Selfish selfish selfish

We had a parcel to collect from our local CityLink depot in Chelmsford.  I think it’s probably something I’ve ordered from John Lewis for the hubby; one of the very few items not ordered on Amazon this Christmas.

At lunchtime it started to snow and I thought I ought to nip in the car and pick the item up before everyone got snowed in.  I checked the delivery card and it said they were open from 8:00-16:00 so I knew I was OK.  Well I say I knew but I have had a bad experience at this depot before.  I’ve turned up at at 8:05 on a Saturday to find the doors locked when finally at 8:15 a surly individual has opened the doors with the cheery greeting “Is that the time?”

I figured I was safe.  Arriving at one o’clock, what could possibly go wrong?

As I arrived I saw someone I knew heading to their car empty handed.  We had a chat and Stuart told me that they’d decided to close early because they had enough of a queue to last an hour and a half and weren’t willing to accept any more people.

Meeting Stuart helped with my anger management.  Stuart is a persuasive guy and he had a valid reason to be annoyed.  Their package hadn’t been delivered on the nominated day and he’d driven further than me to collect it and then was refused entry.  My situation was different.  Delivery had been attempted and failed twice.  If Stuart had failed to negotiate entry then the only thing I had going for me was cleavage, which was covered by multiple layers.  I stood no chance.

This meant that when I approached the poor chap who was given the job of imparting the bad news to customers I was in a milder mood than one might normally expect.

He gave me the news he’d been asked to impart: the office was closed as the people inside (I counted six) had been waiting for an hour and a half and the manager had decided to deny anyone else entry.

I gave him my details and requested re-delivery with the request that the item be left in the porch if nobody was in to accept the delivery.  He told me this would only be possible with the consent of the sender, the company supplying the goods.  This was contrary to advice I’d had from a CityLink driver just days before who said if I consent to items being left in the porch then that was enough authority to make it happen.

I gave bearer of bad news my home and mobile telephone numbers.  Probably a mistake on my part.

I also said that it was ridiculous that the information they supplied about opening hours was blatantly incorrect and asked how I could have any confidence in the depot being open if I made a return journey in the future.  After all they hadn’t cited weather as an issue at all, and actually the snow was extremely light in Chelmsford.  My prize was the number for the Chelmsford depot which, if anyone wants it, is 01245 495904.  

Clearly I’m not asking or recommending that you make any nuisance or hoax calls.  This number is provided to you as a public service.  Use it wisely.  I will…