How was your day?

[PeteB]

Perth to Alcester via Kinross is a trip! All at 60mph too! Towing best part of 3000kgs has a way of burning fuel too! 

Set out from Perth close to 9am after an hour of emails. Stopped at Kinross to buy more adblue and use the dealers jet wash. That chipper was embarrassing! Too dirty! I'll be having words with that customer!

I stopped at the delightful Tebay Services coming down Shap for a tachometer break lunch and made very good time up to getting to the M42! Dropped the trailer at the factory and turned around and went to Shepshed, getting there just before 8! Gave Caz her card etc and that was today!

From the amount of calls etc, we are getting into a busy patch again!

[PeteB]

Regrettably, another day of frustration and screw ups!

Caz away on her 12 hour shift and she has now got a couple of days off, shame she is too knackered to do much!

I set out early with a little chipper that I was told that was needed back at the factory. I got filming today and hopefully all goes well. But it didn't! The spot that we used last time was too bright, somewhere else was too dank and dark, another spot had been 'tidied up' with someone in a telehandler and they got it stuck! They wrecked the bonnet and damaged the engine in trying to get it out too! I borrow the local Estate Sawmill's key to a quite spot in the woods a couple of miles away and bingo! The job gets done in magic time! Right impressed! The camera man and I set off to grab lunch and get the next unit, only to find that it had been robbed for a couple of parts and 'our time' was binned! Sweet of them, they forget that when a salesman is doing filming, he isn't selling. So now I have to give up more time to do this necessary job that takes me away from sales.....

I then get into a couple of conversations as to why this little chipper was needed and it transpires that my colleague is doing some sales training with a couple of his dealers and has booked every machine we have - despite that fact that they only need to see one going and then pour over new machines to understand the features and benefits of the range. Oddly, he has not booked a turntable machine! Anyhow, he will be disappointed as I got a demo booked in and that includes using the flagship model....I despair at his shenanigans - he thinks that we are blind but unfortunately, I think that I'll end up trying to have that 'career development' conversation soon. He is even trying to get this machine launch delayed as he admitted that he does the lambing nightshift of r a busy sheep farm on The Gower Peninsula, and they are due to lamb in May.

[PeteB]

We came up to North Nottingham on saturday morning and after a quick stop at Wood Lane, we piled the kids in the car and went to view the new house. Sweet terrraced house wi=hich has recently been done up. Short walk along the canal to Retford town centre and the shops. Caz has visions of us going for a few drinks in town and walking home.Shame that the canal path seems to be the local dogs toilet - well, I presume that is dogs! I'm a dog lover but I dislike the attitude that dog muck is okay just left.....

We all went out for a few drinks and a supper to celebrate the birthday of Caz's mum. We then got talked into going to another pub which had a band playing. We drank, a lot, and had a glass of wine when we got home. Caz is feeling very subdued and I feel tired. Got to be done every now and then though!

Beef dinner tonight, Caz's Dad is away to help take down a stand at some shooting show in the NEC and one of the kids is not coming either so it will be a quite affair. Dog walk todat was good. Until he ran off to meet a short haired colly which has anxiety issues and wanted to fight! !Removed! animals....lovely weather for this time of year too.

[PeteB]

Pretty tough day here. Up at a reasonable time and done my expenses to start the day off! Why is it that I try to keep all the receipts but there always seem to be a few missing. Search high and low to no avail. Then, they turn up when I'm doing the next load! Bizarrely found a handful from last December that the office will be glad of!

After a few frustrating calls about the week ahead, I go off to collect a demo unit from a customer, we had agreed last week that I'd collect it from his yard in Beeston, Nottingham. Frustratingly, despite him and his manager telling the de-veg unit to pull it off a Railway job at the weekend, they didn't and denied all knowledge! It was tentatively booked for another demo on Thursday and failing that, the factory wanted it as my colleague is showing some other people about machinery. Not only did they 'forget', but they aren't supposed to move machinery off site until Saturday night! 'Cat in't pidgeons Yoof!' The company then scattered about the countryside with six sites on the go - mainly night work, so I was left in limbo. As it transpires, the lad who wanted the demo has got some bother so that is off and I could do with some desk time to plan a rook of deliveries that I got earmarked for me to do and we have a sales meeting which needs some prep work!

I hope Caz managed to catch a nap this aft, she is on the 12 hour night shift patch this week - 16:30-04:30. She will crawl into bed at 5:30 when I start to wake up!

It seems that Tom's plans to pep up a Subaru engine on the cheap aren't going according to plan. The outfit who agreed to do it now quote a 10 week lead time and several others are too busy to do it themselves. I've suggested that he gets it cleaned and does it himself! Not rocket science, just care and attention with some elbow grease and a decent way of measuring stuff. He acquired some 'belting conrods and pistons out a mates racer', and would need new rings and barrels to suit but I see nowt wrong in having a go! It spun a rod shell at some point so inspection and new shells and away! It ain't an F1 car!!!

Sausage n mash for tea, I'll do plenty so she can have them tomorrow without much bother! This week, we will only see each other for an hour a day. We will have the weekend together and she is off next week and will stay at hers so it will be lonely!

[PeteB]

Caz home soon after 04:30 and telling me stories of the weird people on her shift! She gone again for another 16:30-04:30, so on my own again!

She was with some people in a gate house last night and what a mixed up set of folk! One chap has three cars, which he cleans fastidiously, with more attention to them than he pays to his wife, another who was a councillor until his laptop was discovered to have an adult film left in the slot while he was at work and another who admits to being fixated with online gaming and he and his wife build empires online or are at work! And the last fellow confessed to have his wife pose like 'other models' around the house while he photographs her for his private collection......Makes my life seem very tame and lame!

I had a chiro appointment and then a day of office work and sorting issues over the phone. I think that I must have been on the phone for over 4 hours today.....We also got a sales meeting next week so had to read the last minutes and start to write up my notes for this one as I will not have much desk time between now and then. We also do a company magazine for four times in a year and they wanted some stories from me for that. Our PR/Press people also want stories and pictures all the time and all of that starts to encroach on my Sales time. One of the other things that I started to give some thought and organisation too is this business of Key Accounts management - now mine, whereas we let a couple of our dealers have that before. I got a short list of ten firms that I need to get about, with perhaps four or five visits to each participating depot per year - that will spread me even thinner than I am now and mean that, potentially, I can be south of London, West of Exeter, Inverness and many points in between in a week!

Cold Ham, chips and salad for tea, and promptly in bed as I have to be in Bishop Auckland for 09:00.

[PeteB]

Caz came home as I was beginning to wake up and go, we barely mumbled 'hello and goodbye'! I was in the car and trundling north before 6...I got to my dealer's in Bishop Auckland and after a lid of tea, we head out to Durham Council main yard. I was put on the spot right good! I thought that when they "wanted training", I was expecting the tree teams, but no, it was workshop staff! I had to rethink what they needed to know and quickly remodel my speel! Thankfully, they didn't ask too many questions that I had to blather my way through! Durham are hot on training as a tree chap got badly hurt some years ago in an awful accident and lost his arm! They have been loyal customers since 2004 and are due to buy two or three this year!

I spent big chunks of the journey to and fro on the phone - somewhere close to 45 calls to folk up and down the country sorting various issues and perceived wrongs as well as organising some diary events going forward. A new machine had a brought in component failure and we diagnosed it over the phone, organized a replacement part to be delivered, organized a fitter to go following a short delay and still the customer is unhappy! Sometimes, you cannot help people and sometimes even when you do your best, it still isn't good enough!

Tom here for supper, he tells me that he had an invite to a gaming event in Berlin soon! That stuff is beyond my perception of fun!

[PeteB]

Caz home at 04:30, and crept into bed! I got up at 7 and spent a couple of hours behind the desk before collecting demo tracked machine from the chap in Nottingham. They have bent a control bar which I'll ask them to pay for! Then off to see a couple of hire firms and off to the factory. After washing it and putting it away, I got to do some voice over stuff for the video chap. That's about that stuff done for the time being!

My colleague has a load of dealer staff in with every machine in a line to show them. I got one for demo to but was quite disheartened to see that it is filthy! As Sales, we get to recognise that we have to 'sell' the machines, our company and ourselves to these people and scruffy get hasn't even got the machines cleaned!

Then, on the way home, I got to collect a dining table that Caz brought off someone in Bromsgrove. The Sellar starts to tell me about her very recent hysterectomy, her relationship issues with the father of her child, her boyfriend and another chap, her mother's marriage issues and her father's three wedding fails! I'm trying to get away but the stories keep coming! She even invited me in for coffee to tell me more!!! 

Early start tomorrow, appointment in Blackpool at 09:00!

[PeteB]

Caz was away for her 04:30 start and I got up at 05:30 - leaving at 6 for Blackpool. Got there for about 08:45 - to the surprise of the buyer. He had forgot that I was coming and was due elsewhere! 45 mins later and I'm on the way to the dealers in Burnley. Good meeting there but watched 3 artic loads of John Deere stuff arrive - my stuff ain't high on the priority list. Finish that meeting and head over to a hire company in the Stockport area. He could talk more than I could! Got away after over two hours! Then the drive down to the factory and change the machinery and then head home. Left the house at 6 and got in at quarter to eight! It's a Rep's life!

Now at North Nottinghamshire, gin in hand!

[PeteB]

Not much of a lie in. Dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens and geese to be let out fed etc! Caz had brought a table from someone in Manchester, so we had a little trip out returning with a sofa!

Caz and her daughter went to the shop while I watched the rugby matches. Neither was the result I wanted! 

I did a stir fry for Ez and myself, Caz is in salad mode. Slow day with nothing to report.

eBay dreaming about what to get as a straight liner, S3? TT with bam engine? Golf? Passat? Don't want a ricer! Could go retro Brit tin?

[PeteB]

A quiet day here, nice occasionally not to have to get loads done! I had to get a built in bookcase removed downstairs as the decorating needs doing and we felt it was time to go. Once removed, we remembered that it was agin an original wall which wasn't upright, smooth, level doorways or skirting! A feel a bodge job being done once painting is finished.

I have decided to sell off some of the machinery so fired up the strimmer to clear around stuff. Was happily surprised that the 4 stroke strimmer started easily using fuel from last September too! The circular saw, pedestrian flail and 82" ride on mower are going - I would love to keep the flail, but realistically, when will it get used and by whom! This is my second weekend at Wood Lane Farm this year! The bench is fine but the flail needs an expensive control module - new, was a £14k piece of kit and the module is a G. Any cracking electronic wizard fancy a job? The Toro mower I brought as a basket case, another engine and some clever thinking got it working, but it is really a spares job going forward. Father in law isn't interested or capable of using any of it and wouldn't help with the cost if it so it goes - hopefully for a usable amount of money! Still eBay dreaming of a straight liner! Anyone else go to Santa Pod?

I had a little snooze after dinner while Joe watched the football and then we went out for a supper. The first time that Caz, her kids and I have had supper out without Grand parents or Aunts/Uncles. They were away and getting back after we had gone. No doubt that they will throw a guilt trip our way for not inviting them or being here and having tea on the table for them!

Back to mine tonight, Caz will come back in here Mini as she has a few days off!

[PeteB]

Twas on of those days.

Caz stayed overnight and went back to hers to have a few days there. I got up on time but everything started to turn sour.

I had arranged to be in Barnoldswick at 11:00. I got  two calls before I could get out the house, one social and one work. Rugby chat by with a good friend from Scotland who is a good player and knows a few of the Scottish team blah blah blah. The work call is from a lad who has two of our flagship units and he failed an audit the other day as he had put down the capacity of the winch at 8,000lbs but did not submit the papers for it. He and I talked about this for 30 mins while I tried to get ready and out the door. Some other delays to do with paperwork that I needed meant that I was late out the door to the tune of 45 minutes! The trip to Barnoldswick was through some bits of fog but once that had burned off, the weather was a pleasure. The folk at Barnoldswick were okay with the delay. They brought £70k's worth not long back and as soon as I saw one, I knew that it was coming back for silly jobs to be done properly. The bonnet was a poor fit, the bonnet micro switch did not work, the fuel tank leaked, the spare wheel bracket is floppy and the mudguards were sub-standard. Why they sent it out like that is beyond me. When I got back to the office, a production supervisor was on about how difficult his job was - he looked shocked when I replied 'I'll swap with you any day, but you couldn't manage the pressure or reduction in salary!'.

I also had an email saying that five top machines were being delivered by truck on wednesday and the silence was deafening when I asked who they had advised that the drop was on! Some of these yards are not manned all the time and the times may be away on site! Guess that I'll have that to do tomorrow amongst the rest of my day.

I also had to talk to someone about them slagging off our dealer and bragging about how busy they are yet there year old chipper has already missed two services intervals and his engine warranty is now void. He thought it was funny and I was joking.....

A young rep, who is always above himself was bragging that he had sold a tracked machine locally, when I congratulated his boss, it turns out that he hasn't got the order and he isn't buying until later in the year - good job I did not put that in my forecast.

Another dealer wants a big chunk of money for us to borrow a machine for a week - no wonder his sales are slow at the minute. I wish him the best but he did sum it up, 'I seem to get calls but all those used units are still in stock!'.

The tale of the the lemon Q7 could be coming to a conclusion - the bank rang twice today, they could well refund my money in a matter of days! It will be a shame if they do and a historic victory at the same time! The spec on mine is/was good but the seller will not get my recommendation! Caz and I would like to get a Q7, but she looked inside a Range Rover Vogue the other day and it was lower mileage, cheaper and better spec! I would hope that I stay brand loyal but who knows.....Once the lame toys have gone, I fancy a pepped up S3 to take on Tom at Santa Pod!

[PeteB]

Good day here, thoroughly enjoyable! Caz still at Wood Lane which is now strange having the empty house that I was used too. Right now, YouTube on, and loud! Anything from the late 70's through to 80's! Prince right now - purple rain, all that while I iron, hoover, toilets etc!

Set out for Stourbridge Golf Club this morning for a demo on a small chipper - pocket money to the club but not a decision that they take lightly! Committee and all that stuff. I was at Boarding School in Stourbridge so it was a trip down memory lane today. When I went in September '75, it was a brutal place with endemic bullying which was taken as growing up! When we first started, there was a system called 'fagging', whereby a designated 10yo boarder had to visit each 6th Form Study and get their shopping list and money, setting out to get it all. The list of designated pupils was published on the main notice board and you paid dearly if you didn't do your duty. You basically went for whatever they asked for and didn't question it - cigarettes, booze, pornographic magazines - whatever! As well as stamps and stationary.......As an extremely naive and unworldly 10yo, I got sent, with cash, to the shops at Old Swinford cross roads for a yard of Fallopian tubing and a pint of Pigeons milk! I went, I asked......The system was banned after complaints from parents before the first half term, but, if you got told by an Sixth Former to go and get, you did! It is now one of the Nations Premier Schools with many notable people to come out of the place happy for being there and some, like me, didn't do well academically but we done alright in life!

The demo at the golf club was great, well impressed! A lovely little machine to demonstrate and always opens eyes! Lets hope the committee are in a good mood.

Went back to Alcester to swap machines as I got to be in Darlington tomorrow - a quick chat in the office and I'm off home to sit behind the screen, tapping out emails and planning the next few events. I got 5 units being dropped off tomorrow in Yorkshire and Durham and each will need training and support while they get going and getting them organised is like pushing string!

Highlight of the year so far is some pivotal news. The bank have done that Section75 and refunded my purchase price on the lemon Q7! I got to await instructions on getting it back to them and it still isn't 100% sure that the decision stands but HSBC wouldn't throw the money at me if the were not sure that the vendor was culpable! I do feel a tad sorry as it was a good spec car but with knackered electrics and suspension! I am tempted to make them a really cheeky bid for it and getting it repaired! Caz has already sent me a load of stuff about OverFinch RR that she has seen, I may be going to the other side! But, having said that, I learnt to double de-clutch in the first LR sold into Hereford and Worcester, and owned a 109IIa, 110V8, 2x127 Crewcabs, 1x 130 single cab and an LSE which was a nice ride! And driven various Defenders, Discovery's and had a FreeLander as a tow tug for 150k miles! And sold two wood chippers to the brand, one to care for Lode Lane and one atGaydon testing ground.....so the connection is strong!

[PeteB]

Away before 8 to get to Darlington for 10. Was a few minutes late after a section of the M1 was down to 40 and the A1 at a standstill north of Doncaster for some unaccounted reason. The council were very receptive to seeing us and we had a good laugh while I did my speel. They hitched up and we set off across town to try it on site. It worked well and they liked it. It is now down to the Transport Manager to get a wiggle on and order one. I hope it doesn't go to tender as that can be a delay and opens to the door for some other supplier to try and muscle in. Good fun and good demo, everyone smiling again.

Then the phone started ringing and that was it for the trip back home - non stop and often hard work! One of my dealers had a momentary breakdown in the thought process when a chap rang, asking about a relatively low value machine, but they were a fair way away from the dealers spot. A usually perceptive and canny lad answered the phone and told him that they wouldn't handle the sale and that he ought to ring our office direct. Whilst that is true in one respect in that he is out of their given trading territory, he has two used machines that can be sold anywhere to anyone! When the customer got to our office, it puts people back's up to hear that a dealer could not be bothered. All he had to do/say was 'leave it with me and I'll come back to you......' I phoned the chap direct  and he wants a demo next week and we cannot do that as the machine is away, so passed it to the original dealers Used specialist who was grateful for the headsup. Hope to have salvaged that....

Also got to get two units underwritten, one from 2001 with no engine and a 2003 that doesn't run. The owner is sure that they are made of gold too.....

 

Nice to have Caz back here, she gone to bed with an 02:30 alarm....she dreaming of Discovery while I'm still searching for another Q7 with similar spec to what we got sa on the drive ready to go back....

[PeteB]

Caz away early, I knapped for a bit, then phone woke me up at 5:30 with a call from Cyprus about a Used machine that is with a dealer!!! Lost the plot then and started to look a 4x4 things! 

Took yesterday's machine back to the factory and put a DNU on it as the blades are hitting the shear bar after 3 hours use. Not good, badly assembled as something has moved! Disappointing....

Hitched up to an ex demo unit that was sold and headed out to the middle of Lincolnshire. The buyer agreed to this in mid December but is slow at getting finance in place etc, it is untrue! He had always been so 'calm', he could be horizontal! After a catch up with the dealer staff, I headed to Shepshed to grab my stuff and drove to the factory again. Staying overnight in the hotel in readiness for the sales meeting tomorrow.

Only myself and the odd colleague here and I got to say that his home life is hellish mad! How he finds time to work, I don't know! Kids in rehab, and relationship, bad divorce, sheep, fishing, blah blah blah! Heads in a spin!

No further instructions on the lemon Q7. She pushing to get s Disco......still.

[PeteB]

A long day!

In bed early last night but awake at 4:30. The Sales Meeting started at 9 then pretty well went on until 15:30! In some ways good meeting as some issues got aired but I find myself getting angry as when I see when a change in a machine is needed, I feel it is best to do it PDQ. While others seem to think that a change needs a period of calm reflection, testing, moderation and consideration! Aaargh!¡!! I get annoyed to the point of facetiousness when info is not communicated and then when questioned, the response seems to be 'oh? Didn't you know?'. Or at the statement of the bleeding obvious, they dislike me saying "No !Removed! Sherlock!". 

They forget that, while I'm a Sales Manager, I've also got a 'bent' for engineering, messed about with chippers for more years than all in the drawing office put together and seem to have a retentive memory for many things except birthdays, postcodes and pin numbers!

After the main event, myself, the Sales Director and my odd colleague had a meeting about these "key accounts". I had to ask which people need to be treated as key accounts and that meant asking when some key players had last been spoken/visited. I'm am stretched a little thin in the Midlands and North and recognise that. But I get despondent, embarrassed, angry, when I asked about some key players who spent big with me and no one has been to see them for years! I could get so upset at the missed opportunities, that I could very easily get charged with verbal assault, abusive behaviour and language, combined with conduct unbecoming!

The type of thing that he confessed to recently included that he couldn't drive anywhere for a day because he had trimmed so many sheep's feet on the Sunday, he couldn't move his fingers on Monday morning!!! How he laughed.....

Nice to get home a see Caz, quick bit of good shopping, supper, she had a glass of wine and into bed for her 02:30 wake up! Me? G like add if wine or three and tripe on the box. Enjoy your weekend!

[PeteB]

I did wake when she went, but not for long!

I got up earlier than usual with a determination! Bit of housework and stuff then into the garage. I got the Focus on ramps and crawled underneath to get the tank out. I was amazed how rusty it was underneath! The corrosion was endemic! The rear subframe and suspension was truly shocking in that the steel was delaminating. I think that the years of rural driving and rarely being cleaned followed by standing has done for the old girl. I had intended to fit a new fuel pump, give her a right good clean and advertise her for best offer! After seeing the delamination, I doubt she'll MOT so we decided to sell it for scrap to clear the space! 

I got around to sending off the Corsa ECU, so hopefully, that will get sorted soon enough and that will get sold. We decided to wait until we get back from a break to do that and flog the various mowers blah blah too. I might even set out to clear some space in the garage and make space flogging the huge compressor, various V8 blocks and BW gearboxes!

Both cars got a trip to the wash - at £6 or £8 a go, they do a great job, far better than the local coin ops!

I had a little nap while the rugby was on an we decided that as I was recording it, we would get a quick walk in before dark. Oddly, Caz's exercise App showed that she walked some 3.5  miles the other day while we walked an extended version and it was only 3 miles!!!

Still thinking on the Q7 replacement, a Disco 4 would be good but more than my pittance budget, she got caught looking at Q7 stuff again so you may have to put up with my ramblings! 

Tom got another Legacy scrapper! He hates the Lexus so got this for the engine for his red one and move on the Shed Lexus! I got to thinking and eBay dreaming and a red S4 Avant with bad paint is currently sat at £2,350! Now that would be fun but I need to make space! Anyone want to make a good bid on Sweet Sixteen?

[PeteB]

Slow and quiet today. Caz away in the small hours and I eventually got up at nine. I decided to to fit a new socket and some bench lights in the garage. I don't know what I've done but they don't work! I stopped for a while at dinner and carried on until the rugby started but still haven't sorted it out! All I done was snip a cable, use a junction box to extend and the stuff won't work! Totally illogical and baffled by it! 

Watched a fair bit of the Words v Newcastle match until Caz came home. After a cup of tea and chat, she away to kip while I ponder some work stuff and get the Sunday roast started! Got a big pork joint in. Enough for 8, or do the sticker says, that sorts out a few nights onwards then!

That red S4 gas broken £3k now, I'm right tempted but I got to get some space made etc! I'd love to that a blast up Santa Pod against Tom's ricer burner!

[PeteB]

Caz away early! At this rate, she will have paid for this house in double quick time! I had to write up the sales meeting which was a an awful lot of copying and pasting! Still took hours to add the additional notes and action points that I had written down! I sent it off for the Sales Director for him to authorize circulation and hopefully it is what his recall is too!

That and a rook of planning do do with these National Accounts took care of the day! Still in a spin over how little my colleague has achieved in the last 7 years not going to any of them! Oh well.

Caz off to bed soon as she got a 01:00 alarm! She finishes at 09 and is back on in the afternoon! I got a chiropractor appointment then will head off to go to the head office of a couple of firms in the South of England! That'll be strange traipsing along my previous well trodden paths!

[PeteB]

Caz pushing the boundaries! They screw up and didn't look at the schedules, she went in at 4 and came home at 9. Slept and then went back in at 16:30 until 04:30! She'll be right tired out! She also had some tough news on the house purchase - the Solicitor smells a rat with this one, something to do with rights of access around the back gardens - looks like the one neighbour has rights across two gardens but Caz won't have access to hers! Plus the Solicitor is asking for a breakdown of works done and the costs associated as it got sold last year for close to half what Caz has been asked to pay......It may mean a very thorough survey - far more thorough than a standard home buyer thing to make sure that the cracks haven't been plastered over!

I spent the day at the desk trying to get to the key buyers etc at these National Accounts - almost flying blind as my colleague has done nothing for the last six years and I been stretched a tad thin with my workload! Hard work and very tiring too. Found out the a premier machine that got 'sold' in September has been left.....the buyer gave his order and now will not take it. Right annoyed as we could have sold it twice since and one of those would not wait for a new one and went to a competitor! I do dislike that kind of thing...Twice it has happened to that Rep too! I circulated the records from the sales meeting and will probably get a cold shoulder from a couple of people that got criticised for poor communication internally. It needed to be said. Even the most minor thing needs to be talked about then we can decide who needs to know. I hate it taking a call from a new machine customer asking where the locking ball hitch is, as it was on the demo unit - 'we deleted it as it saved £20' was the reply internally - but it says in the brochure that it is fitted!, a shrug and they walk away. Quite often, UK Sales Reps are not looked as the wealth creators but as an overhead, and treated badly. Quite often, we call ourselves 'The Mushrooms', fed on muck and kept in the dark.....

Got in the garage and sorted out these plugs and wiring to a satisfactory level, now got to fit these lamps to enlighten the bench top - leave that for another day. Now in the bag with a wine and tripe tv! Still eBay dreaming about getting something to blat up and down!

 

[PeteB]

Caz home at five, I'm up at 6:30! Left the house at 7 for the two hour trip to the demo at Easingwold. The traffic was awful! M1 had a long stretch up to the M18 which was 20mph with signs saying beware of the traffic heading towards you!?! Then the A1M was shut so a lot of standing traffic or people like me following their satnag! Good demo and had a laugh so hopefully got the deal!

Then headed down too Hull to show some experienced users how to get on with their new chipper. Good bunch and we had some common contacts so had a laugh and remember various folk in the rail deveg world.

Head back towards Selby to another customer to collect some parts sent in error, again! Right annoying! Then back to Shepshed. Tom and Pip here for divorced Dad's Wednesday supper! Caz gone to a 12 hour night shift again! Glad I got the demo done this morning as the rain came down like stair rods this aft!

In the bean bag watching tripe now, got a couple of emails to do though!

[PeteB]

An awkward day! Caz back home at 4 and I didn't sleep well! Off at 7 to Dunnockshaw bro meet a rep at his premises. We have to hang one and a Unimog then train the council staff! It was an odd sale via a tender document and they have ours already, but several questions and the offer of a demo/site visit went unanswered. Anyhow, got the deal and the first and second attempts to do this died as the Unimog was broken and then their tractor was dead! Got there this morning at 10 and the first thing the rep says is "it don't fit!". They have the only 'Mog that I have seen with a non adjustable rear linkage and it is about 3" too wide!!! I now got to organise two new pick up arms or have the chipper altered! 

The next job was to take a new unit from the dealer to a customer in Bury. But they decided to delay delivery until next week but only decided that last night! Grrr!

I pulled into a service area to make a few calls and lost 2 hours on non productive stuff about a used machine being taken to France by an ex pat and the legalities of that. Another frustrating set of calls that change next week's diary and the weather was absolutely vile, making driving a chore!

Caz doing 4:30 - 16:30 tomorrow, do looking forward to doing nothing of consequence over the weekend!

[PeteB]

Sorry folks, technical difficulties etc meant that I never got to do the last few days.

Friday had Caz go at 3:30 and back at 17:00. I went early enough to Alcester then after the usual chatter etc, take a new unit to Hire Equipment in Ludlow. They traded their 2017 unit for something slightly bigger. Good people and a pleasure to do business with them again. After some more chat and froth in the factory and around, I head home to spend a couple of hours trying to get to grips with Unimog pickup arms etc. That never happened with the plethora of week end calls. I'm off to Scotland next week and that puts pressure elsewhere. Caz wanted to get away so I packed the laptop and we headed north to Wood Lane. I was shattered after the hassle and miles of this week so fell asleep in a chair while the box was being laughed at after supper. It was like I had had a soporific! Could not keep awake!

We discovered that the internet was down - no cable up there - and the phone signal was worse that usual. I nearly went off to the local McDonalds to do my stuff! On the thought that it would be back, we stayed where we where. amazing how bereft you feel once tablets, smart TV, phones etc do not work! No eBay dreaming, no emails, restricted messaging blah blah blah. Critical time for me with a trip on and Caz has been asked to apply online for a contract.....That and her online login was busted and the office isn't manned to re-jig stuff was most annoying. At least I got to watch the rugby. The Scotland/Wales match was epic with Wales becoming lousy in the second half while Scotland were dominate. The England match was as expected. The weather was lousy so even the dog was not sure about stuff outside but he still got stir crazy!

I refitted the busted/repaired ECU into the Corsa with no real expectations of instant repair. I wasn't disappointed! I was really, the re-worked ECU now has a different set of symptoms and still the thing doesn't work. I hope that I can contact the firm and talk it through with them. Hopefully, they will be on point - I would hate to go through another Section 75 clawback!

The weather on Sunday was still appalling, so glad that the rugby was on again. Ireland were rampant! A team, while the french looked like they rarely played together....The internet was still down, phone signal too poor to hotspot too. Try it! A weekend with plenty to do with no outside comms.....Nightmare!!!

Talking of Comms, it is always an issue at work. Some people are too busy with their stuff to bother with it, others like to keep it to themselves, others are open and tell everyone everything. One or two forget what it is that we do and how we do it! Anyhow, Sales Dept are often the last to be told and we constantly !Removed! on about it. Promises made to reform and a Comms Commissar put in place. We had a not uncommon situation on Friday when I and the Comms Commissar had a discussion about a needy person being lent a machine in my control as a 'used' unit. Planning done and and discussions had! I found out the Engineering/Development have took it to bits to use it as a test bed donkey! Important though that is, it is even more important to talk about it and decide what is happening with all departments before it is took off my list (and that general stock list). Their's was a blank look from the Tech Manager etc - as if to say 'I know that I have screwed up, but, I'm too important to be involved in this discussion, after-all it is only a salesman who suffers'....Then there will be a look of 'do you know how important my work is in comparison to that of a mere salesman! For some reason, in the UK, Reps are quite often looked on as 'overheads' rather than 'Wealth Makers', we are often seen as 'burdens' rather that 'Assets'. Most annoying... especially when they are always after me for forecasts, numbers, crystal ball viewings etc....They are salaryed or paid sheltered from the shocks of daily life while we get paid on results!!!

whinge over.....

[PeteB]

As usual, Caz away early. I'm up and gone in reasonable time, packed for a few nights away. I drive, slowly, to the office to collect a couple that fit on a small trailer, get involved in various discussions, then head north. I got to be in Edinburgh for 16:00 but the SatNag tells me that that is a tad optimistic! I drive from Alcester to Colinton Road in 6.5 hours with only a stop for fuel and a toilet break! Got to Edinburgh for 17:05, which ain't a bad trawl!

Customer is a decent spud. He works for the Army Reserves as Phys Ed type thing for a couple of days and does tree work when he can! 

Once that is done, drive for another 90 mins to a hotel in Dundee. After a quick supper and a few txt messages with Caz, fall asleep. Awake in the wee small hours now! 

A call to the bank today and they tell me to return the lemon Q7 to the garage who sold it to me and that should bring that saga to an end. On the look out for a decent Q7 again. Hopefully one without issues.....

[PeteB]

Hard slog today. Started with a disaster, the breakfast chef didn't turn out so had to do with toast! Aftercare few emails, I headed to Forfar and the dealership there. I had to collect a tractor mounted chipper and go over a few things with the dealer owner and his sales staff. The chipper should have been bolted to a pallet, but that was a cheap one which was broken, the chipper had at some point been damaged after falling off the forks of a lift truck! Not happy, even less so to find that it hadn't been used either and the Rep had gone 'to make few calls.' strapped iron the trailer and got the boss out of a sit down with a Tier 1 product Rep. I get on with him and we don't feed each other froth! Quick couple of questions/answers and I'm away. I decide to take the Old Military Road over the Cairngorms - job perk!

Cracking drive but it cracked the pallet even more! Drove through rain, gales, sleet, snow and bright sunshine! On getting to the first island at Inverness and braking sharply, the chipper shifted and the little one behind that fell over with a load crash! Right in front of a Policeman! Quickly nipped into the nearby Tesco carpark to stand things up and restrap everything! 

Meeting in Inverness was good to get support going forward then in due time started out for Perth! Truly vile weather again, driving my rain, sleet and heavy snow. Standing snow and slush along the A9. At one dual carriageway section, with lane 2 covered, an impatient lorry came racing past, throwing waves over all the cars! The idiot could have caused an accident as I couldn't see anything for several years and the car in front of me was a timid driver!

At the hotel now. Family upset as sisters delightful terrier got spooked by another dog and ran into road and got killed and her other dog got savaged! Poor folks! They rehomed this terrier from an official rehoming spot on a Greek island.

Caz's application for a contract shows that there are dozens of applications and only one 2 on 6 off role! The rest are 2days,2nights and four off!

[PeteB]

A decent night's sleep in a Travelodge in Perth, one of the Travelodge joints that has a decent pub restaurant next door. A few email meant a delayed start and I had to rejig the load on the trailer. Stuff on wheels can bounce about and the pallet under the tractor powered unit had shattered, leaving it wandering around wrecking the bed! I photographed the wreckage and sent in an email asking for a better method of carting these about. They will look into it, again....

After a few sales calls in the Perth area, I met an old friend for a spot of lunch then headed for Bishopton, west of Glasgow. I had to stop to make a few phone calls but spent decent time with the dealer reps to organise the introduction of a new chipper. Good bunch of people who really want to do more for us. 

Then off to another hotel that I booked in Arusha this morning. Only, I made a mistake. In my haste, I booked for April 13th!!! Good job that they had a room available as I really wasn't looking to traipsing about trying to get a room!

Caz is worried that I might get "voluble" at the weekend when I take the lemon Q7 back to the rogue garage on Saturday, she doesn't want me to go alone! I've had to promise that I'll park the trailer not far away and drive it to their lot, get out, take pictures and walk away without voicing my opinion on their collective parentage, slipping into the vernacular and generally acting the disgruntled thug! It could easily go that way after 6 months of being pished about!