Friday 8 August 2008

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Part 2

The Good the Bad & the Ugly Trilogy

Part 2

The slightly Bad
More name change problems
5th August

The day started with a minor annoyance & ended very badly. The minor incident developed over my car insurance company “Direct line” having agreed to change all my details via a phone call, as I had transitioned, sent me a renewal notice with the policy holders name correct but still had the vehicle owner as being Bob. They had previously been very helpful, as have 99% of the people I have dealt with while trying to amend my details. I spoke to a gentleman called Muhammad. Initially he was very polite. I gave him my name so as to avoid any confusion as to the gender of the person he was speaking to. Once I explained my situation he seemed some how different. He grudgingly changed my details on their system & then proceeded to shock me by quoting a price £15 more than the original quote. I was livid & asked if it was normal policy to charge females more than males for their insurance which would be ridiculous. I then asked to speak to his supervisor at which point he exclaimed “I am going to have to put you on hold SIR”. He came back to me to say their underwriters had agreed my fee would be reduced back to the original quote, referring to me as SIR before I even had a chance to speak. He appeared to deliberately be insulting me. I kept my calm & explained it was very disrespectful & hurtful to refer to a customer using the incorrect gender. I asked again to speak to his supervisor at which time he started to apologize. By this time I just wanted to get the call over with, I had more important things to do. This really was a very minor but totally unnecessary incident which just seems to grind with people like me on this journey. Why do people have to display such prejudice & be so hurtful?

The Good the Bad & the ugly “The bad”


THE VERY BAD
5th , 6th & 7th August

I take our little dog out come rain or shine & have very rarely, not been able to take him unless I have been too poorly. The weather was typical for a British Summer Grey sky, Rain, rain & more rain. When it’s raining heavily I take him along a tree lined avenue adjacent to the park we like to go to on the days the weather is not Monsoon like. Monsoons a great clothes shop but alas I looked more like a deep sea fisherwoman. Even my welsh lion cub bulked at getting out the door in the inclement weather. Under the trees at least we were a little drier. It was a sticky, close sort of day with non stop rain. With a lot of imagination it almost felt like we were in a tropical rain forest. There was a slightly polluted stream near by & midges & mossi’s buzzing about at times but I thought nothing more of it at the time. We both came home like drowned rats but we were fine. We even ventured out again after tea. A doggies got to do what a doggies got to do, regardless of the weather.

The rest of the day was uneventful until I returned home later in the evening. OMG I cried in anguish as I caught my reflection in the hall mirror. I looked like the “Elephant Woman”!

Best wishes
Love
“The elephant woman” Debbie

2 comments:

alan said...

We have a friend that has been through some things like this; it's sad how asking for a supervisor can draw an apology from someone so full of themselves!

We are always our own worst critic, especially when looking in the mirror. I see a toad most of the time; I am sure there's no way you looked like that to anyone but yourself!

alan

Lucie G said...

You dealt with the call very well.