Going on the record re L&Q

First up I want to say that this is NOT a dig at L&Q, not for one second.
Over the years since taking over from Lewisham Homes, for me at least, they have done a sterling job of taking care of business.
OK there was the issue with the bathroom taking a little longer than expected to deal with, but other than that. A few hiccups, some no show contractors from time to time, but really nothing to cry about (apart from the bathroom, did I already say that?)

So, a few years back (2010) the driveway was resurfaced. I use this term loosely as the driveway was actually covered over with a good few inches of concrete. During the laying of the driveway, in Dec 2010 we had heavy snow and freezing temperatures, which sadly had an effect on the way the work ended up. Now i'm not saying it is not an improvement on the old drive, it is. But what I have said to L&Q all along is, the finished result was not what I would personally sign off on and agree to pay a contractor for.

Sweep it on a dry day and you can sweep away layers and layers of powdered concrete, walk on it on a wet day and you will slip on the exposed stones. As one of my neighbours did a few years back, breaking her ankle in the process. This was what drove me to contact L&Q again about the condition. The fact it has deteriorated this much in this short space of time, and someone has already slipped on it. Thats not to mention the dust and stones kicking about the place.

Well today the results are in, and after provisionally agreeing it needed repairing, the new surveyor has made the decision that NO work is needed on the driveway and it should remain as it is.

I am fine with this decision, and accept it with no challenges whatsoever. However....
Should anyone have any form of accident in the coming years relating to the condition of the surface of the driveway..... I WILL say I told you so.

So for now, its back to sweeping the drive carefully of leaves and snow when they cover it, in case I sweep the drive away, and looking out for fallen neighbours over the winter as the colder weather makes it even more slippery.

As for the rest of the work being done on the house. Thank you L&Q for looking after us so well. I am more than happy with it all, just bad call on the driveway. In my untrained opinion of course.

Work in progress in Dec 2010 (before the snow stopped play)
The whole area was laid with hand mixed concrete.. The house up the road had it delivered on a mixer for the same contractors working for L&Q. Clearly learned from this mistake. Theirs is fine by the way.

Well, well, well...

Officially as good as confirmed that I wasted another day of annual leave today.
So lets look at this in a breakdown.

10/3/14 Axis confirm appointment for 1/4/14
10/3/14 I call them to confirm the actual job. Front, rear or all fencing.
10/3/14 Axis confirm 31 panels, but job showing as 2 hours allocation

1/4/14 9am Call to Axis to confirm job still scheduled, assured all is well.
1/4/14 1.30pm Call to Axis, contractor no show. Assured he will be here in 30 mins to start job. Advised he has only today been made aware of the authorisation of the job, but will start today for sure.

1/4/14 3.30pm Call to Axis, contractor still no show. After being put on hold I am told the exact repeat of the above. When I asked why the contractor is visiting today if he cant do the job, I am told that they don't know why, but if I can just hang on. I ask for confirmation that he will be the stated 30 mins, as I have already wasted nearly the whole day on this. I am told, if I can just give him til 5.30pm that would be good.

I really don't know what I am meant to be waiting in for today, but know that if I go out, and he DOES come I will end up being told I didn't wait in for the appointment and will have to wait for the whole thing to be rescheduled.

So, sincerest thanks to Axis for wasting away yet another of my days of annual leave on a no show, pointless exercise of a failed appointment. But don't worry, I will get up early tomorrow to contact my work and ask them for ANOTHER day of annual leave to wait in again for the contractor to show up.

One or two failed appointments is one thing, but over the past few years I have genuinely wasted WEEKS of my annual leave waiting in for contractors, from Axis and other L&Q appointed contractors, and quite frankly I am fed up of the whole matter now.

Sincerely yours
Fed Up

April Fooooooooooool!

What an idiot, when L&Q and Axis sent me confirmation that they were coming to replace the fence that was damaged in the storms in December, and gave the date as April 1st, I really should have known better than to believe them.
Instead like a sucker, I have taken ANOTHER day off work, so that's ANOTHER day of precious annual leave wasted on sitting around in the house waiting on a contractor who has once again not shown up.
If I had known this would become such a common practise I would have started keeping a record of the dates.
But as an example we have two occasions contractors didn't show up to re-decorate the bathroom. We have the appointment to repair the fence earlier in the year which needed a chase up call, and ultimately resulted in a quick visit from a contractor to take pictures and then leave, and now we have today.

Each time I take a day off to wait in, as required to do so by the contractors request, I use up a days leave. That's fine though right, a day off is good, you can get things done.... NO!! You bloody well can't when you are stuck indoors waiting for someone to show up. Not even a sodding call!
The cruel irony is, its been a lovely morning, and it would have been OK if I could have sat in the garden with the dogs to wait.... But hold on, why didn't I then.
Oh that's right, THE FENCE IS DOWN and has been since December, so the dogs would get out.

Right now I am thoroughly fed up with the lackadaisical attitude of the companies and contractors who think I have nothing better to do with my life. Given how much leave I have already used on family matter this year, and we are only at the start of the 4th month, I am really running low on the stuff. And quite frankly I am reaching the point where I think someone should be compensating me for this time, yes seriously!

Its now 3 mins past the close of the appointment window, and no show, no call.

But it gets better. Weeks ago when I got the appointment I called up to confirm what was being done. At the time the person  spoke to at Axis noted the job was only booked for 2 hours, but was for 31 fence panels. Assured she would look into it and make sure the time was allocated correctly, I left it there.
Today I called up again, just to confirm that the appointment was still scheduled and that someone would be coming. Yup all is fine I was told. So I asked about the time allocation. I was informed that it was still 2 hours and 31 panels and that the contractor coming was also booked for another job this afternoon. Doomed to fail some might say, but I had faith.

Well the egg is on my face now, and my annual leave is slowly slipping away. The dogs haven't been out yet, I have achieved little, other than this rant, with my day, and now I wonder what I will be told when I call them back in a moment to ask what's happening.

Just take another day off and we will see if we can make it this time.
Contractor's fault, should have called you, take another day off anyway.
We will get someone to you ASAP, just wait in til 6pm now.
I have no record of a job for a fence today on my screen.

Or something more original?

Lets see...

*DIALING*

To be continued.................


Hilarious..

The lovely lady I spoke to said that the contractor advises he has only just received the go ahead on the job today, and is on his way over asap now to start the job. And will come back tomorrow morning with extra crew to get it finished,.