I really do not understand it.
Problems with Sky+ box, details are boring. Went through various suggested painless possible solutions to little avail. Decided that what is needed is a new box; to get one requires an engineer visit. (You can buy one for £150, but if the engineer calls, it's a £65 call-out charge).
To contact Sky is an 0870 number, which is 8p/5p/3p per minute depending on time of day.
I have spent, before today, approximately 4 hours on this number. On Monday, as my twittering crew will know, this included a two-hour stretch, but I finally got through and got an appointment booked for today. I was told that the engineer would ring me Wednesday night or Thursday morning to give me a time-slot.
No phone call last night; no panic. No phone call this morning. Huh? So I ring, and following the correct menu options, I am told that they are exceptionally busy and can't take my call. This happens three times, with intervals in between. the fourth time, I cheat and use the wrong menu options, to get through and be told that the call was booked for next Wednesday. I went ballistic in a controlled non-sweary way. (Although I did suggest the operator stopped calling me Mrs, as she had asked for the full title as on my account and that sure as hell ain't Mrs. I also asked she stopped implying I was a liar, which she seemed to concede I was not, when I repeated the message about expecting a call Wednesday night or Thursday morning).
I explained I had taken the day off work, now to no avail. I also explained that I have now run out of holiday allowance, which isn't quite true, because I still have a half day left, but I want to take a day for my birthday, which occurs before the new leave year.
We eventually agreed on a rescheduled day for this Monday, which happens to be convenient-ish, because I don't work Mondays as a rule.
And I know the simple answer, a letter of complaint to Sky. Which will happen. And, in fairness, the last time I complained to them, although their reply was not prompt, it was comprehensive, apologetic and included a refund of my call-out fee and a waiver of a month's subscription, which struck me as fair. (If they had prevaricated or evaded I would have gone the full 'my time costs this much,' but because they offered without being asked, I accepted. But why do I feel I have such a backlog of complaint letters to so many different money-grabbing corporations that are barely fit for purpose. Sigh.
I did point out that there is something really important I want to record off the radio on Saturday, and if that messes up, I will be upset. She did suggest I recorded it straight to video, by-passing the digibox, which hadn't occurred to me, but it's not an ideal solution, and I have to remember how to do that.
Thankfully, although there's loads of new exciting stuff on Artsworld, most of what they're showing between now and then is either already in my collection or else due to be repeated later.
