Last week Tim and Simon at the Wood Green Bookshop blog (over there on the right) wrote a lovely post about other bloggers in the booktrade. They described me as ‘wonderfully passionate’ which is rather nice and better than ‘trenchant’ as someone else recently described me which is variously defined as ‘caustic, cutting or forceful’ – and this from a friend!
But I digress. The other thing that the Wood Green boys said was that I was “remarkably upbeat ALL THE TIME”. I’d just like to point out that after 2 hours (and I’m not exaggerating!) on the phone to BT trying to track down the order I placed a week ago for two phone lines which were supposed to be being installed tomorrow and which no-one seems to know anything about, I am not feeling in the least bit upbeat.
I have been on hold listening to tinny music, I have been cut off, randomly transferred to other people and generally been told huge amounts of inaccurate flannel which essentially boils down to the fact that the person who took my original order didn’t know her whatsit from her elbow and no-one seems competent enough to sort out the resulting mess. Eventually I spoke to a very nice young lady called Karen who seems to have tracked down the actual department who’ve cocked up and they will be ringing tomorrow to explain how they’ve resolved things. For now though I have no idea when my phone lines will be installed, I can’t organise the broadband connection, can’t have Gardners in to install the software that will help us to order and monitor our stock, can’t have the engineer out to install the card processing terminal and can’t move the office to the new office space.
If I could face finding another supplier for the physical phonelines I would but it will probably take even longer. I’m just glad that all they’re doing is supplying phone lines and not the actual phone calls or our broadband service – despite their endless efforts to sell me BT Internet services.
But I just wanted to point out that I am not upbeat today. Mostly, I feel downright murderous.
Oh, dear. Sorry about the ‘trenchant’ comment. It was meant kindly. Could I just point out that the dictionary definition of ‘trenchant’ does offer some other, more positive meanings (which is what I intended) besides the less flattering ones you mention. Here we go:
Trenchant:
1. incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting: trenchant wit.
2. vigorous; effective; energetic: a trenchant policy of political reform.
3. clearly or sharply defined; clear-cut; distinct.
Those are good things, aren’t they?
Big hugs! I know exactly how you feel. I am of the stamping feet and “I’ll scweam and scweam and scweam until I’m sthick’ school of thought myself.
What I particularly liked about BT was the way one department rang to ask me to upgrade my broadband service to 8mb while another was wrestling with their inability to connect me about 50% of the time. My comments to the sales girl were trenchant.
So, I feel your pain, I do.