Questions Thread

[Xen]

Thanks fellas. 

 

I've called up their out of hours number (who seemingly cannot liaise properly with their day team...) and we've now got an engineer coming within 3 hours to bring a couple space heaters and possibly assess the boiler. 

 

My partner is off tomorrow so getting him to call the council to put pressure on if there's still an issue, as apparently from Buce's link they can send someone round and bill the landlord, whereas if we did it we'd potentially have to take them to court to recover fees. 

 

This isn't the first time we've had issues with this company (they 'lost' 2 months of rent until I proved it was paid, as well as a couple other things over the 2.5yrs we've been here) and we are looking to move out, except because of where we both work (and the fact I dont drive) this location is perfect, and we're saving up to buy rather than rent after this place. Otherwise we'd be long gone. 

[Buce]

32 minutes ago, Strokes said:

Probably a Tory landlord eh.

 

Of course.

[Xen]

Plot twist - they have no contract engineers available to even drop off temporary space heaters. And apparently they are unable to call a private engineer to do anything either. 

 

We mentioned getting one ourselves and they told us that we have to wait until the morning and call the daytime team to arrange that... 

[DJ Barry Hammond]

23 minutes ago, Xen said:

Plot twist - they have no contract engineers available to even drop off temporary space heaters. And apparently they are unable to call a private engineer to do anything either. 

 

We mentioned getting one ourselves and they told us that we have to wait until the morning and call the daytime team to arrange that... 

 

Have you tried getting a bit shouty and forthright with them, rather than accepting platitudes? And asking to speak to someone in a managerial capacity?

 

Personally I hate going to that level myself, but it sounds like they’ve messed you about enough now.

 

Oh and - a sarcastic tweet to their main twitter tag with the “#imcold” is also worth a shot at getting some attention.

 

 

Edited 14 December 2017 by DJ Barry Hammond

[Xen]

Just now, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 

Have you tried getting a bit shouty and forthright with them, rather than accepting platitudes? And asking to speak to someone in a managerial capacity?

 

Personally I hate going to that level myself, but it sounds like they’ve messed you about enough now.

 

Oh and - a sarcastic tweet to there main twitter tag with the “#imcold” is also worth a shot at getting some attention.

 

 

Done exactly that. Apparently we've taken it as high as possible and there's simply nothing they can do. We most definitely were not just accepting platitudes. 

 

 

Its Mears/Omega, btw. Apparently theyre one of the largest property managers in the country. Ha. 

 

 

[DJ Barry Hammond]

6 minutes ago, Xen said:

Done exactly that. Apparently we've taken it as high as possible and there's simply nothing they can do. We most definitely were not just accepting platitudes. 

 

 

Its Mears/Omega, btw. Apparently theyre one of the largest property managers in the country. Ha. 

 

 

 

Tweet this guy and ask him if you can come round his house for a hot bath and some general warmth!

 

[theessexfox]

I have a video interview tomorrow for a short placement at Barclays (nothing serious, just a week learning what they do basically), and there are also potential applications for similar internships at Goldman Sachs and Citibank I could do. However, I didn't do economics A level and I don't really know much about the world of finance, except what I've tried to look up for the last few days - it's hard to know where to start given the range of products and services these companies offer. Any good places to start, or ways to prepare myself for these interviews anyone could think of? 

[Kopfkino]

2 minutes ago, theessexfox said:

I have a video interview tomorrow for a short placement at Barclays (nothing serious, just a week learning what they do basically), and there are also potential applications for similar internships at Goldman Sachs and Citibank I could do. However, I didn't do economics A level and I don't really know much about the world of finance, except what I've tried to look up for the last few days - it's hard to know where to start given the range of products and services these companies offer. Any good places to start, or ways to prepare myself for these interviews anyone could think of? 

 

Drop me a PM. Been there and done it so I should be able to help.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

11 minutes ago, theessexfox said:

I have a video interview tomorrow for a short placement at Barclays (nothing serious, just a week learning what they do basically), and there are also potential applications for similar internships at Goldman Sachs and Citibank I could do. However, I didn't do economics A level and I don't really know much about the world of finance, except what I've tried to look up for the last few days - it's hard to know where to start given the range of products and services these companies offer. Any good places to start, or ways to prepare myself for these interviews anyone could think of? 

 

I suggest learning lots about LIBOR!

[theessexfox]

3 minutes ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 

I suggest learning lots about LIBOR!

Ah shit never heard of it, this isn't gonna go well.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

2 minutes ago, theessexfox said:

Ah shit never heard of it, this isn't gonna go well.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-24/barclays-trader-jailed-in-libor-scandal-fights-u-k-conviction

 

it was a highbrow joke... DO NOT(!) mention anything about LIBOR at your interview.

[theessexfox]

21 minutes ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-24/barclays-trader-jailed-in-libor-scandal-fights-u-k-conviction

 

it was a highbrow joke... DO NOT(!) mention anything about LIBOR at your interview.

My bad  Libor rates generally seem like a good thing to know about.

[Stinkenzo]

Do you piss in the water in the toilet or up against the sides/back?

[Izzy]

20 minutes ago, Walkers said:

Do you piss in the water in the toilet or up against the sides/back?

In the water mainly.

 

I’ve had far too many cases of ‘splash back’ from aiming too far up against the back. 

[Buce]

41 minutes ago, Walkers said:

Do you piss in the water in the toilet or up against the sides/back?

 

18 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

In the water mainly.

 

I’ve had far too many cases of ‘splash back’ from aiming too far up against the back. 

 

You don't use the sink?

 

Posh fvckers.

[Jattdogg]

Combination of the two.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

On 14/12/2017 at 20:05, Xen said:

Done exactly that. Apparently we've taken it as high as possible and there's simply nothing they can do. We most definitely were not just accepting platitudes. 

 

 

Its Mears/Omega, btw. Apparently theyre one of the largest property managers in the country. Ha. 

 

 

 

Did you get this sorted Xen or have you died of hyperthermia?

[Jon the Hat]

How is it news that a ship has a small water leak which is being fixed?  This is the point of sea trials.  Jesus. 

[DJ Barry Hammond]

51 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

How is it news that a ship has a small water leak which is being fixed?  This is the point of sea trials.  Jesus. 

I’ll happily take up this one!

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42406138

 

The HMS Queen Elizabeth is in itself a fairly significant vessel, given that amongst other things it has cost £3.1 billion of public funds to build so there’s is a ‘public interest’ angle in these developments - however slight that exists in people’s actual interest in this story.

 

As you point out, it would appear that the issues are minor and are being addressed by the Navy, but it remains a little embrassing for those behind the project who would have no doubt proffered not to have encountered these problems.

 

The other aspect, that makes this story of public interest is the fact these issues were trying to be hidden - this adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story. 

 

Had the Navy simply confirmed the issue as part of a standard press release, coverage would have been fleeting... where as being able to bill the story as part of some investigative journalism, in an editors eyes, will make it that little more appealing.

 

True, it’s still not the most exciting of stories and will be potentially forgotten quickly enough, but there is also possibility for this story to expand and become bigger should problems persist... but naturally, that requires the publishing of the initial story to do that.

Edited 19 December 2017 by DJ Barry Hammond

[Xen]

5 hours ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 

Did you get this sorted Xen or have you died of hyperthermia?

I'm alive! Thanks for the concern. 

 

We had a couple of space heaters delivered on Friday, and with the weather being a little warmer over the weekend we made do. 

 

Plumber came round yesterday morning. Because he works for a firm the agency contracted, he drove 1.5hrs from Peterborough to Loughborough, came in, adjusted the pressure on the boiler and checked a few other things, and that was that. 15 mins. He even showed me how to do it ourselves if it happens again. Heck, it even seems to have fixed an ongoing issue that we've had where the heating has to be on to get hot water in the taps, which our landlord has known about for six months and was waiting to get a part before they'd try to fix it... 

 

In hindsight we could've done it ourselves, but neither of us are particularly handy at that sort of thing so wouldn't have risked it. 

 

What I'm most annoyed about is that the managing agency cocked up with the temp heaters and took 3 days to get us something, and wouldn't let us get our own plumber round to fix it within the first day. It would've been so much cheaper for them, as well, as we could've got a local guy round, but instead we had to wait 6 days for a full fix. 

 

 

Won't be renting with these again. 

[DJ Barry Hammond]

2 hours ago, Xen said:

I'm alive! Thanks for the concern. 

 

We had a couple of space heaters delivered on Friday, and with the weather being a little warmer over the weekend we made do. 

 

Plumber came round yesterday morning. Because he works for a firm the agency contracted, he drove 1.5hrs from Peterborough to Loughborough, came in, adjusted the pressure on the boiler and checked a few other things, and that was that. 15 mins. He even showed me how to do it ourselves if it happens again. Heck, it even seems to have fixed an ongoing issue that we've had where the heating has to be on to get hot water in the taps, which our landlord has known about for six months and was waiting to get a part before they'd try to fix it... 

 

In hindsight we could've done it ourselves, but neither of us are particularly handy at that sort of thing so wouldn't have risked it. 

 

What I'm most annoyed about is that the managing agency cocked up with the temp heaters and took 3 days to get us something, and wouldn't let us get our own plumber round to fix it within the first day. It would've been so much cheaper for them, as well, as we could've got a local guy round, but instead we had to wait 6 days for a full fix. 

 

 

Won't be renting with these again. 

 

With large agencies like this, then can often have a contract with a 'professional' supplier for a flat rate cost for call-out services throughout the year... hence why they wanted their own guy to do the work, because that probably didn't cost them anything extra than they already pay contractually. 

 

But who knows - and it doesn't prevent it from being a farce and a complete pain in the arse. Sadly, companies provide their staff with the ability to pro-active manage a situation on its merit and simply apply 'procedure' rather than personalised service. 

[Wymsey]

Is buying a new phone/phone contract online recommended, or is it quite complicated and better to go to a store?

[DJ Barry Hammond]

2 minutes ago, Wymeswold fox said:

Is buying a new phone/phone contract online recommended, or is it quite complicated and better to go to a store?

 

Do research Online, then try in store to secure a deal better than the one you want - having the element of a human salesperson gives you more negotiating power. 

 

Edit: Plus, given its Christmas and postal issues, going in store means you could get a new a phone there and then, possibly an added bonus if you're that way inclined. 

Edited 21 December 2017 by DJ Barry Hammond

[Webbo]

Just watching a programme about how they make Christmas crackers. Do they have Christmas crackers abroad?

[Buce]

1 hour ago, Webbo said:

Just watching a programme about how they make Christmas crackers. Do they have Christmas crackers abroad?

 

Ireland and the white commonwealth nations:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_cracker