At BF's, found some time to moderate forums. Had my first professional haircut in 18 years today!

Wow, 18 years, that's a long time! How did it go? Did you completely change your style? What does it look like?

Going back to work was really a pain. I realize more and more that I can't stand that roofing thing anymore. It's time I found something else to do. Unfortunately, I'll have to save a bit of money, first, so I won't change job before a while.

It's shorter and rounded off at the edges. It's still definitely long.
The hairdresser is a very nice woman who likes to give me clothes she doesn't wear anymore, and this time was no exception! I also got new shoes from my mother-in-law, and when BF took me for a walk I found 2 euros, not a bad day!

Aw Aqua, that's rough! Good luck to you!

Was a heavy day today. I had a phonecall from a woman who had only just booked a stay at a holiday park for this weekend like an hour earlier, had only just paid and printed the documents, when she received a phonecall. Her mother had suddenly died.
She was beyond upset, as you can imagine.
Since the booking was completed, the stay was for this week and the booking was at a holiday, it was not easy for me to cancel this - we require written permission from the holidaypark, which can be days underway and for which she'd first need to agree to the cancellation costs - 90% of cancellation costs. We have a "rebooking" service which is cheaper, but it would still be way too much money going up in smoke for somebody who needs to pay for a funeral. There is another option - asking the holiday park if it is possible to cancel without costs. The standard procedure that has to be followed, is we have to write a mail to the park, and then they give us written permission. Process can take days.

I could hardly get permission for cancellation - she was so distraught she probably didn't catch very much from what I said - she said she was going to call the holiday park, I told her I was going to do my best for her.

I informed my chef I couldn't get permission because of the state of the client, and asked about the best course of action. The sooner the booking is cancelled, the better. I had permission to phone the holiday park to ask them to send us an e-mail - since if we send one out first, the cancellation process is about 5 days, for such a short-term booking this is no solution.
Now the holiday park collective company is notorious for its long waiting times, phoning them took 10 minutes of listening to Spandau Ballet. The attending customer service agent was nice, but referred me to the Touring Operator division, which I'm normally not allowed to call unless I have Special Permission.
Touring Operators told me that when a cancellation is made within 24 hours, they'll always cancel - but I couldn't ask them for a cancellation by phone.
I went to my senior for the third time with this case - told him that cancellation without cost within 24 hours is always possible. Senior called the holiday parks division and then gave me permission to cancel the booking, without cost.

Called back the client, but couldn't reach her. Wrote down the story in her file, but before I was done, she'd called back and I got interrupted by a colleague. I told her "I only just updated it, but it's been cancelled free of cost." Unfortunately I couldn't hear her reaction to that, but fortunately our company allows to send cards to clients, which I frequently do when I have to cancel people after they've fallen ill or if someone passed away (and once for a client who had ALS and wanted to surprise her family). So I got to send the client a postcard.

The case did leave me perturbed, I had to take a break afterwards...

Bought a guitar amp!

Damn, Bonny, that's a pretty sensitive situation dealing other people's loss. I can't imagine the state of stress this person must have been in. And your state of stress too.

What kind of amp? What brand?

There doesn't appear to be a brand. I'll post a picture...

Here it is!

Attachment: xxl_amp.jpg (100kB)
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Nice looking little practiceamp, you've got there, Bonny. But, does it djent????

It doesn't do much, it doesn't even have a microphone input like my old Guyatone did. There's a button "clean/drive", the knobs are volume, bass, medium, treble. And there's a power on switch. It can run using a 12V adapter or using batteries.

I didn't know you're musically inclined! What do you play?

As far as the call center story... sadly I can't say I've never heard similar things before. I don't mean to get political, but this country's obsession with bureaucracy does get out of hand far too often. Prompting this type of result. Good for you for sticking up for this customer!

We work mostly with private home owners.

Let's say you have one home you let for several months per year. If a person rents it for two weeks a year in advance, and then has to cancel his stay a week before the time he rented, your home was off the market for almost a year and the chance you get it re-let afterwards is slim. It can be very costly to put up a home to rent for the tourist industry.

In this case it was a holiday park - parks have a lot of costs since they're always open and staffed, no matter how many people come to visit. We're always bound to contracts.

Today I had a call from a man who had to cancel after his mother-in-law passed away. There wasn't just a death in the family - he also had a nasty lung infection that left him bed-ridden for 4 to 6 weeks. Luckily he did have insurance. As he hung up I heard a horrible cough through the phone. Poor guy.

Bought my bus ticket to the concert. Asked for the last time if BF could come with me, but he said no. Since the last concert I'm worried I might faint.

Don't worry, Bonny, it's gonna be ok. Have fun.

Sister's birthday, baking a cake...

Unfortunately she'll wake up with the horrific news of a freight bicycle getting stuck on the Dutch railroad tracks, killing 4 children. :crying:

Hooo, that's very sad news. But happy birthday to your sister anyway.

Thanks! It was fun!

My father has unfortunately gotten sick... I hope he'll be allright...

Dad's getting better, which is good to hear...