Barclays Bank doesn't know what Customer Service means

Being a good boy I was clearing my desk of all the rubbish that I don't enjoy doing. 

Amongst the pile was a request from Barclays to fill out an information form for the company plus one form for each Director. 

The information requested included:-

• Names of account(s) holders;
• Sort Code;
• Account Number(s);
• Date of Birth;
• Mother's maiden name etc. etc.;
• Signatures.

It required that these forms were returned together with copies of our passports VIA 2nd CLASS POST.

In short, all the information the ungodly would need to clone our identities and strip our accounts bare.  Would you trust the post these days?  Who can you trust to display even a modicum of professional competence?  Who have they got at Head Office thinking through these procedures?  What about Risk Analysis?

I decided to hand deliver the lot to my local Branch so, if anything goes wrong and they loose the information (highly likely on past performance) then they will be TOTALLY responsible.

If you have been similarly approached I would STRONGLY recommend that you take a similar stance.

Suddenly Life Gets Busy

Due to see the Architect again this afternoon.

Yesterday I started building my family tree on Genes Reunited (must have been bored).  Seems like a lot of work for not much result.  However, I came across an email address of someone who might be able to help.  Emailed him and sure enough, he already has some of the information I have been missing and seems prepared to do some more digging for me.  (Wonder if I know him from when I lived up-North?)

Had a call from Cognolink.  Seems that Bain and Co (Telecomms Consultancy) want me to do some work for them in  Munich (mostly over the phone though - no such luck as a paid for trip to the fatherland - long time since I was there visiting Siemens).

Gaz recommended that I take a look at http://www.iamtheclient.blogspot.com/ can't believe he (if it is a he?) gets away with some of the language but it is VERY funny and I don't think that you have to work in advertising to get the messages. 

To the Docs this morning for a short session.  Further one booked for early next month.  Then to the project - meet the man from the Water Board.  He fitted a new meter in no time, had a pint next door and came home.

Not half bad Spanish omlette for tea.  Slept through "I'm a Celeb".  Woke up at 3am and decided to do this until bored (round about now).

Maintenance Trivia

Dishwasher repair man came this morning.  Excellent service. 

Have you tried Repaircare?

Go to repaircare.co.uk for fixed price repairs including all parts and labour. repaircare.co.uk

Highly recommended.

Lazy weekend

Dee and I have both been feeling a bit crap lately - hence a lazy weekend doing absolutely nothing (well I did polish some of the brass fittings I took off MABEL).

Went for a takeaway Chinese last night. There were 2 Cherry Pickers in the town square - guess they were starting to put up the Christmas lights.

Yesterday afternoon there was considerable activity opposite the Cross Keys Pub (ambulance, police etc.). Don't know the full details but it seems that a middle aged chap "fell" out of his first floor apartment window into the street below. Unfortunately he didn't make it to hospital. The area is still taped off as a "crime" scene.

As time goes (doesn't drag too much) by.

Last week was Holloween (hate American type holidays but kids love 'em so I'll not hammer on about it).

Went to Walton at the weekend to get both boats out of the water.

Got all dressed up in oilies and found that MABEL (tender) was not where it should have been so I couldn't get out to Tuffle Bird. Investigated further.

Found both boats in Halls Boatyard. They had pulled them out a week early (probably anticipating the high winds at the weekend. So I stripped all the brasswork off MABEL to clean up over the winter and to make it easier for the boatyard to refinish the deck and woodwork.

Due to meet with the architect this afternnon to agree a layout for the ground floor of Thaxted.

Tomorrow - repair man (for dishwasher) coming and the Gas man commeth to Thaxted on Friday to quote for central heating installation.