermarkets and decorations everywhere. But where is the season of goodwill when it comes to Checkout Operators?

This Christmas, when you are buying your shopping, putting your food on the conveyer belts with lots of goodies spare a thought for the Checkout Operators.

1. Be patient - mistakes happen when people are in a rush.

2. Be a good customer - have empathy for all checkout operators

3. Remember CO's are people too and someone has to do that job.

4. Be polite - it is amazing how far a please and thank you will go - it really does speed up
your chopping experience.

5. It is not the CO's fault when things go wrong. Technology has a lot to answer for.

6. For many CO's who work long hours normally, Christmas is a time when they too can
make extra money.

7. Season greetings apply to everyone.

8. Don't forget to write a letter to the Store Manager and tell them about your good customer
relations experience and who the CO was that provided it. It will make the CO's day too!

Make this year a season of goodwill to everyone - especially Checkout Operators (CO).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!