Saturday, April 08, 2006

saturday pleasantries

I finally opened the kids a bank account today. I'd done the prelim bits online and been sent documents to sign and finalise. It said I could either sent the identifying docs (passport etc) in the post or nip into a branch (nip huh?)
So all three of us when to the Abbey in town.
The Abbey was a very small little office with a cash desk and a welcome desk. The welcome desk already had a client there and we sat down and waited... And waited. The customer there was this young girl who could chat for England. She was opening an account and telling the staff member about her life history... The trouble she had with cowboy builders. She needed a new mortgage but was worried about being tied into an agreement for 5 years.
After about 20 minutes the ban woman looked up and told us that she would be ages yet, and most people who needed to talk to a advisor made an appointment.....
Abby said I was a bit shirty and pushy, I asked if we could come back... Finally she agreed we could return in 1/2 hour.
So we did some shopping, where the girls managed to get some new clothes out of me... And we went back.
I really didn't like the Abbey woman. It was as if she was doing us a favour allowing us to open an account at her workplace.
She gave me some crap about how if we apply online the online and branch IT aren't compatible and she had to key all the info in again....
In fact it didn't take long and I'm pleased to have finally sorted one for them. I can apply for Abby's EMA now...
I do get so pissed off with poor service from people though. No smile or welcome or warm personality. I know we all have off days. It was a Saturday morning and the sun was shining outside.
But I have to be nice to all and sundry at work and take some complete crap from some bloody awful people.
Last week we had a baby die at work. It was terribly tragic and everyone was very moved and distraught by it.
Although we never tell the other parents what exactly has happened, they know... They can see the grieving family sobbing in the corridor and the staff upset. If they ask we just say they died but no other info.
We had one family with a baby in a cubicle who were just obnoxious. They complained about everything. The father said the unit wasn't clean.
I can assure all of you... MY unit is clean. We are extremely hot on it and the nurses do alot of it themselves... Which you don't get other places. It's not our job... But our pride.
This particular father got on a chair and found the highest ledge possible and ran his finger down the ledge... He found dust.
He got down came up to the desk in front of the crying nurses and grieving family and demanded he got transferred to a different hospital.
High cleaning (as it's known) is done once a week in general. But over the week dust accumulates up there.... Way up there. He was totally ridiculous.
But we were polite, helpful... the nurses got up and cleaned all of the top ledges and continued with their work.
Difference? It's instilled in us through training.... boot camp. Nurse training.
Now I've had my morning rant I shall move on out.
"Attention".