Well, well, a real surprise today. We noticed some fellows with discrete Virgin logo's on their apparel lurking outside our gallery this morning. They were earnestly discussing stuff in a huddled bunch, pointing at the road, pavement, roof, sky, everything really. Then all of a sudden - armageddon ! six vehicles turned up, each loaded with an assortment of diggers, drills, big rolls of cable, and chaps in hard hats (and one girl in a hard hat as well - she was bossing the navies doing the digging !) Cones were deposited, pavements were cordoned off, tools were unloaded. And the work began.
Apparently, according to the chaps, it had been ordained that our services were to be installed-by hook or by crook. So instead of waiting until April, we now have all our Virgin Media services, and we can now have our stationery printed and receive phone calls on a bona fide landline number (which, by the way, is 0141 572 0513 if you should feel the urge to phone us for a goss).
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Passover
Our latest products for passover are now on the website. We are now taking commissions for Seder plates, Matzah plates. Decorative stained glass and Mezuzot are also available if you are looking for a gift, or just to refresh your home this year. We are bookmarked on Delicious
Or take a look at our website at http://tinyurl.com/49pb8kv
Or take a look at our website at http://tinyurl.com/49pb8kv
Advertising or controversy ?
There's been quite a lot of interest in our latest car sticker!
Now, most folk think its mildly amusing, funny, even, or downright hilarious, however, I'm not sure absolutely everyone would agree.
So, tell us what you think. Here's a photo of the sticker in a friend's car..
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, 10 March 2011
More crap from Virgin Media..
The saga continues, in true epic form, like a macabre twisted Barbara Taylor Bradford potboiler.
They still refuse to reply to emails and continue to run around like Laurel and Hardy on a bad day. The installation dudes turned up on the appointed day after their contractors had dug up the pavement, and installed the underground access point by our gallery. Virgin dudes turned up and cabled the gallery, promising to return the next morning and link us up externally. Great, you'd think. The cack handed tossers had finally got their shit together and done the job they had promised back in January.
Wrong.
Because after doing all that expensive construction work, they still couldn't complete our installation because their survey hadn't picked up the fact that their conduit was too full of other cables for ours to fit !
So back to their drawing board then. And meanwhile, the compensation bill is mounting....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
They still refuse to reply to emails and continue to run around like Laurel and Hardy on a bad day. The installation dudes turned up on the appointed day after their contractors had dug up the pavement, and installed the underground access point by our gallery. Virgin dudes turned up and cabled the gallery, promising to return the next morning and link us up externally. Great, you'd think. The cack handed tossers had finally got their shit together and done the job they had promised back in January.
Wrong.
Because after doing all that expensive construction work, they still couldn't complete our installation because their survey hadn't picked up the fact that their conduit was too full of other cables for ours to fit !
So back to their drawing board then. And meanwhile, the compensation bill is mounting....
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 4 March 2011
The ongoing saga of Virgin media's failure
Well, they've been at it again ! the Virgin Media 'customer service' team (if ever there was a misnomer, that phrase is it ) called today to let us know that they are finally going to come along and grace us with their presence on Monday. Woop de fuckin woo........
This is the installation which should have taken place in January, except they close down for nearly two weeks over Christmas and New Year (well, their business account customer team does !!), and then February, except they forgot to tell us that they couldn't install and tried to put the blame on Glasgow City Council ( Fail - they just forgot to deal with the paperwork so thought they'd blame the cooncil).
Anyway, they did send flowers and chocolates, so, thats supposed to be all right then ? and they did offer to discuss compensation for all the lost credit card busines over the Valentines weekend, one of our busiest trading periods, so thats all right then ?
WRONG.......
At least according to one of their rather aggressive hectoring so-called customer service dudes who goes by the name of Matthew Middleton. He grandly informed me that Virgin does not pay compensation - even when they are in the wrong and have admitted it. Its in the 'contract' you see. No matter that they broke their contract with us. No matter that they cost us oodles of lost sales. No matter shit...
The lordly Mattew Middleton then got even shirtier. He informed me that if we were not in on Monday when his installation team arrived, we would be charged ! Can you believe it, you really could'nt make it up could you ? When I said I was going to raise another complaint, he told me that I could do whatever I wanted, in a matter of fact sort of way these eejits do when they know their company's complaints proceedures are so tortuous that no one ever manages to get any sort of resolution to a complaint, usually giving up through sheer obstefuction. They do after all have the modern day back up which invariably goes with accusations of poor service, which goes something like... "I don't like the way you are speaking to me" or "I'm finding you aggressive" or "please don't speak to me like that"... No shit Sherlock. If you didn't give such crap customer service mate, I wouldn't have to complain would I ?
So let me just get this straight. Virgin won't pay any compensation if they don't come when they say they will, and don't let you know, BUT if you aren't there when they come, they charge you..
Needless to say, I got rather fed up with this hectoring rant from the arrogant Matthew Middleton. There was a tax collector in the bible called Matthew. Virgin's Matthew this morning had a lot in common with his biblical namesake's early life..
And if this is customer service from Virgin, then they deserve to go bust. Our wonderful 3-dongle does the biz for WiFi, and there's always good old BT for a phone line for credit card transactions. Alternatives to Virgin, should they continue to be so crap....
Our compo claim against Virgin is mounting, and after Matthew Middleton's call this morning, we're not in much of a mood to negociate...
And if you're a business contemplating broadband and telephone service installation, DON'T go to Virgin Media. In fact, you'd be better off anywhere else.
Anywhere but Virgin...
This is the installation which should have taken place in January, except they close down for nearly two weeks over Christmas and New Year (well, their business account customer team does !!), and then February, except they forgot to tell us that they couldn't install and tried to put the blame on Glasgow City Council ( Fail - they just forgot to deal with the paperwork so thought they'd blame the cooncil).
Anyway, they did send flowers and chocolates, so, thats supposed to be all right then ? and they did offer to discuss compensation for all the lost credit card busines over the Valentines weekend, one of our busiest trading periods, so thats all right then ?
WRONG.......
At least according to one of their rather aggressive hectoring so-called customer service dudes who goes by the name of Matthew Middleton. He grandly informed me that Virgin does not pay compensation - even when they are in the wrong and have admitted it. Its in the 'contract' you see. No matter that they broke their contract with us. No matter that they cost us oodles of lost sales. No matter shit...
The lordly Mattew Middleton then got even shirtier. He informed me that if we were not in on Monday when his installation team arrived, we would be charged ! Can you believe it, you really could'nt make it up could you ? When I said I was going to raise another complaint, he told me that I could do whatever I wanted, in a matter of fact sort of way these eejits do when they know their company's complaints proceedures are so tortuous that no one ever manages to get any sort of resolution to a complaint, usually giving up through sheer obstefuction. They do after all have the modern day back up which invariably goes with accusations of poor service, which goes something like... "I don't like the way you are speaking to me" or "I'm finding you aggressive" or "please don't speak to me like that"... No shit Sherlock. If you didn't give such crap customer service mate, I wouldn't have to complain would I ?
So let me just get this straight. Virgin won't pay any compensation if they don't come when they say they will, and don't let you know, BUT if you aren't there when they come, they charge you..
Needless to say, I got rather fed up with this hectoring rant from the arrogant Matthew Middleton. There was a tax collector in the bible called Matthew. Virgin's Matthew this morning had a lot in common with his biblical namesake's early life..
And if this is customer service from Virgin, then they deserve to go bust. Our wonderful 3-dongle does the biz for WiFi, and there's always good old BT for a phone line for credit card transactions. Alternatives to Virgin, should they continue to be so crap....
Our compo claim against Virgin is mounting, and after Matthew Middleton's call this morning, we're not in much of a mood to negociate...
And if you're a business contemplating broadband and telephone service installation, DON'T go to Virgin Media. In fact, you'd be better off anywhere else.
Anywhere but Virgin...
Friday, 25 February 2011
The power of Three
Our problems with Virgin Media have almost become legendary, amongst the twitter community. While the dust settles and we now not only have no business phone, we are also without a home phone for nearly a week!
The next post will cover the trouble with Virgins very poor customer services communication, and total inability to comply with disability legislation, but lets save that for then. This post is about Three. Yes, the people at three.co.uk , the unassuming excellent service, slightly smaller telecommunications company that I predict in the next decade is going to kick the arrogant butt of the really big guys.
Three has the most affordable and cost effective solutions at prices that make the other telecoms companies look like Dick Turpin and his rip off gang.
I have become a Three convert over the last six months, and in all honesty have only one gripe - There is no signal is the tiny Norfolk village of Methwold Hythe. That said, they really do make the difference.
As of tomorrow we will have been in our premises for three months. We run a number of business activities that especially require the services of a phone and broadband provider, one of our backoffice activities includes web presence for creative people and introducing small business people to social media marketing. No internet - very hard to do business.
Of course we also market our business online, both by having an online shop and by using and maintaining social media relationships with our target client base.
In South Africa there is a saying "'n boer maak 'n plan" - translated it means a farmer/afrikaner makes a plan. - basically no such thing as cant. So in true South African style, we looked for a solution.
I already had a Three dongle that came with a special offer on my daughters netbook, which made a perfect gift for her. While having a dongle that provides 15G of interent juice at a time,it was only keeping one of us online.
Step in the Three MiFi dongle. I must be honest, I had my doubts - this is essentially mobile phone signal internet - not fibre optic. How wrong I was. We bought a Mi-Fi on pay as you go. It does exactly what it says on the box. It connects up to five wireless devices to the internet at the same time. The only time, there is any strain is if several people try to stream video at the same time.
I honestly feel that not only do I get what I paid for, the value is fantastic. I can control the access to the wifi from a small dashboard on my computer, and my customers can have their free wi-fi access.
Now after my misery with the 02/BT/Virgin giants, I have noticed Three, and Three you shine! Over the next six month my iphone contracts will end and guess what 02 - we're leaving you! I'm going to Three. Not only am I leaving you, I am taking, my friends, family and client base with me. so the £200 a month that you will lose (a seeming drop in the ocean extrapolates. You will be losing what would have been 120 retained and new client every month. That works out at £24000, now over a year that becomes over £280 000. That may still be a drop in the ocean to you, but when those clients spread the word, in this economic climate surely that must make you uncomfortable.
Three it's your gain and you didnt even have to try very hard. Your staff are courteous and friendly, your deals are the best on the market and your equipment works. I bought an ipad for my partner to use for business and all going well we'll be getting more.
The next post will cover the trouble with Virgins very poor customer services communication, and total inability to comply with disability legislation, but lets save that for then. This post is about Three. Yes, the people at three.co.uk , the unassuming excellent service, slightly smaller telecommunications company that I predict in the next decade is going to kick the arrogant butt of the really big guys.
Three has the most affordable and cost effective solutions at prices that make the other telecoms companies look like Dick Turpin and his rip off gang.
I have become a Three convert over the last six months, and in all honesty have only one gripe - There is no signal is the tiny Norfolk village of Methwold Hythe. That said, they really do make the difference.
As of tomorrow we will have been in our premises for three months. We run a number of business activities that especially require the services of a phone and broadband provider, one of our backoffice activities includes web presence for creative people and introducing small business people to social media marketing. No internet - very hard to do business.
Of course we also market our business online, both by having an online shop and by using and maintaining social media relationships with our target client base.
In South Africa there is a saying "'n boer maak 'n plan" - translated it means a farmer/afrikaner makes a plan. - basically no such thing as cant. So in true South African style, we looked for a solution.
I already had a Three dongle that came with a special offer on my daughters netbook, which made a perfect gift for her. While having a dongle that provides 15G of interent juice at a time,it was only keeping one of us online.
Step in the Three MiFi dongle. I must be honest, I had my doubts - this is essentially mobile phone signal internet - not fibre optic. How wrong I was. We bought a Mi-Fi on pay as you go. It does exactly what it says on the box. It connects up to five wireless devices to the internet at the same time. The only time, there is any strain is if several people try to stream video at the same time.
I honestly feel that not only do I get what I paid for, the value is fantastic. I can control the access to the wifi from a small dashboard on my computer, and my customers can have their free wi-fi access.
Now after my misery with the 02/BT/Virgin giants, I have noticed Three, and Three you shine! Over the next six month my iphone contracts will end and guess what 02 - we're leaving you! I'm going to Three. Not only am I leaving you, I am taking, my friends, family and client base with me. so the £200 a month that you will lose (a seeming drop in the ocean extrapolates. You will be losing what would have been 120 retained and new client every month. That works out at £24000, now over a year that becomes over £280 000. That may still be a drop in the ocean to you, but when those clients spread the word, in this economic climate surely that must make you uncomfortable.
Three it's your gain and you didnt even have to try very hard. Your staff are courteous and friendly, your deals are the best on the market and your equipment works. I bought an ipad for my partner to use for business and all going well we'll be getting more.
Saturday, 19 February 2011
#Virginmediafail
Bloody Virgin Media ! A bunch of flowers, however well meant, is no compensation for your total and absolute cock-up over our services installation.
They did the site survey, assured us that there was no problem and it was a pretty simple job, even phones us subsequently with an installation date. So far, so good ? Too good. Something had to be wrong...and, well, No shit, Sherlock, it sure did.
Installation day came, and no sign of Virgin. Phone calls and email elicited no response. Now being ignored realy winds me up...badly. So we started tweeting about this cock-up and poor service using the hashtag #Virginmediafail. And lo and behold, Virgin have a very nice and helpful team of folk who tweet, and aparently, watch out for tweets about their business. These guys picked up on our tweets and tried their best to sort shit out for us. We finally made contact with their business instalation department who gave us a load of old fanny about our installation.
The upshot is that we weren't told the whole story. Seems our sales account manager had ommitted to tell us about a problem, tried to put the blame onto Glasgow City Cooncil, and generally flipped about like a fish speared on a gaff.
So now, we won't get our installation until March, week 2. No internet (for free wifi) no landline and internet either, which of course means no credit card machine operation either. And over Valentine's weekend, which as the more savvy of you, dear readers will no, is a very busy time for people who sell jewellery and other gift-like products. So its cash or cheque only here..lost business galore too.
We got the very nice and very helpfuk folk at 3 to sort us out with a dongle which allows up to five internet users, and this is quite good for now, except that it costs quite a lot of money to use...
And so the compensation claim is mounting, people at Virgin, if you are watching. Going up.
So no more flowers please, however well intended. Just better service.
#virginmediafail
They did the site survey, assured us that there was no problem and it was a pretty simple job, even phones us subsequently with an installation date. So far, so good ? Too good. Something had to be wrong...and, well, No shit, Sherlock, it sure did.
Installation day came, and no sign of Virgin. Phone calls and email elicited no response. Now being ignored realy winds me up...badly. So we started tweeting about this cock-up and poor service using the hashtag #Virginmediafail. And lo and behold, Virgin have a very nice and helpful team of folk who tweet, and aparently, watch out for tweets about their business. These guys picked up on our tweets and tried their best to sort shit out for us. We finally made contact with their business instalation department who gave us a load of old fanny about our installation.
The upshot is that we weren't told the whole story. Seems our sales account manager had ommitted to tell us about a problem, tried to put the blame onto Glasgow City Cooncil, and generally flipped about like a fish speared on a gaff.
So now, we won't get our installation until March, week 2. No internet (for free wifi) no landline and internet either, which of course means no credit card machine operation either. And over Valentine's weekend, which as the more savvy of you, dear readers will no, is a very busy time for people who sell jewellery and other gift-like products. So its cash or cheque only here..lost business galore too.
We got the very nice and very helpfuk folk at 3 to sort us out with a dongle which allows up to five internet users, and this is quite good for now, except that it costs quite a lot of money to use...
And so the compensation claim is mounting, people at Virgin, if you are watching. Going up.
So no more flowers please, however well intended. Just better service.
#virginmediafail
