Well the glass is both half full and half empty at the moment. Day 12 of #FindAnnesPaintings dawned and I was optimistic as usual although as the morning wore on I started to feel a little anxious again. Oville had said he would call me ‘in just a moment’ yesterday and then went quiet. So another assault on Twitter’s @citylink was called for. This time I had a new hashtag #WhereMyPaintingsAt?
I have every reason to be smiling this evening.
Anyway the Lord has answered our prayer and managed to point these guys down the right track because I received a phone call from a lovely guy called Tom from the Milton Keynes depot. He seemed friendly and polite and told me he had taken over my ‘case’. More platitudes? Well I have to give a guy the benefit of the doubt don’t I. I am not an unreasonable person.
Well,the good news is that they have found the paintings (yaaaaay) and the not so good news is I won’t be getting them back just yet (booo hisss) but for now that is good enough for me. Let me explain; the driver who’s name I can reveal as Moment (yes yes as in Moment in time), had indeed delivered the paintings to the depot but because they were too large and too bulky to go on the conveyor belt, he carried them to the scanner to be er… scanned.
However that area is also Amazon’s returns depot. Can you see where this is going? Well some jobsworth came along, slapped a return to Amazon label on my beloved paintings and off they went on a jolly to Glenrothes, Scotland. I have to be thankful – it could have been Papua New Guinea so at least we are on the same island (just). The small problem is Amazon’s depot in Glenrothes is the size of a small city so even though they have found the right haystack, there is still the very small matter of finding the needle. Hopefully in the next few days we will know when I will be reunited with the paintings. So I am declaring a ceasefire for now.
Still I think they have done a good job. Pity I had to make a nuisance of myself to make them listen. Sorry folks, I am a nice person really but you probably don’t think so. We live in an age now where the consumer has power. Social Media can help us in many ways we thought impossible, we will not be fobbed off so my dear Citylink – don’t pull a stunt like that again and you will see your tills ringing with the £500m annual turnover you want to achieve. Just stay focussed on ‘getting it right first time…’
CityLink clearly have a lot of issues and they may be addressing them but as a customer we don’t feel it. However I have to say Tom and Oville – well done and thank you. You have made one artist and her customer a very happy pair.
That’s it for now folks. I will let you know when my parcels are returned to me. I need to make sure they are still intact and then I will send them off to the customer by a different courier company. Sorry CityLink but I can’t risk another saga like this besides all my friends will think I am a proper lemon for trusting you so quickly. I will be keeping an eye on your progress. You can do it – just stay focussed.
Thank you Father
Te Deum Laudamus
yaaaaaaaayyyyyyy – sorry just needed to add this last bit.
Anna,
You idescribed this challenge as a war between you , a.k.a. david and city link, aka Goliath.
Yesterday, I was going to remind you that david emerged the victor…………..
I am glad you found the paintings. Just tells you what a little persistence can do!
Love,
Sylvia.
He did indeed Sylvia. He was not afraid to take on the giant because of the power he had within him (Greater is He who is in you than He that is in the world…)
These large courier companies truly are giants. They have (it would appear) some very faceless, uncaring people who are not in the sligtest bit interested in your issues and want to get you off the phone as soon as possible. There are some caring ones and God works through them… if only they will listen. I am waiting for the moment when I am reunited with the paintings. I can’t wait but I will be patient.
I am absolutely delighted that the paintings have been traced! I thought your letter to Citylink was eloquent and powerful, and clearly it’s had a result.
Thank you Jane. I genuinely want to help them and see that they turn around. They can do it but they have to work from the inside out. If it wasn’t that I quite like my current job and want to concentrate on my art, I would write to the MD with a proposal and reasons why he should employ me 🙂
Excellent news Anne. Very, very happy for you.
Soila.
Thank you Soila, my tail is wagging so hard it is starting to ache. I haven’t slept properly since I was given the good news and can’t wait to get them back. Thanks for the twitter support as well.
Such a brilliant blog, outlining the sort of problem that confronts us on a daily basis. The sad thing is that it takes the tenacity and determination of people like Anne to persevere and keep on pushing. Not only is this blog an inspirational read, it motivates and calls us all to rise up; to take action and not let irresponsibility win the day.
Absolutely Amanda, completely 100% true. Companies like CityLink cannot be allowed to steam roll little guys like us and when we rise up together and collectively we are much bigger because without us they would not exist. They need to write that on a post-it note and stick it in front of their computers and read it each morning before they start work. They cannot be allowed to be irresponsible and then hide behind terms and conditions on all sort of legal crap.
I have a moral dilemma, my paintings have been found but somewhere someone is going through similar pain… do I carry on the fight. The one thing I have done right now is vote with my feet. No parcel of mine will ever cross CityLink’s threshhold until I see some real changes. If they were the last courier company on earth, I would put the package on my back and walk it to its destination than have them carry it. Dealing with them is traumatic!
So pleased the saga has come to its expected end. We give God the glory. Miss you girl. Hope you’re still enjoying the 9 to 5
xx
Miss you too hon, miss talking to you but the hours to and from Bletchley make it such a looooong day. I am really enjoying the job – so much art and so much inspiration and the early morning bus journey means I see so many beautiful and inspirational sun rises. I am in the best possible place.
Indeed ,yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Carla yaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! and again yaaaaaayyyyyyyy whohoooooooooo! 🙂
Indeed ,yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss