26-Oct-2011 14:26
You Just Can’t Get The Staff…
After years of dithering, frightened of change & hyperventilating at the proposed costs, over the last few months the decision has finally had to be taken…
We have a pretty large front-drive to our house and the old ‘crazy-paving’ brickwork inherited when we purchased the house in early 1990’s has really become both an eyesore and quite dangerous.
The crumbling flagstones, circa 1950’s I guess, are now lifting badly due to encroaching tree roots from beyond our property and the holding cement is becoming softer than even the value of the Euro…
So, I agreed to the (ridiculously high) quotation and gave the job to a well-referred builder who has done fine work locally, and awaited his team’s arrival last Monday at 7.45am… and Tuesday 7.45am…
Today, Wednesday, two burly non-English speaking Albanian chaps, who are definitely not candidates for the Brain of Britain quiz show, turned up at 9.15am & began bashing the life out of my poor old, tired paving…
As I’m remaining at home today I took the opportunity to check upon their progress.
Thus far:
9.15am - Began work
10am - Found ‘em sitting on my doorstep having a fag or three
10.30am - Received ring on front door requesting (in sign language) 2 x strong teas & biccies (I responded, again in sign language, to ‘eff off and do some work!)
11.15 - Once again sitting on my doorstep having a break and not a sign of sweat on them
12.00 midday - On my doorstep once more eating (what looks like) wurst & mustard sandwiches with hard-boiled eggs and tea from an industrial-sized thermos flask (why the heck did they ask me for a cuppa if…?)
The ‘boss’ reckoned, when we agreed the job, that the works would apparently take maximum 3 weeks…
OK - hold your breath people and let’s hope for an X’mas completion!
'You just can’t get the staff these days' :-)
N
Picked up a magazine and walked towards the tills which were unmanned.
I was watched by a young man as I walked up to a till as he was wandering aimlessly which he continued to do for approximately 15-20 seconds before ambling back to the till section by a circuatous route.
I was stood a the second of a row of four tills.
The guy walks straight past me without looking at me and stands behind the fourth till again not looking at me.
I move to the 4th till.
The guy takes my magazine, scans it and finally looking at me says £2.95.
I pass him the money and move away from the till thinking to myself if someone was to ask me about the WH Smith brand right now what would I say?
You can't get the staff!
It's like when you make your mind up to get someone, they've annoyed you now, and you're ready for them, and you're going to get them. They either vanish or behave perfectly. Magpies are the same. Buy a water pistol to stop them bullying the little birds, they 'know' and you'll never actually need to use it. Long may the industriousness continue, till the job is done to your staisfaction.
The 'boss' arrived about 1pm and since then my Neanderthal mates have worked like maniacs..
In fact they’ve achieved an amazing amount of work in just 2 hours – remarkable…
Norman is a happy bunny this afternoon
N
There is a massive workforce out there in the UK all just waiting to be told what to do....never expect an employee to know what to do...they are waiting to be told...not asked or cadgoled but simply told. Where are all those foremen we used to have?
Somewhere there is a whole bunch of people who can no longer do their jobs because of Brussels interference and the PC brigade which means that a very large number of other people aren't doing jobs they are capable of.
F