How was your day?

[PeteB]

Was supposed to take half a day. Appointment at eye people for new glasses and bank. But I decided to go and help another client and a dealer with a machine that isn't working right. That means I'm late back and annoyed, glasses were very expensive and bank shut when we go done.

Took Q7 to specialist who says that Q7 suspension issues are tedious and complicated. He was surprised that we have no suspension screen on the MMI. Hope I ain't got me a lemon!

We are looking at the buyers dynamic at work. The buyers of today are generally a lot younger than the Sales Staff. I found a parody website that will turn any webpage into street speak! What fun! Go to Gizoogle!

[PeteB]

Yet another day frustrated by emails and phone calls! I started the day just thinking 'I'll bounce those two emails and get out to visit a dealer and some customers in Cheshire', and I'm still at the desk! One thing leads to another until at dinner time, I give in and start doing bits with another long term project and that is finding people abroad who may underwrite some of the 'used' kelter and I get it out of this country! Speculative emails to people in Poland, Hungary, Latvia etc - even a couple of bits to India! Trouble is - with our products, you have to look at local economies where people don't cook on open fires under a tree! You need people who do tree work to improve amenity value in public spaces, private gardens with trees in them and homeowners with money to pay for tree work and where 'wood' is to a degree a surplus product. Plus, there is local legislation to take into account. There is one or two places in the world where trailers are banned for example, Euroland has to have registration documents for trailers (a woodchipper is a fully loaded trailer), America has strict emission regs and they have to have a good supply chain to rely on too.

She just back from the Airport and is due back at 02:00 - what a job! Today she ended up with an old bloke who knows it all, sat at a contractors check point, they had six people to check all morning and into the afternoon and this old soul was putting the world to rights on every subject! She was highly delighted!! Elsewhere, they had a panic on today which had big repercussions for many others. Some passengers noted that three people dodged the security aisles and got into departure without being bag checked etc. Those that noticed then has realised that this shouldn't have happened so went back to security and told them. Security then had to watch various CCTV cameras to find out who they were, where they went and then which flight. They managed to get to the plane as the door shut and stopped it from leaving. All passengers and bags had to be removed and re-checked and the flight lost its take off slot and this caused delays elsewhere too. Major FUBAR! And all because three people didn't think that they ought to be searched.....just how many people were affected by their thoughtlessness is not quantifiable!

No news from S Line Automotive about my lemon Q7. The builder who promised to come a price a job still hasn't bothered to think about it! Time to call a few others...Tom got a full refund on that 3 cylinder Subaru engine which wasn't out of an STI or 2.5litres which is good but they didn't want to entertain paying for his fuel and time collecting it - blatant robdogs as they knew that it was scrap and he was a mug!

 

 

[PeteB]

Now sat in a big bean bag, glass of wine, Leinster v Wasps. Not a bad spot to be! She gone to bed as the alarm goes off at 03:00 again. I look forward to a decent shift change were we can spend some time together....

I had a meeting organised with a chap who I've dealt with for some 12 or 14 years and has got 5 of our top machines. I decided to take a new machine purely as a speculative measure, all noted and agreed in the office. I get there this morning to find that they need to make refinements and it cannot go! Infuriating.

I had a Hungarian tell me that they want a Part Ex unit that I got, 'straight off the farm's, good people and I won't lift their leg. I have a critical look and it needs an expensive repair that I didn't bank on, got to talk to them and do some readjustments! Infuriating.

I get a tetchy email from that colleague, complaining that a dealer of mine is out of order selling into his patch and undermining his dealer. Things like this do happen and it doesn't make our lives easy. I question my folk and discover that all the allegations are without base and he has further undermined his position! Infuriating.

Was going to go and watch my dealers rep from Wakefield race his Clio182 at Snetterton, but, realistically, I got other duties to do to support her and her family. That's life!

[PeteB]

Spent the morning trying to get a builder to come and quote for a wall. Seems that they don't need the work with the amount of messages left and not returned. Also spent a considerable time trying to deal with Broadband,TV,Phone package. Couldn't log on as I lost my password, unbelievably frustrating, going round and around until I got to the end of sanity. I actually had to say to one chap, "dolt, I cannot enter the password to get my account number which then allows me to change my password!". I don't think that I'll stop with Virgin, time to move to BT I think.

Then off to hers to make French bread pizzas for lunch and walk the dog, the garden gate has been bust for three weeks and no one has made a worthwhile attempt at fixing it. The just step over problems and hope a tie wrap will fix it. Bang goes my dog walking and rugby watching. I spent the afternoon digging out the remainder of the old post and fitting a new one. Her Dad is a fix it with a tie wrap person! If the dog gets out through the wire fence, his remedy is to put a garden chair or bed frame in the way and myther until I turn up and do it! Even then, he has to stand there and tell me what to do....

Now back home, beer in hand, in the bean bag watching tripe TV,cshe got a 03:00 wake up again!

[PeteB]

Pretty miserable weather here for the most part! The morning was a bit of a food shop, domestic stuff. Afternoon was rugby on the box - the soup I made at dinner time had a soporific effect and I missed most of the Gloucester match. Glasgow v Saracens was good, strong stuff and my heart went out to Glasgow for the effort they put in! They lost....

Roast Beef for dinner - she is having a nap after her 4 - 4 stint. She got 3 - 3 tomorrow! She tells me that she had to search a bag after the contents show a liquid bottle too big. The owner, a bearded chap was embarrassed when he stepped up, in amongst his very smelly biker get up was various aids and erm, jellies. She made a show of putting on her latex gloves to take out said items in  front of everyone to remove his big tin of deodorant! Just why do they not think about what they are packing!?!

[PeteB]

Very trying day! Started with a couple of awkward emails and phone calls about delivery dates that were a tad long etc. I got to load and head to Hawick in The Scottish Borders. I got to take three machines, leaving two in Forfar. I get to the factory to find the half decent Sprinter beavertail has been misbehaving and nobody had bothered to get it fixed. I had to take the old nail. Loaded it and two in the trailer in the rain, dealing with more trying issues. Jobs not done, people not returning calls etc! Set off for Hawick with an ETA of approx 19:30. Got to Stafford services and the engine management light came on! I couldn't get it to go out so turned around at Stoke and went back. Parked it up, took my stuff and hauled the trailer home. Had a weeks load of myther in a day!!! Also had paid for hotel in advance!

Now got to go at 05:30 to make it to Selkirk in time for first job so will be a long day. Missed a call from town so maybe my Q7 is better but I don't think I'm that lucky!

[PeteB]

The trip to Selkirk took longer than I thought and I got there at 11:00, rolled the machine off the trailer and set off in the Rep's truck to this golf club that wanted to see us. They are looking at a £30k machine! It works well and they are happy with it and then the bomb shell - they are looking for purchase after next April and they have to convince the owners of the club that it is £30k well spent! Usually, the committee will spend that and loads more on grass cutting cut but I doubt that a woodchipper will be on their list. We had hoped for an earlier decision and order. They used to have the estate woodyard come in for treework etc, but once the estate sold them off, they got told to manage and that is a major undertaking when there main job is golf course maintenance of grass, bunker etc.

Back at the yard in Selkirk, we then modify the pickup hitch on a tractor mounted chipper as it is too close to the tractor and the PTO shaft is at such an angle, it bust the UJ. The new pick up is one but it only modified the bottom and not the top. True to form, the top link is now too short! I cannot understand why we only did the bottom when I told them that top needed doing too! No other implement that I know of has the top hitch further away than the bottom. I can only get the dealer to source a longer top link and hope for the best.

Then a drive along the A708 towards Moffat - what a drive! Have a look on Google Earth. I got to stay in a hotel by Strathclyde Park - close to the local authority who need me to train them on their newly acquired chipper. I rang to confirm things only to discover that they had got the dates wrong and they will be there on Thursday! Oh well, good carvery for tea and a couple of Stellas!

She has gone to have a couple of days at her spot - she usually gets there and the house is a tip! Her kids aren't the best at cooking and cleaning! 

The cryptic message on my service about my Q7 didn't fill me with happiness, something about 'several things wrong and we need to talk - best if you come down to the garage so I can show you...'

 

[PeteB]

Obviously, last nights wifi wasn't strong enough to get the post up!

I had a call at a contractors in Motherwell to make, but, traffic locally was awful so left that for tomorrow. I had to drop a unit at Gammies in Forfar then back heading southwards with calls in Perth, Kinross and get sorted for tomorrow's efforts. I got a few emails to do in the evening which is usual for a rep to do....

The diary is right busy over the next two weeks, which it should be usual for this time of year, but frustrating with another couple of days promoting and delivering in Scotland again next week and not sure when I can get my hands on some kit....

My dealer in Brum wanted a machine for a demo - I agreed, knowing my colleague has it booked from Monday, thinking that a demo is anything from an hour to a day or there abouts. You get a feel whether it passes the audition fairly quickly! The dealer's Rep and his customer, collected it today from the factory and glibly said in front of my staff and the customer "sure you can keep this on site for a week, give you a good chance of getting that job done". He has done this to me before and it lead to some 'unseemly' words as he just assumes that he can behave that way with our asset. It needs to back on Friday morning to be checked over for Monday .....

Was hoping to call on my railway contractors that are based in Scotland but that may have to  wait. I will be heading south, smartly at dinner time and hope to be back in Shepshed before 19:00....

[PeteB]

After a decent night's sleep and a tasty breakfast, I went to Lanarkshire council to fester around with this tractor mounted chipper. They had most of the work done for me! A small amount of work and it works! They tried themselves but failed so I looked smart! This unit is to replace the towed one that they had two years ago but was stolen from out of their yard. It amazes me the length or commitment that thrives amongst the thieving population!

Then a stop to catch up on some phone calls, a visit to the receptionist of another customer who doesn't see Reps, then the drive home starts. The Ranger was towing approx 2,750kg upwards and 2,000kg downwards. Covered over 800 miles, averaged 19.5 to the gallon and used an estimated 1200 miles worth of AdBlue. Though, I am slightly concerned as, occasionally, we appeared to be towing some smoke too!

I left Glasgow services close to 12:30 and got to Shepshed at 18:30, this was non stop apart from the obligatory 45 minutes of Taco break.

She got to be up at stupid o'clock again to look for evil spirits and bombs again so an early night is in order. Night All!

[PeteB]

Woke up with her at 3am and didn't get to sleep again so feeling a little jaded! A couple of emails done and a trip to the dental hygienist for a scrapexand polish. Very lucky teethwise, had four fillings 40 years ago, they all fell out, never redone and all is good!  A check up cost a pound per second as there is not to worry about and the hygienist was 3 minutes long!

Then went to see the Q7, I'm told that it would appear that brought a lemon! The list of fault codes related to just about everything available! The device that talks to everything is goosed and is 600sobs. That then allows him access to everything else including the suspension compressor, which may be burnt out! Not what I wanted to hear! That's another 1500 more! I rang the firm that I brought it from and they will consider their position......

I had a trip to the factory then to unload trailer and test a prototype. Inadequate in my opinion! Found some unexpected faults in some other stuff which was disappointing too!

Went home via the eye people. Our new glasses were ready for collection. My day to day specs were awful! Couldn't see anything close with them! Dissatisfied with the day....

Time for a wine or two! She up at silky o'clock again too!

Enjoy your weekend folks!

[PeteB]

A pretty usual Saturday to be honest - set out with some good intentions to spend time getting the Hot Rod going but end up doing the housework, washing, ironing etc!

The rugby has been on TV all afternoon, I've watched a couple of matches and it was good to see Leicester Tigers win at home last night. Wished I had got a ticket or two and had a few beers on the terrace. Must get into that habit - even if she is not able to come as she has to get to bed early with work...Up at 02:30 again tomorrow - so I'll have another evening on my own in front of the box with a glass or two of wine!

Funny life some people lead in how they work etc....I don't know whether I mentioned this earlier but I seem to be very much in the minority workwise. I've only had two full time jobs since 1982 and both have paid me more than adequately, both I've had a great deal of enjoyment doing, both have allowed me to enjoy a measure of success and be good at it and both have, while they been hard work, allowed me not to have worked shifts! And they have both allowed and encouraged a mechanical 'bent' to come to the fore. I just wished I had some more time to do all the projects that I have scattered about at home!

Tom has acquired another Subaru engine - I wondered why he had been industriously cleaning patio area and other such jobs like trying to tidy the garage out etc. This one has been rebuilt before so we will see how far he goes with it! He has driven off into the sunset to see some car buddies at a car thing in Kent tonight! Muppet!

[PeteB]

I tried, again, to sort out my Virgin bundle. I felt that the money I was paying is too much for what I was getting or needed. I contacted them via their web chat and to cut a long story short, they couldn't help as I wanted to keep BT sport which isn't available at the sort of cost I felt I was comfortable with. I got hold of BT and arranged a bundle with them with a slower internet speed but still manageable and the sport channels that I wanted and the channels that she wanted too. I then rang Virgin to serve them 30 day notice. Their adviser told me that I was making a mistake going to that package at BT! Then told me that the internet speed was too slow and that I could have the same deal with Virgin if had only spoken to them! Nice way to deal with people!!!

She finished at two so we went up to hers to see her family. The daughter is working in the pub so we had a couple of drinks and her mum made some supper - the jobs are stacking up at Wood Lane as well as Shepshed. I got to do some treework up there as well as put the Grey Fergie in an already full shed as well as another three mowers etc!

Binned work tomorrow, she is off until a late start so we can spend some time together!

[PeteB]

After a decent nights sleep and a lay in until 8:30 she and I head to town to open a joint bank account - and that proved difficult! My account has been good for decades but no one can see us. Sorry HSBC, not this time! We head to a branch of her spot - they try but not possible today, sorry TSB, not you either. Set up an account online with Lloyds and going to confirm with ID at branch! Simples....

Then have Virgin on the phone - a new department that looks after and rewards loyalty. He confessed that the use 'chatbots' on the online stuff and the algorithm isn't set up well, and the outsource a customer services department and have had too many complaints! Loyalty should be rewarded for that, not chased as new business is gettimng a better deal is my line of thought. He agrees and then tells me 'what you could've won!' Nice......to be told that the offer has been upgraded to same TV and broadband, drop the unused phone line and pay £49.99 per month with the first month free is another kick in the gonads! Folks, go to your suppliers and get a better deal! 

As for taking the day off, she had a snooze after dinner and I have done a rook of emails and phone calls! Wished I could find the 'off' button. 

She doing night shift at EMA for a few days so I'm on my own with an early start to Hay on Wye via Alcester tomorrow.

[PeteB]

She came in at 04:45 so I got up. I was going to get up and go at 05:30 anyway. A good, easy drive down to the factory, found a trailer in the dark, loaded the tacked chipper for today's demo and away toward Hay on Wye. A bit of queuing by Worcester an decided to go via Leominster and come back via Hereford for a change of driving scenery. The client and I had a look over the machine in his yard then took it into an adjacent garden where a large Beech had blown down. We chipped about half the brash and left it there and went for coffee in his office. A great bloke and a good firm to deal with too. I had already decided to leave the machine with him and collect it in a few days time. Not something I do with everyone, but I feel some folk are worthy and I hope we get the deal! 

He told us an amusing story from when he ran a contracting outfit that help deal with all the Foot and Mouth clearance some years ago. They dug a big pit and built a fire in the bottom - railway sleepers and coal! Big enough just to tip beast that had been shot into it and they would burn. For some unearthly reason, one of the chaps decided to carry the carcasses to the fire pit on a 3 tonne dumper and tip them in, rather than dump them on the edge and then push them in with the tractor. You guessed it, he drove the dumper into the fire pit! He got out fairly smartly, a little singed and smelly, but the dumper was burnt to a crisp! He had to settle the bill as it wasn't insured and he had a £15k burnt dumper in his fleet!

Getting back to the yard, I had to load my trailer for a thrash to Forfar and back and see to a couple of issues - including someone wanted my expert opinion to reduce the height of a tool box by 40mm. Really important.....Another chap looked at the linkage kit for last weeks tractor job and said 'which idiot authorised only sending the two bottom points?' it was his boss! 

We had a laugh about stuff that used to happen in factories etc which is now considered 'bullying'. Sending people to the stores for stuff like the long weight, glass hammer and pot of grinding sparks etc. I got sent (as a ten year old at boarding school) to get some Pigeons Milk and a Yard length of Fallopian tubing! I went, I asked....

[PeteB]

She crawled into bed at 5, I went back to sleep and woke with a start at 7! Rare for me to do that! They had another trauma at the Airport, same shift supervisors had some folk bypass them again - another cancelled flight and the knock on effect! She was away in a check point checking incoming vehicles to DHL or UPS so not involved!

Met my dealer at Bishop Auckland, we are going to arrange to team up for a couple of days and stir the pot with cold calling and visits etc. I like getting back down to doing this kind of stuff - talking to people who are the buyers!

Had some bad news though, the dealer in Newcastle has had a tragic accident in their yard and their lorry driver died. He drove an Artic unit with a long, low loader trailer. He had a problem with a hydraulic hose that lifted one of the ramps into the vertical position, he changed the hose and went to check that it worked okay and it appears that the ram had no oil in it and the ramp came down on top of him. No one knew it had happened until the last man to leave the depot went to say goodbye and found him. Awful, truly awful. Good bloke, conscientious and hard working, would help anyone with anything, done the job for many years, young family etc....Tragic.

I had to get to a hotel in Dundee following Newcastle - my nose said to carry on up the A1 to Edinburgh, across the bridge and up past Kinross etc. The satnag said to go west to Carlisle, Glasgow then Perth onwards. Last time I ignored the satnag, she was right and I was delayed hours but doing three sides of a square didn't feel right. Anyhow, went that way, into a vicious head wind and got the Ranger down to 16.6mpg! I'm towing about 1750kg so was disturbed at that! I noticed that I was dragging some smoke a couple of times today - hope she is okay, 5 months old and 25k miles only!

[Magnet]

Hello Peter,

If it's one thing I gain from reading your diary is that I'm grateful for retirement - and I'm still trying to find out what that is suppose to be! As I see it, you are going to meet yourself coming back! 

I find that generally people 'excuse' the words of the more elderly, and think 'he's old, bless him! , so thinking twice about what to say seldom comes into it anymore. Anyway, excuse me if it causes any grief, but wouldn't it be far more polite to refer to your wife/partner/whatever, as her name - Caz - rather than 'She' as in the opening of the last two posts? 

We used to refer to the definition of 'She', as the cat's mother! 

Anyway Peter, grizzle over. I just have to resign myself to sitting down after reading your posts now, otherwise I get giddy. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[PeteB]

You are right Gareth - and I too wish the young listened to the old, or even the slightly older. After-all, we have made the mistakes and hope that they learn from ours and don't do the same. But they don't.

Caz is a wonderful person, kind, intelligent and hard working - always has done and always will do. In real terms, she works harder than me and is a lot more intelligent, an Economics degree and a Law degree under her belt, but, a young family and then being single, has meant that she 'missed her window'. There are few opportunities in rural North Nottinghamshire for a high paying gig too.....When I first met her, she worked in a bakery/butchery/farm shop where she was on good terms with the owner and helped him make his championship winning pork pies, sausages and other stuff. I was amazed that she would do 12-16hours a day for six or seven days a week on the run up to Xmas without having a sense of humour failure!

I was in Forfar this monring to drop a machine off at the dealers then came hustling back via a customers spot near Kinross, a quick meeting with a local Rep and a few phone calls and then continuing the drive south. I feel a little disappointed that the chap I had done a demo to in Kinross would appear to be avoiding us, and certainly, there was a competitors machine in the shed but he was unavailable for comment. I got to admit that the the demo was a sight to behold, brilliant, even he said that he was amazed at where my machine could go and what it would chip. Maybe our 8-10 week delivery screwed us up! I had lined him up for trials with a prototype off road carrier but he is being a little shy now.

I left the area at approximately 12:30 and drove at 60mph to Berwick and had the obligatory tacho break of 45 minutes. Then carried on, and on, and on. Sometimes at 60 and sometimes at 50. Thanks to traffic on the M1 at Sheffield, this affecting the traffic on the A1, M18 and so I got in at 19:50. I got a list of stuff that needs to be done from a desk but have already promised to do too much tomorrow, including pressing palms with a retiring fitter at Derby City Council. That grumpy old git was always listened too! I also said yes to a visit to see someone with an obsolete machine from another stable that isn't imported anymore - I cannot I just say no to helping folk!?!

Night All!

 

[PeteB]

I set out to drop the big trailer and collect a chipper then visit one place in Leicester and three in Derbyshire. Managed only one thing! Infuriating! The trip to the office entailed various distractions so Ieft there later than I wanted. I only managed to get the one visit done. The unit I went to pick up was damaged, some one had tipped it over. Apparently, people knew but took it on themselves not to tell anyone else bar the Service crew! Now I got to explain to my client why the demo unit is battered! Not impressed....It should have been recorded on the Demo Unit Diary but they decided not to share that info.

I thought that another customer wanted a spare dropping off, but he wanted me to fit it! I checked the blades and they needed changing and they had another unit that had issues and needed a fettle! I thought that a quick drop then dinner would be in order but I left there at 4!

The next chap I was doing a goodwill visit hired a machine from one of my dealers only to have his lads crash it within the hour! So I gave him a swerve....let the dust settle first.

Caz is off at 04:00 so is in bed and I'm with a glass of Chardonnay in front of the box. It seems that she is going to go on two nights permanently with overtime for other days too! Odd job!!!

[PeteB]

Caz is at work again so I got the domestic chores at mine to do as well as some stuff to see to at hers.

The Grey Fergie had to be started and moved from the position is has been in for the 7 years that I can remember and moved into a shed. I don't think it has had many night under cover and really does need some TLC, the brakes don't work and the clutch judders with oil contamination, the fuel and carb are wrong and the electrics are shot! Plus the various oil leaks......

I also put various bits of garden maintenance stuff into the shed - something nobody else seems to think worthwhile doing which bugs me! I had intended to put away the wooden garden furniture too but that will have to wait to another weekend.

I also used some 'Live Line' pruning rods to cut back a Weeping Willow away from a phone line and also from over the tops of the cars. These rods are about 1m long and 5cm across, hollow and made from fibreglass. They slot together and can come with a hook to pull things, a parrots beak clipper to cut things and a pruning saw to cut the bigger things. These rods are tested and certified to not carry a current and can be rested on a 33,000 volt cable without drama! Back in my previous life, I had a couple of hundred of these to make up 6 sets (25/30 in each bag) for use clearing trees from overhead lines. Each section is over £15 per length, the clippers in excess of £100 and the saw is around £50 - so a set is a dear tool but necessary. As a Yoof, I would use these all day around the cables, sometimes with 15 sections slotted together and it bending like a fishing rod with a big one on the hook! I borrowed these from a customer as my climbing skills have gone and I didn't want it to end with a triumph of ambition over ability!

I took the dog for a walk along the lane and turned around as it was bitterly cold and beginning to rain. It transpires that the local 'gunsmoke and bulldust' folk were shooting down there and we may have jeopardised their fun! However, we did not raise any Pheasants, so if there was nought to shoot then I'm not to blame.

Home in time to watch the last half of the rugby match - Tigers lost but it was a spirited showing.

Caz is back from work and she is fuming, she got told off for not wearing the baggy horrible issue trousers (1 pair to last all week) and some other misdemeanour by some horrible old hag who likes to throw weight around - she is part of the team that twice in the recent past have had to  stop a flight from leaving as they cocked up on the search!

Caz is back now and having a quick nap - I'll best start to make the Lamb Madras for supper. Enjoy your evening folks.

[PeteB]

Caz went off bat 03:30 and came back at 10. Thank you technology for automatically setting the clocks as I had forgotten all about that!

I have a long term issue with a couple of discs trying to pop out and they are beginning to tweak a bit, so not done a great deal today! Started the house chores but stopped for her to have a nap, finished the ironing and the others after she woke up.

I did formulate and send the email to the garage I brought the Q7 from. It appears that I did get sold a lemon and it cost in the order of £4k plus to sort out a load of ECU issues, new air suspension pump and MMI. I would like to think that they will 'man up' and have it back. So disappointed neither it that I may get something else! Best look into an S6 maybe...

Caz in bed again as the bells ring at 01:00, she has decided to do two nights followed by 6 off with whatever overtime they can offer in the terminal seeing to the public stuff, we might see each other more too

[PeteB]

Went to Dronfield to meet a couple of young and eager tree blokes who had started to vocal on social media about a chipper of ours and getting it fixed etc. They had acquired a 15 year old thing which has been worked hard by several people and ended up with them for £5k, and then getting it serviced and a few jobs done of their choice cost another £2k. They felt that they had been wronged! I went to see it and I sold it to a firm in Cardiff when new. It had several mechanical issues looming and they can be dear to keep then. I hoped that a few words of encouragement and wisdom have halted the Soc Med scrum and slagfest. But, today, this would be a £30k machine, and fifteen years is a long time for a front line contractors unit and things do wear out! When people start to cut corners in maintenance then a sudden bill will hurt.....

Caz and I were due in the bank to set up a joint account having sorted an account online. Were a bit bemused to get there to be told that we cannot do it until I have had the account card through the post, why they didn't tell me to hang on is beyond me. Afterall, they have our email address's etc....

Last few hours of the afternoon were a whirlwind of phone calls and emails but now is the time to flop in front of the box. Caz isn't at work until late aft so it is good time together! Mind, I'll laugh tomorrow as she went circuit training at the gym for the first time - she'll struggle to walk tomorrow! He He He!

[PeteB]

Trying start to the day - went over to Sleaford to pick up a little trailed machine then back to the Factory via a quick stop at mine to do an email and grab an quick sandwich. The trip to Sleaford and back was mainly taken up with a variety of difficult phone calls - 40 in all! People who having not got the parts they ordered or the wrong parts delivered, people with broken machines and how to fix them, trucks with blown engines, deliveries gone wrong, paperwork incorrect on foreign machines blah blah blah! At one time, I had missed 18 emails and 37 calls from the factory from five people trying to get hold of me - impatiently pressing speed dial I guess!

Several people want emails doing while I'm out on site and I've had to give a trade show a swerve to free up another day out in the field too.

Back to the factory, I had a box with two packages of flax, sent from a potential purchaser in India to put through a machine to see how it comes out. They want one unit which cost £4,730 + vat, ex works. I tried this stuff and comes out far too course, so a waste of time again. We have people ask about units for chopping tobacco, smashing up apples for cider, Maize for cattle feed, shell fish, chickens, plastic pipes, car bumpers - all kinds of stuff, but they all want to ave a go with their product and some are worth a trial but others are a definite 'No!'.

I then had to load 6 small units on a trailer to take to one client in Wakefield tomorrow - these things aren't easy to strap down and tend to 'move', I hope that they get there undamaged! As often happens, someone else uses the trailer and it comes back without the winch remote and a broken clamp - typical times!

Discovered that Jayde, a 20something lass in the office is working her notice, that is a shame for us. Not to everyone's taste as she could be a little course at times, but I enjoyed her company and grateful for her humour and fun side, will miss her. She had to multitask various jobs and quite often got 'put on' but she managed most of the time. An attractive young girl too - she and I rolled eyes at each other when Drawing Office staff of others were obviously distracted by her decolletage! Hope the replacement is as much fun and as competent!

Caz is due home from an evening shift so we will dine together and get to bed together, at a sensible time for a change!

[PeteB]

Just walked in after leaving the house at 8 this morning. Caz is away to do the night shift, she'll be back at around 05:00 and I got to get up and go for six! Tom here having stripped this subaru engine in order to get it decked, honed, webbed etc to take big HP, I think the cudos of 'built, not brought!' is playing a hand. Blue printing an engine is a tough thing to do....

Managed to get the 6 small units to Wakefield without drama, glad to see that, while they have shuffled on the trailer, they had not clashed! A damage free delivery is a pleasurable thing....

Of to see a customer in Stamford Bridge who has a large hire fleet of chippers and is also a competitor as he is an agent for an imported make. He isn't happy with theirs and feels that their is no future with them at the moment so gave me an order for one of mine! It'll go into his hire fleet and then he will sell it to make room for another! The king of customer I like....He is a cash rich sort of company and like to do tarmac rallies for fun. While I have know him, he has had a MK2 Escort with a Millington lump, a Darian with a Millington Diamond, a Proton 4x4 and now another Darian with another Diamond. It is automotive art! right down to the gold panels in the engine bay to reflect heat! It is painted in a deep metallic blue which is otherwsie seen in the Audi R8 catalogue. He was telling me that he struggled with the sequential 'box as it didn't rev on the downshift and he game third  in his last outing. The programme didn't have this faciltity as other buyers blipped the throttle instead of the electrics doing it in time with e shift! I had a ride in the last one and it put a smile on your face and sweat in your palms! The induction noise was awesome too!

Then home via another dealer as they have a machine I need for demo in Keswick tomorrow - meaning an early start. Tom and I will eat a curry, then he will watch drivel while I email folk with plans, info on used kit and usual reps rubbish!

[PeteB]

A long and often trying day - it is that period that we all go through where everything is out of synchronicity!

Caz got back before 5 and I left at six! She has now gone home to spend a few days there so I can watch what I want etc! Although, i got some homework to catch up on - expenses are overdue etc!

I got to Keswick just before 10 and the demo went well although, I felt that the hex had been put on us by someone - the customer actually said, 'I feel better for seeing it in the flesh and am pleased that it worked well - you shouldn't believe everything that people tell you'. They left me hanging! The dealer's Rep had heard that our competitors or one of their customers had been slinging some mud about us and our products. I find it frankly galing when people don't 'sell' their product but try to put doubt in place by doing their competitors down - worse form of salemanship out! I occasionally get asked what I think of this make/model and my stock response is along the lines of 'they do things their way and we do ours this way and I sell these, so I won't comment on them or their dealers!'

I had tried to collect a trailer from another dealer but had to make several stops to sort stuff out by phone, or send a couple of emails, so missed the last call! That has added a few hours to my tomorrow already.

One thing that I'm trying to deal with is my lemon of a 56 plate Q7 - brought it in August and the electrical goblins have set in - no MMI, comms ecu fried and blown suspension compressor, faulty aircon, powerfold mirrors that don't, heated seats that don't  and a long list of fault codes coming up.The outfit that I brought it off are trying to tell me that they are not responsible and that trading standards will back them up etc. We will see.....I feel that as an Audi specialist confirms that it was broken when I brought it, they have indeed, sold me a lemon. Unwittingly or unknowingly, it matters little, it was not as described or fit for sale, and I walked straight in! I am very disappointing in it as a car and don't know if I will bother with another if this ends with a refund....

[PeteB]

Hurrah! Friday!!!

Caz has a 1am bell to start at 02:30 and back in bed for 08:30 - I might be there too, hopefully....

I had an hour drive up to Tuxford to collect a trailer then a 2 hour drive to Alcester. I think I spoke on the phone for most of the way! After a chase about the factory and chit chat, I left at 12:30 to get to Hay on Wye, lovely countryside and houses etc but got to stay focused on generating sales! The chap I went to see has one of ours and one of theirs, which he intends to replace. The workers chose another one of theirs which is a shame - but that is sales! Some you win and some you loose! Good thing is that when he expands again, he will go for ours as he likes 'the cut of out cloth'...

The drive home to Shepshed from Hay, via Leintwardine, Craven Arms, Shrewsbury, Cannock, Tamworth and up the A42, passed by at a steady 50 or 60 mph and burned a load of AdBlue!