OV9

I don't know if I'm just getting old, but I feel like I'm seeing more and more poorly run businesses. In our town we've got plenty of nice independent businesses with good products, but they seem to just make up their opening hours as they go along. You'll plan to go to one at the same time from one week to the next it may or may not be open regardless of what their website says.

I just don't get it, do these guys just decide they've made enough money for the week and they fancy a beer?

Even when they're open they seem to do more relaxed hours than a normal chain type shop. Not ideal sometimes, but I can live with it if it's clearly advertised, at least be consistent though.

When I say more relaxed, I mean shorter.

Yep, there’s definitely a proliferation of ever more shitty customer service since covid.
I understand that everyone is taking the piss with shortages, but I had one company just refuse to even pick up the phone for 2 months so I had to call up my credit card fraud department to get a refund

Yep, see it all over the place, very difficult to get hold of people or get any sort of service. I guess people re-thought the whole time away from work vs money thing over covid.

If you want to shut at 3pm though, go ahead, just tell everyone you're doing it.

The nisa local to me has post office services. According to the website it’s open until 11. In reality there’s so few of the staff trained to work the post office stuff they open and close it randomly

Staffing seems to be a problem for most businesses. Our HQ has had vacancies for over a year.

jamcg wrote: Fri Jul 29, 2022 8:35 pm The nisa local to me has post office services. According to the website it’s open until 11. In reality there’s so few of the staff trained to work the post office stuff they open and close it randomly

Absolutely identical situation at our local Co-Op. When they first started offering post office services - having got rid of the actual post office counter at the back of the shop run by a really miserable woman who opened closed and took lunch *on the fcuking dot* regardless of there being customers - it was well staffed and being able to go in in the evening and post stuff I’d just sold on ebay was great

Then it wasn’t. One particular time I wanted to post something I was totally out of luck, the only person able to do it was off and would be back in two days’ time

Now they only advertise it as being normal hours and touch wood seem to be sticking to it.

Carlos wrote: Fri Jul 29, 2022 8:45 pm Staffing seems to be a problem for most businesses. Our HQ has had vacancies for over a year.

The perfect time to close our borders to low skilled workers keen to work.

It is frustrating when you're trying to support small businesses but they seem to go out of their way to make it difficult! Another bugbear is ordering from a small online business and they take ages to process and send an order. I don't expect Amazon Prime levels of speed, but if you're going to take a week+ to send something out that's in stock, at least let me know.

Thought this thread would be about these guys

Gavster wrote: Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:44 pm Thought this thread would be about these guys

It says they provide a professional service, so they wouldn't qualify for this thread.

I've contacted no less than six bodyshops to get a quote for a full glass out respray for the 928. Four plain refused to even quote, one quoted me a figure but that didn't include any trims, seals and clips and said that I'd have to supply them myself. How the fuck would I know what's needed? So you're halfway through the job and then I have to source some random bits at the drop of a hat? I've said to all of them that I know it's going to be expensive and I expect the figure to be an estimate and I'd be happy with a grand either side of the quoted figure. Utterly fucking useless.

With the thread title, I thought Al McD was back from the old forum….

@Delphi have you asked any of the PCGB guys? This is exactly the kind of info that was shared on there when I had the 944 (some years back now mind).

mik wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:23 am @Delphi have you asked any of the PCGB guys? This is exactly the kind of info that was shared on there when I had the 944 (some years back now mind).

I've got a lead about a company in Doncaster that's done some classic Bentleys and I've got to speak to a specialist up in Knaresborough. Strangely, the last company I contacted had recently posted about a 944 restoration they'd done which is why I got in touch. The guy literally said "Oh no, I wouldn't go near a 928"

Delphi wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:33 am Strangely, the last company I contacted had recently posted about a 944 restoration they'd done which is why I got in touch. The guy literally said "Oh no, I wouldn't go near a 928"

I guess that might be a risky business.

mik wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:49 am I guess that might be a risky business.

Have you asked why they won't quote? It might reveal some useful info about how to find somewhere to actually get it done

Possibly stoopid question - I assume Flewy is too far away?

<goes off to check>

Ah - something in the order of 200miles As you were.

mik wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:23 am With the thread title, I thought Al McD was back from the old forum….

That's a blast from the past, wonder what he's up to now.

mik wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:14 am Possibly stoopid question - I assume Flewy is too far away?

<goes off to check>

Ah - something in the order of 200miles As you were.

One day I'll share the story of the repair work Flewy did on my 996.