Friday 31 December 2010

The dreaded lurgy!

How was your festive season? Not over yet I suppose with 2011 just a few hours away. Will it be a party with thousands of people in the streets of some rain swept city, or a friends house with copious quantities of good food and wine, or high on a mountain pass in the Andes? Well for me it will be snuggled down tight under my duvet in my bed.

A friend of mine married a lovely American girl this year and moved across to live in Alberta. This new year he's bringing her over to Edinburgh to sample the delights of the now world famous Hogmanay street party. Frankly, I think she'll be disappointed. Thousands of drunken people all trying to tell you their life story and passing the time until a bunch of fireworks go off in low cloud and pissing rain at midnight. Great! What a night.

I am disappointed though not to be joining my friends tonight in a gathering at one fo their houses. On Boxing Day I contracted what I can only assume is flu and as a result for the past 6 days I have only ventured out of bed for the postie and to answer nature's call. In fact I am writing this today from that very bed.

But that disappointment pales in comparison to my festive experience with a certain courier company. I apologise if you have ever had a similar experience with this same courier company and are about to scream at the very mention of their name . . . CityLink Express Couriers. A subsidiary of Rentokil I think they should exterminate themselves!

Over the last couple of years they have gone through 3 changes at the top and slashed staff to an unprecedented level. So much so that the combined effect has reduced their ability to deliver, no pun intended, to virtually useless.

I had ordered a product online form southern England on the 7 December. Their first attempt to deliver was 24 December! They gave me a handy time slot of 7.30am to 5.30pm, for which I remained in all day, to then change their mind at 4pm and reschedule it for the 29th!

And yes, the same handy delivery slot, the same waiting in all day, the same no show! Finally, on the 30th, they decide they feel like fulfilling their obligation and turn up! The company who sold me the item were marvelous, offering all sorts of compensation. Though generous I don't feel it's fair they are penalised for the inabilty of said courier. In contrast a box was sent to me from Buenos Aires by normal mail and took just 8 days to get to me!

Maybe with the cutbacks of course they don't have vans anymore and had walked from down south. I hadn't thought of that.

There, end the year on a damn good rant!

That aside 2011 holds some potentially exciting adventures of which I am already very excited about and will tell you more about that on the other side.

It just remains for me to wish you all peace, health, prosperity and happiness in 2011. The adventure continues.

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