Sunday 31 January 2010

One for everything happens for a reason, perhaps?

Last year I took my youngest daughter to the doctors because of numerous persistent nosebleeds. My eldest daughter had suffered similarly but Kate seemed to be having worse symptoms and also hideous periods. She was tired and her joints ached. The young female Doctor said she would run some blood tests, which she did and continued to do for the next few months. Kate was anaemic with a blood count of 4, not good apparently and no surprise that she had been so tired and generally feeling under the weather. Kate has recently been diagnosed with a blood clotting condition called Von Willberbrands Disease which is hiredarty. Since then my Eldest daughter has been diagnosed and last week myself and my middle daughter.

This has probably proved fortuitous for me because I found out at the beginning of January that I need to have a Hysterectomy and I suppose if I hadn't have known about the blood clotting condition things may have been a little difficult. I hadn’t really had symptoms, no nose bleeds etc but when I had Kate I needed a blood transfusion due to a difficult birth. Having never heard of this condition before I realise now it is quite common and today I noticed this BBC news article on the condition.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8458455.stm

We all need further tests to see if we can be given blood clotting factors to help if we are in an accident or need an operation.

How important is Customer Service?

Yesterday I went out for lunch something I don't get chance to do every week because of the family and work so I look forward to it went I do get a chance, as I suppose do others?


I was meeting with Claire Young who you may know from the TV show The Apprentice and although Claire is familiar with York she isn't as familiar with places to eat so I said I would book us in somewhere.

I was there first so I sat at the bar and got a drink and when Claire and her friend Wendy arrived we asked to be seated at our table. After sitting we waited for someone to come back to ask us if we wanted a drink and to give us our menus...and waited. Eventually we had to ask the waitress to come, she did and took drinks orders and then went to get the menus. We decided what we wanted and waited for someone to come back to take the order...and waited. We again asked a waiter to come over to take our order which he did but had to explain that what we wanted had sold out, so we quickie re-thought and gave our order and we were served with our starters a short time later....then we waited. After around twenty minutes we asked the waiter when our mains would be coming, he did answer us but none of us actually understood what he said as he walked away whilst talking to us, so ....we waited. They did turn up around ten minutes later. We enjoyed our food and then asked a waitress to bring our bill over. We all quickly decided not to tip as the service had really let the place down.

Good food and great company was spoiled by the customer service, the place wasn't incredibly busy and even if it had been a quick explanation would have been enough to help us understand.

It left me wondering how important customer service is because I was always taught it was key to everything? In my world even when my parents had the Guest house we were taught to say hello, please and thank you and do our utmost for the visitors. I suppose you could say its inbred in me but surly after spending so much time on making a place look fabulous and the food good customer service should be a priority to keep customers coming in? Or doesn't it matter anymore?

I read this article which talks about the real cost of customer service to companies; perhaps our chosen restaurant should read it? http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/poor+customer+service+costing+firms/3505467



If you are interested as to where we went for lunch, just let me know.

Saturday 30 January 2010

A very brief history

I thought I would begin with a very brief history about me and what I've been up to for the past 41 years. However 41 years is a long time to be brief so I am going to bullet point my life up until now and then in future blogs I am sure I will expand futher.
  • Born 1968 in Pontifract
  • Moved to Bridlington aged 4
  • Younger sister and younger brother
  • Excellent hard working Mum and Dad
  • Left school at 15 went to Hairdressing college
  • Married at 19
  • Eldest daughter born aged 20
  • Middle daughter born aged 23
  • Youngest daughter born aged 27
  • Divorced aged 34
  • Meet new partner aged 35
  • Work as estate agent
  • Made redundant due to property market decline
  • Dad dies due to Cancer within 5 weeks of finding out
  • Start Confident Ladies business September 09
  • Go to Downing St Xmas Party December 09
  • Find out need a Hysterectomy Jan 10