Unexpectedly Good Service

 

From Facebook archives

11 July 2014 at 23:16

We usually whinge on Facebook (be honest we do) but in the past couple of days I've had some unexpectedly good service so to balance things up here we are.

 

We took advantage of the strike day yesterday to sort out Thunderthighs's building society accounts as from Saturday I am no longer trustee.

 

For background - when the boys were born I opened them Northern Rock accounts to put birthday/Xmas cheques in as there was a branch in our local shopping parade.  When the Rock decided to become a bank and close down its smaller branches I opened them National Savings Accounts at the Post Office to save traipsing into town with cheques and birthday money.  Also the staff in Northern Rock were really snotty.  Then of course NS&I decided to go entirely online so I opened them Newcastle Building Society accounts (oh what fun that was when Ferretfingers turned 18).  Northern Rock is now Virgin Money.

 

So off Thunderthighs and I go to the Newcastle Building Society at the top of Northumberland St where I asked for an advisor and a nice young man listened, gave us the sort code for Thunderthighs’s account and we explained to Thunderthighs how to put money in and get it out as needed.  Then out and to Virgin on the other corner.   Having experienced Northern Rock’s snottiness I was dreading it.  But fair play, the staff were really helpful and as nice as pie and the account closed and money transferred electronically by the close of business.  It all took far less time and less fuss than I anticipated and the lass even apologised for keeping us standing while she went to photocopy my driving licence for identity.

 

Then today Ferretfingers and I went to the Metro Centre and, before I could stop him, he's off into the Watch Repair Centre store and empties the three watches in his pocket onto the counter in front of the watch repairer.  He kindly picks up the battery operated wrist and pocket watch and puts them to the correct time.  The third pocket watch is clockwork, very cheap and the mechanism to correct the time is bust.  I told him not to bother but he spent a good five minutes trying to fix it - failed but refused any payment for his time.  The shop was empty but even so he was really kind.

 

So sometimes good things happen.

 

Now to try and get the cat in before birthday boy blows a blood vessel.

Thunderthighs' 18th birthday treat was a train trip to ride on Edinburgh's new tram system.