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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	10th July 2007	Blog No: 55
Well we're now back from holiday and we had so many late nights I think I need another holiday to get over it!! We all had a great time and I am so glad we went. Thought I would upload some more pics of our hol - including one of Pako's - what an amazing bar that is!! I really love Bulgaria and definately want to go back some day. Thomas came back to ours today from Gwen's but didn't look best pleased - I think he was getting spoilt rotten over there. He also didn't like the box we used to carry him over - just look at his face!! I'm sure he'll soon get back into his routine. Right, i'm off to catch up on some sleep...
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	6th July 2007	Blog No: 54
Bulgaria is exactly what I needed! I knew I was tired out from work and my mum's illness but i didn't realise just how much I needed some sun. Looks like we chose the perfect week to get away too - the weather back home sounds awful. George is taking plenty of pictures, so hopefully when he gets a chance he will upload them. Spoke to Gwen yesterday, Thomas is still lording it over her - it will be a shock when he has to come to our house. I'm sure he will be put out at not having company through the day like he does have at Gwen's. Anyways, back to the beach for me ...
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	3rd July 2007	Blog No: 53
Me and the lads are in Bulgaria, loving the hot weather and everything that goes with it. We phoned Gwen earlier to check on Thomas as she kindly offered to look after him for us. She said he was curled up on her bed - sounds like he is living the life of riley to me! The resort is ace and has a really relaxing atmosphere. The beach is nice and clean with the sea being a nice refreshing break from the sun. There are several pools, the apartment oversees the boat shaped pool. It is nice just to people watch in the early evenings before we go out. We are going out tonight. We made a few friends in Pako's so we are heading to sunny beach tonight - will probably be quite messy.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	29th June 2007	Blog No: 52
I spoke to the guys about interviewing Alice and they just looked at each other and laughed. I felt cross. Carlton said, ‘George do you really think that is a good idea, we know you fancy her’ and Fin just said ‘you have got to be joking mate’. I wouldn’t get myself in a tangle again with any woman I shared a house with, lesson learned. But they both shook their heads and said they thought it was better to have all blokes this time. Fin outlined the benefits, no moaning about not having done the washing up, no knickers in the hall (I quite liked knickers in the hall) and no stamping about in bad moods. I said I didn’t think Alice would be the moody type, she is always so sweet at work, but they aren’t convinced. Have to see Pete later so we’ll see what he’s like. I have met him once or twice.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	26th June 2007	Blog No: 51
I met with Alice today to discuss the plans for the new training programme. The hardware is being installed at the end of next month, so we have six weeks to design the training programme and plan the roll out. I get on well with Alice. She likes participating in sport and watching it on telly, even football! I’ve never met a girl who likes watching telly – this gets better and better. I told Alice about Carla moving out and she surprised me by saying that she was considering moving closer to work to rid herself of commuting an hour each way every day. I said I would talk to Fin, I know we have to see Pete the night before we go away, but not sure if Fin has made up his mind. Alice would fit in well with the three of us. She loves sports, she’s calm and kind natured and would be a different sort all together from Carla. I’ll chat with the guys this evening.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	22nd June 2007	Blog No: 50
Got the holiday booked. We leave next Friday flying to Bourgas from Birmingham for a week and have rented an apartment in a place called Elenite about three miles out from Sunny Beach. I would have preferred to stay at the resort itself, but we couldn’t get anywhere. The apartment is on a complex called Privilge, with a private beach, three restaurants and two pools – so its sounds just the job. The owners of the apartment assure me that taxis are cheap and travelling into Sunny Beach is not a problem. We have also been told to be sure to visit Pacos Bar, which is just outside of the complex. I am looking forward to going and having a laugh. I need to buy some new swimming shorts. I was having a chat with some regulars in the local this evening and I brought up the subject of accommodation. One of the guys, Pete who I know quite well is looking for a house to share. As a recent graduate, he remained living in the student accommodation he was sharing when at uni. Two of his current house mates are still at uni. However, the house is a party house, you know, the type of place you can knock the door at three a.m. and there will always be a party going on. Now he is working for an Engineering company, he needs to be up in the morning, so he is looking for a room in an environment where things are a little more settled. I have arranged for him to come around and meet the guys the night before we go away. We can all have a chat and see how we feel and then have a week to reflect on it whilst we are away. I knew it would fall into place.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	19th June 2007	Blog No: 49
I had a great weekend at my Mums. Several neighbours came around and joined us for a meal, the roast was to die for, Mum has always been a fantastic cook. I bought a couple of extra bottles of champagne, didn’t realise she had invite other people, and we had a good time. Sunday, I took Mum shopping and bought her some treats, my brother and his girlfriend joined us for a meal out and on Monday we just sat around chatting and enjoying each others company. Driving back, I was worrying about whether in the past I have taken my Mum for granted. It is not until someone is ill that you then consider how you would miss them if there were suddenly gone. I decided that I am not going to take her for granted anymore. I am going to make a point of calling her every week and going home more often. Finley is still talking about us three going away for a week somewhere and having some fun. None of us have much money but thought the break would do us good. Finley has been busy at work, George has had an emotional time and is just about to start something new at work and I could do with a break, I feel shattard now this with my Mum is over. We were talking about Bulgaria. George pulled a face, but Fin says it has had a lot of investment lately and by all accounts, Sunny Beach coast resort is fast becoming one of the hot spots of Europe – for a beach holiday anyway. I understand it is very cheap and you can still have a good night out for under £30 – which sounds good to me. I’ve been on the net and checked the weather out – stays good until well into September. So I’m up for it and so are Fin and George, we just have to check at work and agree a date. The plan is to go quite quickly before a new person has to move into the house. We had thought about going a few months ago but the idea was dropped – I think this was more to do with Carla than anything. When she started the thing about putting ‘invites’ onto the notice board, we didn’t want to go and not ask her and her relationship with George at that time was not doing so well and taking her would have been awkward. I have a feeling life is looking up.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	15th June 2007	Blog No: 48
Carla left this morning. Her Dad came and helped her with her things and she was up and out of the house by 11.30. I was surprised. I told Fin that I bet she would expect us to shift everything for her whilst she counted her shoes and painted her nails. But no, I stand corrected, she dealt with it all herself and even remembered to leave the keys on the kitchen table. I was dreading her going – not because I have any feelings for her now, but because I thought I might feel awkward. But it was fine. She gave me and Fin a hug and said she would stay in touch and was gone. She looked a bit choked when it came to say goodbye to Thomas and I understand she was going next door to say her goodbyes to Gwen. Gwen will miss her. Carla always got on well with Gwen. Now the house seems quiet and empty. No drying knickers on the clothes horse in the hall, no drying bedding over the banister, no house plants, they were all hers and no coloured shawls and throws over the sofa. I suppose I will miss her. If I’m honest her leaving did come as a bit of a shock and I was disappointed. It all seems so sudden, but that’s Carla. But there was no long term anything in that relationship, she really isn’t my kind of girl, but I’ll miss her all the same.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	12th June 2007	Blog No: 47
We three guys met last night to discuss how we replace Carla in the house. I shall make no comments about her departing this weekend other than to say, I am not sorry. We have decided to ask around at our places of work and put notices up on notice boards, rather than advertise in the local Birmingham Post and Mail. This way, we will save some money and more importantly maybe find someone who is more compatible. If we focus on people who have just joined the companies, then we might just be lucky. Finley also knows a few people at the local who might know of someone. I will not be here this weekend anyway as I will be at home visiting my Mum. She’s planning to do a roast and I’ve bought some champagne to celebrate her good news. I hadn’t realised how worried I was until I’ve now stopped worrying. I told Fin and George the good news last night and they were surprised I hadn’t said anything before. They didn’t know my Mum was ill this last year. It turns out that George’s younger sister had also recovered from breast cancer and he has had experience of living with this in his family. I hadn’t told any one in the house, or at work. I tried to explain to George that by telling people it almost made it real. Whilst it was undisclosed, it wasn’t a reality. Silly really, but that’s how I felt. I wonder if people would have treated me differently had they have known. George said that most people used to avoid asking him how he was, or in some cases, would avoid talking to him in case they had to discuss his sister’s health. Although he did comment that there were one or two people who would always ask and would create a forum for him to really discuss his concerns. I wondered if this were a skill or a special gift that some people have to be empathetic. On another note, the cheeky cat caught a mouse today but we managed to save it and put it out the door. The poor mouse was a bit shaky but was ok.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	8th June 2007	Blog No: 46
I was surprised to hear today that Carla has asked to move out of the house and has given me one months rent to cover the cost. However, she is going to remove her things this weekend and leave. I understand this has been prompted by her concerns with her new job and also the problems over George. Although I could do without the hassle of finding someone else, I can’t say that I am really bothered. She is probably one of the most selfish women I have ever met, all she is concerned with is herself and that doesn’t do it for me. I think the atmosphere will be better generally without her here. I understand she has decided to go back to Cardiff and live with her parents. He father wants her to be a journalist and she seems to be thinking along those lines. I haven’t told George yet, but Carlton just shrugged when I told him and said ‘well so be it’. I now have to find someone else with only a month to go. I have arranged for us three guys to go for a meal tonight and we can discuss it then. Not sure if we should go with another bloke and leave females out of it. However, I suppose they are not all the same. Its strange how you can think one thing of people one minute and then have your impressions completely turned around, it’s almost disappointing. Perhaps we tend to make too many assumptions about people and make our minds up too quickly. Or is it we see what we want to see and not really the reality behind the face. I think the interview needs to be a little more in depth, with hindsight I did make the decision on who to share with based on first impressions. Perhaps we can discuss this too tonight.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	5th June 2007	Blog No: 45
Work today has been frantic, lots of technical problems which have increased the number of calls coming into the call centre. We usually average about a hundred calls an hour, but today it was more like a hundred and fifty. So I’m shattered. Had a department meeting this afternoon and we were told a new system will be installed in the call centre and we have to be ready to roll in six months. The new system will better link with accounts and will enable us to deal with calls faster, because, I understand it is much simpler to use. My manager asked me if I wanted the responsibility of working with the systems trainer to co-ordinate the training of the whole team on the new system. I jumped at the chance, I needed a challenge. We have sixty permanent staff and fifty part timers and he anticipates the training will be around five days for each person. I had a meeting with the systems trainer, who has just been taken on for the job. Her name is Alice Weatherspoon, she tells me people call her Spoonie. We can’t start planning the training programmes, until we have more information regarding the system which should be here next week. However, Spoonie and I had a good chat and got to know each other. She’s very nice. Maybe I won’t be on the train for too long.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	1st June 2007	Blog No: 44
Good news today, my Mum has been given the all clear with her cancer. I can’t believe it, we seem to have spent the last eighteen months worried. She had chemo and has lost a lot of weight and her hair, but it seems to have worked. Thank God. I am going home this weekend to see her and my brother. I wanted to buy her something nice, not sure what, perhaps some flowers or a house plant. I need to also take something for the neighbour, who has been fantastic since Mum has been ill and when she was really bad, after chemo, she popped in every day to make her a meal. Funny how some people are always there when you need them and just ‘give’, well, this neighbour is one of them, one of life’s gems. I plan to take a few days holiday and make it a long weekend. George is looking better this week and the atmosphere in the house has improved no end. I can’t believe George, he just suddenly stopped moaning and got on with it. I haven’t seen much of Carla, she comes and goes late at night and mid afternoon, so our paths don’t cross very often.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	29th May 2007	Blog No: 43
How embarrassing, I bumped into George this evening before going to work. He seemed in a good mood. I apologised for the other night and said I needed to talk with him and explain a few things. He just said, ‘Carla, there is nothing to explain. I appreciate you want a life of your own and that’s perfectly fine by me!’ I must admit I was quite surprised. According to Fin, he was very moody and upset, but he’s bloody well recovered now. I wanted to go out at the weekend, have a meal and chat. I wanted to explain that I had exaggerated about me going out with Tom, but George isn’t interested in listening, I can’t believe him. Men, they make me sick! One minute they are all over you like a rash and then you’re just brushed aside. I am not sure what to do now. I like George and didn’t want the relationship to end this way, not sure what to do. Tom is acting like I’m his girlfriend and there’s a lot of history amongst those who have worked together for a long while. Not sure I have made the right decision about the job, it’s ok for the time being, I might look around for something else to do.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	25th May 2007	Blog No: 42
I am going to shake myself out of this mood I’ve been in over Carla. I spoke with Gwen last night who came by to thank us for keeping an eye on her house whilst she has been away. She brought back a pot of jam to share and ‘as I had been dumped’, a chocolate mouse for me, to cheer me up. I had to laugh. She really is a case. So I ate the mouse and we had a cup of tea, well Gwen had the tea and I had a beer. We chatted about her trip away and how old her brother is getting. By all accounts he is three years older than Gwen – still not sure how old that makes him or her. Mid conversation, she suddenly turned to me and said “George, you have to get yourself out and about. You are too good looking a young man to be sat in mopping over a young lady.” She then went on to tell me that life was a bit like a train journey. As you travelled through, you sometimes get off at different stations and meet different people. Sometimes you might be at the station for a long time and stay with those people, at other stations you only stopped for a short while, before getting back on the train and continuing with the journey. She explained that when she was married to her first husband, she was at the station for twenty years, until he died and went on with his journey somewhere else. She then went on to the next station, where she met another man, who she later married, but they couldn’t get on, she was too set in her ways, so she got back on her train. I then got a slap on the knee and she said, I needed to get back on my train and get on with it! Then she was off. I’ve been thinking about it, she’s right. Carla was a short station stop over.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	22nd May 2007	Blog No: 41
I had a good day at work today. Since the customer survey questionnaire we have implemented quite a lot of changes and they are beginning to take shape. We have introduced a ‘customer feedback card’, which is given to customers who have photographic equipment delivered or when they pick up direct from the warehouse. The card explains that everything possible is done to ensure a 100% customer satisfaction, however should there be something that the customer is not happy with then to send the card in. Customers can also use the system online if preferred. We have received some fantastic suggestions to improve the service and three people this week have congratulated us on the changes, which is very positive. The system is now going to be introduced to our other branches in Manchester and Leeds. We have also introduced short briefing sessions before we start the working day. These are kept to 30 minutes and we discuss issues which impact on service. This way we are able to discuss situations that might impact on service on a daily basis, rather than monthly and hopefully stop any issue getting too serious before it affects the customer. The briefings have resulted in the team being better motivated and comments have been made that people feel more involved. We still have other things to do, but the steps we have made are good. Carla and George are still not speaking and Carla has hardly been around. George is just sitting in front of any sport that is on.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	18th May 2007	Blog No: 40
I had a terrible quarrel with George last night. He really makes me mad. Just because I am going out with friends from work one or two evenings a week and getting in late he has got all funny about it. Men! I know I come in at 2.00 a.m. but we don’t finish work until 10.30. I got so mad last night, I told him I was going out with Tom and that we were history. I feel mean now, I am not having a fling with Tom, we are just good mates and get on well. But I thought, well, if you think I am then I am! Now Finley thinks I’m a bitch and he has hardly spoken to me and neither has George. So it’s only Carlton who is being ok with me right now. I feel very upset and angry. It’s not Fin’s business either what I do. Not sure what to do now. Whether to own up to George or just let me rot. I will have to do something the atmosphere stinks. Even Thomas looks fed up.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	15th May 2007	Blog No: 39
I got in late from work this evening, around 10.30 – we had some technical issues to solve, could have done with Carlton’s expertise. As I passed by George’s room, I could hear him and Carla having words. Not shouting but obviously not being very cosy with each other! She then started crying and I overheard George saying that if she was running around with another bloke then that was it. Carla responded by telling him to mind his own business and that she wasn’t married to him and she would do what she liked. It appears that some bloke from work and her, together with other colleagues have been going to clubs after work. George is getting very stressed about it and Carla is acting like it doesn’t matter and she couldn’t care less. I feel sorry for George. He’s a top bloke and doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. By all accounts Carla then confessed that she was going out with this bloke and didn’t want the relationship with George to continue. She then ran across the landing crying and I heard her door slam. So I kept a very low profile and went to bed early. Funny how the atmosphere in the house is affected by this situation, you can almost cut it with a knife. I think Carla is mean, but I’m not surprised she seems very self centred. She could have just explained to George days ago and then at least he wouldn’t have felt such a fool. I’ll ask George if he wants to come out at the weekend to cheer him up.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	11th May 2007	Blog No: 38
Had a great weekend with my brother, I was pleased to see him and didn’t realise how much I missed him. We used to be so close before I moved here and we went out together at least once a week. However, I am glad he is at home with Mum, who is having treatment for cancer. She is on the mend and the consultant thinks she is making good progress. The atmosphere here in the house is dire, George is fed up, I think it is mainly to do with Carla and his moods are heavy and depressed. I think we all need to have a chat. I appreciate that we all get down, I could be down about my Mum but it really doesn’t solve anything by being in a bad mood. I saw him this evening and asked if he fancied a pint, I thought it might cheer him up but the response was more of a grunt than a reply. Finley has noticed it too. The only person who hasn’t is the person causing the problems and that is Carla. I heard her coming in last night or should I say early this morning. She had a lift from some bloke, not sure if George is aware of that, but I’m keeping out of it, none of my business. I wouldn’t be too happy if she was my girlfriend. Gwen called by this evening, she was cheerful. She wants us to keep an eye on the house at the weekend as she is going to visit her brother in Manchester. She was only in the house three minutes before she asked what was wrong. George told her he was having a bad day. Gwen told him off. Told him any day that you had your health was a good day and he shouldn’t be so dramatic. When George removed himself from the lounge, I told Gwen it was probably more to do with affairs of the heart than having a bad day. She smiled and said what most elderly people would say ‘he’ll get over it’.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	8th May 2007	Blog No: 37
George, Carlton and I had a pint together this evening, one of the few times the three of us have been out since we all moved in together. I was the first one in this evening from work and fancied a pint, or two, so I put a note on the board. So it works!! Last week I was having my doubts and then I thought, well, the only way we can make this work, is to focus on it and make it happen, not just sit around and wait for it to fail. After all, it took courage on Carla’s part to bring the subject up in the first place. George seems a little flat. I think he is concerned that his job is going no where. Carlton is also thinking the same. He is upset that no one is taking notice of his ideas, although he hasn’t spoken to his own manager yet. I am not sure about George, whether it’s the job, or Carla that’s making him low. She is hardly home since getting her job. She works until ten in the evening and then the club team going out for a meal or to a nightclub. Poor old George, he thought he had control of this one, but I could have told him, she isn’t the sort for settling down. I’m wondering whether us guys ought to think about booking a holiday. We are all feeling a bit flat. Apart from spending time in Ireland this summer, I haven’t got a lot planned. I fancy some sun, somewhere exotic. I might even get some sailing in, I think I will suggest it and see what the response is. Carlton’s brother is coming to stay at the weekend; I am looking forward to meeting him. They are both very close and I have heard a lot about him from Carlton.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	4th May 2007	Blog No: 36
The job is going brilliantly, but being on reception can be a bit of a challenge with some customers. I don’t know why some people have to be so rude. A man came in yesterday with his wife and two children and started shouting at me because the barrier wouldn’t work when he swiped his membership card. I lost my cool a bit and told him it isn’t exactly my fault that the clubs equipment isn’t working. He said if I was rude to him again he would speak to my manager. I felt quite upset for the rest of my shift. He got really funny with me. Most of the customers are really nice, just the odd ones. Hopefully, there are not many members like him. The manager and the teams meet every morning for 20 minutes to discuss what is going on in each department and any concerns, questions etc. I like these briefings; they do help me to understand what is happening in the whole building, not just in the reception area. During yesterday’s briefing, we had a chance to say that the barrier isn’t working properly and I explained to the manager that this was causing customers to get upset and that it was important it got fixed. He agreed and said he would get an engineer in later that day. I felt good about this, I am not sure I would have found him in the massive building and discussed it, if we hadn’t of had the briefing. Some of the team don’t like them, Jennie thinks they are a waste of time, but I like to know what is going on and have my say too.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	1st May 2007	Blog No: 35
Gwen seems delighted to have issued her first Blog – not sure how old she is but she must be one of the oldest Bloggers around. She asked if she could have another go when she has something to say. She is now waiting for comments on the board – so please guys – give an old dear some support! The notice board is up in the hall and so far it details what the cat has had for its meals and who is in / out – but no invites. We shall see what happens with this, I am not convinced it will work. I haven’t seen much of Carla this week, she seems to be working until quite late and then going out drinking with her new colleagues. She seems to like her new job. I am feeling very restless these last few days, I am not sure why, I think I need to sort myself out and maybe consider some new things in my life, but I am not sure what or who. On the surface of it, I am happy being with Carla, I don’t see it as long term and I reckon she is quite selfish, but she is fine to be with. The job is ok, but not as stretching as I hope it to be. I have a feeling that I’ll be doing the same things next year as I am doing this year, but more of it. As I haven’t been there very long, I don’t want to actually change jobs, but I keep feeling bored and watching the clock. I am not sure what to do, maybe it’s the weather.
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Posted by: Gwen (profile)	27th April 2007	Blog No: 34
When the nice little girl, Carla, came around the other week to pick up Thomas, she was telling me about this thing called Blogging. I explained to her that I didn’t know what that was, I had never even heard the word before! Carla explained how it worked and how the youngsters from the house next door each take it in turns to write what has made an impression on them that day. I thought this was a lovely idea. In my day, we would have kept a five year diary and hid it under the bed in case our Mothers found it. It seems very peculiar that people now write it all down and put it out for the world to see. I said I would like to have my say and they agreed. The thing that has made an impression on me lately is how nice it is to have all these young people around me again, they are such a lovely bunch. I feel ashamed that I thought they were a load of good for nothings and they are not, they are all lovely people. It goes to show you can’t always judge a book by its cover. The last lot that were in that house were terrible. They had drinking parties all night and made such a noise and they were rude, very rude to me. This lot are a different kettle of fish and it's lovely having them around. I don’t know what I would have done if Carlton and that lovely boy Finley hadn’t called the police when I was ill. They even visited me in hospital. So I want every one that reads this Blog to know that – thank you boys.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	24th April 2007	Blog No: 33
I got in this evening from work to find that Carla had called a meeting for everyone. She is concerned that we don’t share enough. She says we all go out separately, we usually eat separately these days and we don’t invite each other out or even share DVDs. Everyone listened to what she had to say. I think Carlton felt hurt. He was concerned that he had started this ‘unrest’ as he hadn’t invited anyone from the house to see Bob Dylan. But as he said, he didn’t think anyone else would be interested. It got me thinking; there are two ways of looking at this; you could argue that we don’t want to be living in each others pockets all the time, but on the other hand, we are all here without family and many friends around us and it would make sense to share things a bit more. I wonder why we don’t; it does seem silly when we have so much in common. George said he would feel embarrassed if he asked everyone to go to see a rugby match and everyone said no. We discussed this and agreed that we can’t just go to save some ones feelings. Nor can we not invite anyone for the fear of rejection. The upshot is that we will put a small notice board by the front door and anyone that is doing anything interesting which might appeal will post it on the board. We can also use it for confirming who is in or out. This will save shouting up the stairs in the event of a visitor or phone call to the house phone. George also suggested the board is used for other things like, shopping lists and whether Thomas has been fed. Thomas has developed a new trick of meowing to everyone that comes into the kitchen regardless of whether he has been fed or not. Some nights he’s eating his way through three meals and two tins of Whiskers.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	20th April 2007	Blog No: 32
Finally started work today, although most of the day was spent doing induction training. There were three of us just starting, Jennie, who is a fitness instructor and Peter a youngish bloke who is going to be working in accounts. We had a good day, we all got on well and went through stuff like health and safety, emergency procedures, HR and personnel do’s and don’ts. Tomorrow I spend time working on the reception desk with another receptionist to go through what my job entails. I like the atmosphere, people are very friendly and I’m looking forward to starting properly. The manager has just introduced a new procedure where new people spend a day with each of the different areas of the business understanding what each area does and meeting the people that work in the company. This is completely unstructured and it is left to the different teams to share information about that particular area. I am looking forward to that, appeals to me better than sitting in a training room for weeks looking at slides, like George had to do when he started his job. Carlton went to see Bob Dylan at the NIA, I wish I’d have known he was on, I would liked to have gone. Carlton said he was awesome. When I moved in here I thought we might all spend time together, it was one of the things about sharing a house that appealed to me. However, in reality this is not happening, although we all get on well in the house, we hardly ever share stuff for example; Carlton never said he was booking tickets to see Bob Dylan, which I think is a shame. To my mind, there is no reason why we can’t say to each other ‘Bob Dylan is on, does anyone want to come?’ I told Carlton this and he looked disappointed and thought I was having a go at him. But I wasn’t picking on him; we are all as bad as each other. I think we should all talk about it and see what the others think.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	17th April 2007	Blog No: 31
I have been giving my idea about technical training for the older customer more thought and I have decided to talk to my line manager. With hindsight, I should have talked to him about it first, rather than discussing it with the training manager. When I thought about it further following our last conversation, I realised that he wouldn’t want to put energy into an idea that wasn’t his. That’s his style. I plan to talk to my manager when the time is right. We are travelling to London by train in a few weeks, so I’ll leave it until then, more of a relaxed opportunity than trying to do it in the office. No point in trying to position a new idea if he is racing around dealing with problems and head office meetings. Some companies have a structured, monthly team meeting where people can explore new ideas. We only seem to meet when there is a crisis on or when head office has issued some new instruction, which is a shame. I think we could benefit from meeting and just talking through new ideas. I am sure I am not the only one that has thought of something different. The organisation is very forward thinking in some ways and way out there in terms of design and technology however, the management team here seem very reactive. Off to see Bob Dylan later this evening at the NIA in town, looking forward to seeing him, a real legend. My mate Oscar from work, is coming too, he’s seen him live before and says he won’t disappoint.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	13th April 2007	Blog No: 30
I had the most fantastic weekend with George in London. Did the theatre on Saturday, awesome show and then dinner. Got really hammered and could hardly speak on Sunday, very glad there was nothing much planned and I had until Monday to recover. How embarrassing, I got completely carried away. Sally-Anne and Peter were okay about it, thank God I wasn’t sick! Monday was good, Sally-Anne made the most terrific lunch and all their old friends turned up, which went on all day and well into the evening. I’m shattered now and have to get myself ready for work, I start tomorrow. Now I’ve got the job, my Dad wants to know about George. What does he do for a living? What degree does he have? Does he have a degree? What sort of family does he come from etc, etc. I wish he would chill and just let me be. It’s a continual round of questions with him. Just because I spend the weekend with someone, my parents can hear wedding bells. George is nice, but not that nice. I’ve tried on the David Lloyd uniform, looks ok, but I would rather be wearing my own clothes. Carlton pointed out it will save me money, but not sure if it doesn’t squash my personality. It’s hard to be bubbly in navy-blue and orange. But heyho, I am looking forward to having something to do rather than hanging around all day. I fetched Thomas back when we got home. He seemed to have a good time with Gwen, who had bought him all kinds of treats, I am sure he looked visibly fatter. She treats him like a baby, which suits them both.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	10th April 2007	Blog No: 29
I am not writing this from Selly Oak today. It’s Good Friday and I am on holiday for a few days in London with Carla. I had been meaning to ask her for weeks and then thought better of it when I noticed she was all over Fin like a rash when he was ill. I wasn’t quite sure what her game was. But on Wednesday she commented that she didn’t have much to do over the holiday weekend and was going to be lonely with no one in the house. When I asked her if she would fancy a weekend in London, she jumped at the chance. We are staying with friends of mine from university, Peter and Sally-Anne. Peter and I house-shared for two years. Sally-Anne and he fell in love before they had unpacked their belongings in Halls and have been together ever since. Sall’s like a sister to me. We have planned a night out in town to see The Woman in Black and then dinner at Maxwells. Sally-Anne has invited a house full on Monday for lunch, so it’ll be great seeing old uni mates. No doubt we shall have a few beers! Carla spent most of yesterday panicking about what to bring to wear and has brought enough clothes for a month and enough shoes for six months! We are only here until Tuesday. Then she spent hours saying goodbye to Thomas and checking that Gwen had all his toys for his weekend away. Motorway traffic was heavy – so she fell a sleep and left me to the radio.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	5th April 2007	Blog No: 28
Spent the day with John today going through all the responses to the questionnaires and I was right, he was less than happy. In many ways I felt sorry for him, as the manager, he seemed very demotivated in his own performance and started to blame himself. I pointed out that we had the best range of products in the market and also our prices are very competitive and I tried to encourage John to look at solutions rather than blaming himself. We decided to get the whole team together after Easter and I would present a summary on where the problems are and we could then brain storm solutions and hopefully come up with changes in the processes to ensure the errors and inconsistencies in service are addressed. We also agreed that one of us would go to head office in France and check out their customer service processes. John admitted that the results were far worse than he had anticipated. However, it was better to know why some customers had gone elsewhere. He agreed that we should run the questionnaire every year and make sure we keep an eye on how our services levels are received. I felt quite optimistic about the outcomes. Getting the team together and working through this has a sense of challenge about it and I think the whole team will benefit from being involved. Its back to Ireland for me over the Easter weekend, I am looking forward to seeing my folks. Intend to get some sailing in and spend time in the pub with friends. Some I haven’t seen since before Christmas. We were going to put Thomas in the cattery, as everyone is away, but Gwen, the old dear from next door said she will gladly have him come to stay with her and she will look after him. Carlton and I were quite touched by this offer, its interesting how the relationship has changed in the last few weeks.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	3rd April 2007	Blog No: 27
I spoke with the company training manager today to discuss my thoughts on providing product introductions and presentations for the elderly population and I was very disappointed in his response. I had hardly finished outlining what I had in mind and he said he didn’t think it would work. I felt like it was a bit of a put down, the least he could have done was to explore what I had in mind and then ask a few questions about how it might work in practice, maybe what the challenges and outcomes might be. I thought he would kick the idea around, but no it was kicked into touch without any exploration. Finley and I went for a drink after work and I was telling him. Fin thinks I should ask to see him again and to say that I feel that the idea wasn’t properly explored and explain how I feel. The other alternative is to speak to my line manager and not include the training manager at this stage. Not quite sure which way to play this – I don’t want to upset anyone. I will have to give it some thought. Finley’s view is I should push it if I think it’s an idea worth exploring. When Carla asked how I got on and I explained the outcome, she said I should talk to the competition about it! Typical Carla – no second chances with her. Thomas is better. We have now put a reminder on the computer calendar to de-flea him once a month, so we shouldn’t get that problem again. Unless I'm around, he is lucky to get fed. Although, if he howls long enough, George will open a tin, more to keep him quiet than alive. Poor old Thomas.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	30th March 2007	Blog No: 26
Fell asleep in front of the telly again last night which really made Finley and Carla mad, Fin is concerned with the power being on all night and costing a fortune. I can see their points of view; the bills are high enough without the lights and telly on all night. Delighted for Carla that she at last has a job, she seems less bored and has been busy getting herself organised, which is rare. Thomas had to go to the vets last night; he wasn’t well. The verdict was that he is allergic to fleas!! No one has debugged him in weeks and it seems he is allergic to the flea saliva which the vet says is the most allergenic substance known to man - you learn something new every day! According to the vet 10% of cats and dogs are allergic to flea saliva which causes serious dermatitis. Anyway, he has some flea treatment and cream and he should be fully recovered very soon. We need to remember to debug him more regularly. Carla is convinced the fleas are hopping all around the lounge and keeps scratching and shrieking! So we’ve given the place a good spray which should have got rid of them. I didn’t realise that the little creatures could cause such a problem.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	27th March 2007	Blog No: 25
I am delighted to say I have been given the job at David Lloyds and start after the Easter break, which is fantastic news. I get so many freebies and I am looking forward to being able to play tennis again this summer - no excuses now! I had the call this morning and I can’t wait to share the news with the guys when they get back later. Just in time too before the funds run out. I called my parents, who are disappointed it isn’t a proper job (?) but were pleased that at least I will have something constructive to do with my time. Dad still thinks I should be looking for something more important, like being a journalist - no thanks. Carlton and Finley went round to see the poor lady next door. I thought they would be back within five minutes with a flea in their ear. But no, they came back an hour later and by all accounts she was really sweet. She was very thankful that they had called the police and seemed to be glad of the company. Carlton went to the chippy and bought some supper. When he came home he said she reminded him of his Nan and she was actually a very nice lady. It turns out that the previous owner of this house had rented it out to students, who were always coming home in the early hours, were very noisy and frequently throwing up in the front garden when they had parties. She was a bit confused about us lot and thought we were all students. Finley explained what we all did and that we were almost quite responsible human beings really. Finley suggested we all be a bit more neighbourly towards her now. At least we won’t get shouted at every time we see her out the front.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	23rd March 2007	Blog No: 24
I got back into work today and what a day! I have been summarising the responses to the questionnaires. Those from current customers are not too bad, but those from past customers are terrible. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Concerns included; delivery dates not being met, no explanations, promises being broken, products damaged on arrival – improperly packaged. Some customers who had complained were never ever responded to. Out of the questionnaires sent out to those who have not ordered for over six months only thirty percent responded, I dread to think what the others would say if they had. But we have enough to know what has been going wrong. I know John is not going to be very pleased when he sees this summary. Although customers’ responses are not so bad, there are still a lot of very negative comments about the service. The products seem ok, which is where the company prides itself. It seems as though we spend too much time on getting the product range and prices right and not enough on the service issues. No matter what the price – it’s not much use to a customer if the product arrives damaged! The old lady next door is home after a week in the hospital. Carlton and I are going around later to check she is ok, not sure what type of reception we will get, but we feel we need to give her a bit of support. Carla has been very chatty lately, since I was ill. I really appreciated her looking after me, although I get the feeling that George wasn’t very impressed.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	20th March 2007	Blog No: 23
The day has been nothing short of dramatic! I saw the paper boy again this morning coming up next door’s front path. He asked if I had seen the old dear. I said I hadn’t seen her for days. He was worried that the papers for the last three days were still stuck in the door and he could see into the hall way and her post hadn’t been picked up off the floor either. He thought she usually had someone come in to collect the post if she was away. I had a chat with George and he reckoned we should call the police, which we did. When they got in by breaking the front door down, the poor old dear was lying in her bed, extremely ill. It seems that she had this bug and hadn’t eaten for several days. So an ambulance was called and she was taken off to hospital. She looked really bad as they carried her out, very fragile. We all laughed and pulled Finley’s leg; this is how he could have ended up, if Carla hadn’t been there to look after him. I wonder how ‘her next door’ is doing. I feel a bit sorry for her. The police asked us if she had any relatives, but we aren’t sure. We never really see anyone in there. Carla didn’t seem very sympathetic, she says she’s getting her just deserts for being so nasty to people. Some people are all heart!
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	16th March 2007	Blog No: 22
My nice old lady customer came in again today; she was having trouble with downloading her classical music from iTunes. So I went through it all again and then asked her to demonstrate and she got it in one. I have written it all down now for her, so she should be ok. I have been thinking about the training workshops for the older generation and I wondered whether we ought to start doing road shows, visiting elderly peoples’ day centres and retirement living centres to give presentations on what the various products do. We could do the whole product range, not just iPods. I could get very excited about the prospect of doing these; I think it could be a winner. I need to suggest it to the training manager when he is next in. Finley has been really poorly this week; I hope I don’t get the dreaded bug. Lots of people have been off with it at work, it seems to be doing the rounds. Carla was fussing around him, boiling eggs and tucking him in, which was sweet, but it wasn’t impressing George. I think George is easily threatened by her attention to Finley. Thomas is having a field day, lying on his bed all day, sleeping. I haven’t seen the old dear from next door for a few days; it seems to be very quiet. I wonder if she is gone away. Although she hasn’t cancelled her papers if she is away, I saw the paper boy coming up the path this evening when I came back from work.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	13th March 2007	Blog No: 21
I woke up this morning feeling like death – I have picked up a bug from the office. I have been sick all night and frankly I was not sure which end to put to the toilet. Carla called the office for me to say I wouldn’t be in, she said John sounded disappointed, the results from the questionnaires are coming in and he wanted a summary on what type of responses we were getting. No one else can do it, so he would be disappointed. I hope I am not out for too long. I have stopped being ill for now, but I feel very weak and washed out. I have been lying here watching day time TV, what a load of junk! ‘This Morning’ really is dull, the alternatives are all about buying houses or selling household rubbish, but I don’t feel like reading. The programmes generally are very female orientated, not much on for the young male, which surprises me. We need to think about getting cable, at least then we would have some choice. I’ll chat to George about it; perhaps he can get it cheaper. Thomas has come up to keep me company and keeps purring around the bed, like he can’t believe his good luck. He also ate the remainder of the egg that Carla boiled me. Breakfast in bed, can’t be bad for a cat!
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	9th March 2007	Blog No: 20
The review went well, the feedback from my manager was good, she said I had transferred what I had learned into my work very well and that my call response rate was very good considering I was new. She was also pleased with how I had come to terms with the system. She asked me if I had any feedback for her. I talked a bit about the induction programme and how repetitive it was. However, it was difficult; I didn’t want to sound like I was being negative about the trainer. I tried to focus on the exercises and asked whether there could be more variety in the materials etc. She took it all on board and I came away feeling very positive. My next review is in four weeks. I plan to ask about what I have to do to get promoted and about my career development etc. She seems very nice and I think we will get on well. The centre has been busy again today. Many of the staff are off with colds and flu, so it was hectic again, as a result, I managed to do some overtime, which is a bonus. Carlton and I are in tonight. He had Scarface for Christmas, which I haven’t played yet, so it’s a night in with the Playstation. And I think he’s going to treat us to pancakes. I love pancakes, although I usually only eat them on Shrove Tuesday. I haven’t seen Carla for a few days; I wonder how she got on with her interviews.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	6th March 2007	Blog No: 19
I have been for three interviews this week, one for a receptionist at David Lloyds, one for a cashier at a casino in Birmingham and another for a shop assistant at SpecSavers in Kingsheath. I definitely don’t want the cashier job at the casino, have to work mainly nights and I don’t think I could keep it up, after all I do need my beauty sleep. Working in a sports centre appeals to me at the moment, short term anyway. I get a pass to play tennis and could take aerobics classes too, all for free. They also have some great dance classes and I would get discount off any meals. Every little helps! The only flip side is I have to work some Sunday mornings, which cancels out my Sunday morning lie in. So I hope I get the job. We haven’t seen ‘her next door’ for a few days, so all is quiet. Finley has been in Ireland seeing his parents and sailing, can’t imagine why he would want to sail at this time of year, still too cold. George is driving me mad. Still wants me to make a life plan. I told him he sounds more and more like my dad. Although perhaps I’ll feel more like it when I get a job and start paying off some of my debts. The others here seem so ambitious, even Carlton is talking about starting new things at work and George and Finley are both eager for promotion. It’s never been my bag, as long as I have enough to pay the bills and go out in the evenings; I don’t really care much for status.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	2nd March 2007	Blog No: 18
New products being launched this week, so lots of customers are coming in asking if the products are available. We are still waiting for stock from the US, but have been assured all will arrive before the launch date. I had an interesting lady in yesterday. She came in and said she had seen her grandson at Christmas time with an iPod and that he could take music off his computer and put it into the iPod! She wondered if she could do the same with classical music. I spent some time explaining how it all worked and what she would need and to my surprise she ended up buying an iPod 30 GB, with a capacity of 7,500 songs, a Kensington Dock 500, complete with remote control and Klipsch iGroove speakers. I showed her how iTunes worked and she went off eager to try it all herself. She liked to listen to classical music and thought it would save her a lot of money and be more convenient in the long run, although what she bought was almost £500. We do get lots of people coming in who are older, looking at the products, some go out the store quickly and seem to be nervous about asking questions. Sometimes it’s difficult for us to spend the time we need with everyone who needs some of the more basic information, although some of our free workshops are designed for beginners. However, we might benefit from launching specific training sessions for the older generation. I am convinced we would sell more. Good technology isn’t necessary designed specifically for use by the young. Perhaps I could start with the lady next door!
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	27th February 2007	Blog No: 17
The customer survey questionnaires went out today which has got some of the management team fidgeting. Some are very concerned about the responses they will get and some have real serious concerns it will reflect badly on them as individual managers. My manager has been really supportive of the idea and my thoughts on getting the team prepared for the responses. We have had several meetings about how we will utilise the responses and make changes. This is the whole point. He has made it clear it won’t be about blaming people, what is done is done; the action to stop it happening again is the most important thing. I am really hoping we can revisit the whole customer service process and make some real changes. Had a word with the woman next door today and asked her if everything was alright. She said she was fed up with people parking outside of her house. I asked if it was Carlton again and she said she didn’t know, all students look the same to her. I told her we weren’t students and she smirked and walked off. What an odd woman. Not sure if I will ask her in for a drink, I really don’t think it will make any difference. Off to see the parents at the weekend in Ireland and if the weather holds may get some sailing in. Need to check that Carlton is here to feed Thomas otherwise he’ll be reduced to catching mice.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	23rd February 2007	Blog No: 16
The Call Centre has been manic this week; several outages have caused thousands of customers to ring up complaining, so my training has been tested to the limit. Going for my first performance review with my manager tomorrow afternoon, I hope she is ok with my performance so far. Not sure what these reviews entail, so I haven’t prepared anything, but I assume all will be revealed at the meeting. I understand everyone has these every month or so in the first three months of starting and then every three months thereafter. There’s some restructuring going on with the department, so a lot of change happening, which seems to be unsettling some people. Not sure why. They can’t get staff to stay more than three or four months and there is always a list of vacancies not filled. So it is hardly likely staff will be made redundant. Maybe it’s just the reaction to change. Asked Carla about her boyfriend in Cardiff last night, she told me not to be so silly, she didn’t have a boyfriend back home. I felt a fool really, but I had assumed that what Fin had said was right, but it seems not. She got quite annoyed when I pressed the point; she thought I didn’t believe her. So I explained that Finley had said she had a steady relationship back in Cardiff. In typical Carla fashion she said it was crap. Trying to get her to make a life plan so she knows where she is with her life, but she is not keen. Tidying her room might be a start to being better organised.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	20th February 2007	Blog No: 15
Bumped into Finley on the landing, nice body, shame about the socks. Poor old Carlton, every time he goes out the woman next door gives him ear ache. He is such a lovely bloke, he wouldn’t say boo to a goose and she really is being very aggressive with him, just because he parked outside her house on the day he arrived. Some people! I know what I would say to her. But Carlton’s not the type to be rude back. Off to see an agency later today to see if I can get a job. Have borrowed more money from the parents and they are getting as aggressive as the woman next door, so I need a job urgently. I am not Miss Popular at home. But here, it’s a different story. George and I are getting on very well, he is so cute. His turn to cook tonight, so he’s grilling steak for us both and then we plan to watch some horror DVD. I would prefer to go to the cinema but can’t suggest it as I’m skint. George says I should be more focussed and start to plan my life and what I want to do. He has offered to sit with me and make a life plan about where I want to be in two, five and ten years! As if. I’m not sure where I want to be next month let alone ten years. But heyho, if it makes him happy!
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	16th February 2007	Blog No: 14
Had a really fantastic week skiing – everything went according to plan. Plenty of snow, beer and women, what more could you want. Got back to work this morning, this has got to be the worst day of the year, returning to work after a fantastic holiday. I have finished drafting the questions for the customer survey, harder than I thought. It’s not so much the questions it’s more thinking about the responses and how those can be turned into meaningful statistics that is the difficult bit, particularly if we want to do the same again next year and make comparisons. Not sure what the feedback will be. I will have to talk to John about how we prepare the management team for the responses. The last thing we need is everyone being defensive and sulking about any bad news, we need to be objective and work on corrective action, as well as celebrating any good news. How we publish the results to staff will also need to be considered. I am still enthusiastic about it, although not sure every body else is. George and Carla seem to be getting on well, too well for my liking. I think they went out for a drink this week, whilst I was away. I felt a right div this morning; she caught me in my boxers plus socks running across the landing for a pee, I didn’t quite know how to respond to the ‘nice socks’ remark.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	13th February 2007	Blog No: 13
I am settling into the house well and know that moving in here was a decision well made. The others are great fun and I am getting on well with everyone. Not sure what is up with the woman next door though, she is very odd. I saw her again today and she took great delight in telling me that my car tax is due in a few days, not sure what to think, is she being helpful or funny? I need to remember to get it renewed or I bet she’ll call the police. She seems to have something against students. I talked with Finley about this and he reckons we should invite her in for a drink and drop in the fact that no one in the house is a student. Obviously she has had a bad experience along the way and she thinks we are all the same. Just my luck that my room is next door to her house, I hope she doesn’t start complaining about my music. I so hate aggressive people, I never know how to respond to aggression. Not sure whether it’s best to be calm or to stand my ground and shout back. Shouting is not my style. Fin reckons I should stay calm, but Carla says I should tell her to get lost. I think Fin is right, we need to maintain a good relationship if we are living next door. Caught Thomas with a dead mouse this morning, he was racing around the kitchen floor with it in his mouth. Carla came in just as I was trying to get it off him and started screaming – she hates mice, along with anything else that crawls.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	9th February 2007	Blog No: 12
Finally got through the training programme, probably the worst experience of my life. But still it’s done now. We were assessed which came as a shock, no one said anything before hand. Some of the other delegates freaked at this news and one girl, Karen, burst into tears. We also had evaluation sheets to fill in and one question was ‘How would you measure the pace of the programme?’ I put slow – didn’t want to be truthful and say ‘deadly’. To the question ‘How would you improve the programme?’, I added ‘by being a little more creative and introducing some activity other than group discussion and flip chart presentations’, not sure the trainer was very pleased about this. He came up as I was leaving and asked if I had a problem with the training programme. I felt sorry for him really, he looked quite worried, but I chatted through what Finley had said about the photographic activity on his induction. The trainer just shrugged and dismissed it, saying it wouldn’t work for this type of training. I don’t know much about training, but I am sure there is something he could do to improve it. Taking feedback on board might be a start. Carla really is fit, she enjoyed the rugby match at the weekend, but I think that was more to do with seeing Jonny Wilkinson play than the actual game. Hitting his lip like that brought out her ‘motherly’ instincts. I am not sure she understands many of the rules, typical female. We had a good time; I think I might ask her out again for a drink next week.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	6th February 2007	Blog No: 11
I am devastated, I didn’t get the job. So disappointed not to be even short listed. The woman called me and said there were others with more experience and who demonstrated more interest in the role. What a load of crap, experience of what, working in shops? I am sure they didn’t have the experience of travelling in Japan. But heyho, I will have to look for something else. I am feeling a bit tense today. My parents are on the lecture circuit, wanting me to explore journalist opportunities, but I can’t think of anything worse. Alright for them, they are almost retired. I did have another interview for a job at House of Fraser, but I couldn’t be bothered to go – I feel so cross about not getting the Japanese job. Although, I did have a great time with George on Saturday at Twickenham. I am not necessarily a big fan of rugby, but the game was brilliant and I was over the moon to see Jonny Wilkinson play. I thought he was still out injured and I was so excited to see him play. When he came out onto the pitch the crowd went absolutely mad and you couldn’t hear a thing above the cheering. It got louder as the game went on and it became clear that Jonny hadn’t lost any of his old magic. England won. George says the changes that have been made to the England team are fantastic and that hopefully it will mean we can start playing like world champions again. The atmosphere was amazing and I really enjoyed the game. We had a few beers and a nice meal at a Lebanese restaurant in London before coming home. George is growing on me, although he does like to lecture, like my parents. Keeps on that I don’t eat regularly enough and that I should have breakfast. I told him to mind his own business and stop acting like my dad.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	2nd February 2007	Blog No: 10
Caught up with Carlton, who has finally moved in. Real top bloke and helpful too, he seems to be the only one that remembers to feed Thomas. Spoke to my manager, John O’Connor today about doing a customer service audit and survey. He thinks it’s a good idea and suggested we also include past customers. He says there are a number of customers who don’t order any more and it might be useful to find out why. John has tasked me with designing the questionnaires and then talking them through with him. I felt very good about this. Don’t know exactly how to do it though, but I’m sure there’s a tried and tested technique somewhere in my uni notes. If we can measure the levels of satisfaction and get a real handle on what customers see as important then we can fashion our services accordingly. Although I reckon there are a lot of skeletons in the cupboard, no one seems to worry if customers aren’t ordering. I was actually shocked, it wasn’t the impression I had of business when I was at university. I thought any thing to do with customers was measured regularly. Looking forward to skiing at the weekend, although very poor timing, George has asked Carla to go to Twickenham at the weekend. Not sure why a girl like that would be interested in rugby - wouldn’t have had it down as her scene.
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Posted by: Carlton Drew (profile)	30th January 2007	Blog No: 9
Moved into the house today. No one in when I arrived except the cat, who meowed loudly when I walked in - still, better a cat to welcome you than no welcome at all. Didn’t make much of an impression on the woman next door. She got very aggressive because I parked outside her house to unload the car. I explained I was just moving in but she wouldn’t have it - insisted I moved the car. So I had to wait until there was a space. Drove around the block three times until someone else moved. Not sure what her problem is, but she’s not very friendly. Kept saying she was fed up with students! Got the whole day off work to move in, so eventually, got lots done, although the room looked much bigger when it was empty. I am not sure everything will fit in. Still, I am sure Ikea will have the answer to my storage problems, boxes under the bed might help. Got my speakers set up so I am good for music, which is the main thing. Played the Kitty Margolis Heart & Soul CD for the first time today, fantastic. I really wish I could have seen the concert live in San Francisco… perhaps one day. Had planned to go back home to bring another load at the weekend, but in view of the lack of space I think I’ll pass on that until I’ve sorted myself out.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	26th January 2007	Blog No: 8
Had a good evening last night, a real laugh, made a change from sitting at the computer. Carla made home made soup especially for me which was really nice. She is quite a good cook despite what she says. Had a few bottles of wine and put the world to rights until late. Fin says she has a steady relationship with a bloke back home in Cardiff, but she never mentions him. I reckon she could be a bit high maintenance, but I like her. She knows her own mind and she is really good looking. Still struggling through the induction training and it’s not getting any better. I have a strategy now to cope, I just switch off after the first half hour into a session and then catch up when we sit around to talk in small groups. Two weeks to go and I’ll be done. Not sure whether we will be assessed before we are allowed to go live in the Call Centre – no one has said - but it isn’t exactly rocket science, so I should be ok. I’ve got the general idea. Asked Finley about going to Twickenham, but he is going skiing. Not sure who else to ask, a shame to waste the ticket. I thought about the new guy Carlton, but it look’s a bit naff asking the guy the minute he moves in. I wondered about asking Carla, but not sure if it looks a bit keen, on the other hand, we are house mates after all. Carlton moves in tomorrow.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	23rd January 2007	Blog No: 7
I thought today about the conversation I had with Fin last night. He was very upset by suppliers letting him down and then having to give excuses to his customers. I told him that the responsibility lays with him and his company not the supplier. It’s up to him and his manager to get it right and make sure the suppliers deliver. I tend to be very unforgiving of companies that let me down. I ordered a small hamper for my Mum last Christmas which was promised before Christmas but not delivered until after Boxing Day, so this year I have gone somewhere else. I did a similar thing with a company that pulled faces when I returned faulty goods. If I don’t get the service, I don’t use the company. Simple as that! My interview went quite well with the Japanese furniture company. I thought I would be interviewed by one person, but there was a whole panel – never had that before. They asked lots of questions about my travels in Japan and what I had learned about the culture etc. I didn’t prepare as well as I could have though. I knew about Japan ok but not much about the company, I should have gone on their website instead of going to the local. But, heyho, I am still hopeful. Making supper tonight for Fin, George and me. Told the guys it needs to be a budget meal, so Fin wanted cheese on toast and George wants home made soup. So I’ve decided on both. Can’t upset the guys now can I?
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	19th January 2007	Blog No: 6
I had a few serious problems at work today, suppliers not keeping promises which meant delays getting camera equipment out to our customers. This is the second time this has happened, and it would happen again this week, which was the second time our biggest customer was let down. We need to get it sorted out urgently. My client called and was very upset and is threatening to pull the rest of the contract if we don’t deal with it quickly. The trouble lies with our supplier not delivering on time and making false promises. All we seem to get these days are excuses. My manager, John O’Connor is paying them a visit next week. The whole situation has got me thinking, we need to do a proper customer service audit, plus a customer survey and get feedback from our customers. Based on this we can then tighten things up and make some serious changes. I will chat to John about it and see what he thinks. He did say he would welcome suggestions for improvements. When I spoke about it this evening to Carla, she says she personally black lists companies that don't deliver first time, not dealing with them again if they provide bad service. Carla thinks that I am lucky my dissatisfied customer is still with me. Picked up Thomas, the cat today and brought him back to the house. He wondered up and down meowing and then settled once he knew where his bed was. Need to get a cat flap put in at the weekend, before I go away. Hope someone remembers to feed him whilst I’m gone.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	16th January 2007	Blog No: 5
I got back from work late again. My head is spinning, so much information to take in, it’s only been three days and I still have four weeks of this induction programme to go. Just my luck, the trainer is duller than watching paint dry. He keeps on talking and talking until you think you can’t stand any more and then he gets you to regurgitate it all onto flip chart paper and then we all sit round and talk about the same bloody thing. I sincerely hope it gets better tomorrow. Had a chat with Finley about it over a pint, he reckons his company's induction was fantastic, each different topic was delivered using a different teaching method, with a broad range of different activity. Some of it was hands on, learning to use the systems etc. However, when they got to the quality areas, the delegates were given cameras and asked to design a photographic exhibition to demonstrate the quality of the company products. The photographs were displayed in the reception area for all visitors and employees to see. Finley reckoned it has given him a good sense of satisfaction and belonging. We reckoned you could do that with any subject, induction training doesn’t need to be so dry. The trainer at my company is giving the organisation a bad name. He also likes to chat about himself, which gets a bit boring after a while. I might ask Finley to go to Twickenham next weekend to see the game, although I am not sure if he's off skiing next week or the week after. We need to check that someone is here to meet Carlton when he moves in.
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Posted by: Carla Jones (profile)	12th January 2007	Blog No: 4
I love this place. Lots of light, biggish rooms, bus ride to town, other than a job I think it is finally falling into place. Need to rearrange the room, get some decent linen and maybe get some better pictures downstairs, sure Fin will be cool with that. Had the feeling Finley would be cool with almost anything I did. I got that feeling very quickly; he's not my type but heyho. Have an interview tomorrow, I should be doing a little research, but I think I’ll check out the local when I've emptied the car and will do the research later. I hope to get the job. A new, trendy furniture supplier from Japan just opened their second store in Birmingham, the first one opened in London last year. Having toured Japan for six months, I think I should walk it. They'll probably ask me loads of questions about Japan and what I know about Japanese style, which is quite a lot. Anyway, I’ll do all that later. Wonder what Finley is doing right now, I could do with some help unloading the car.
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Posted by: George Hempsey (profile)	9th January 2007	Blog No: 3
I have sorted a place to live at last with a good sized room and use of the garage for my bikes. I start work on Monday, so it's all happening. Met with Finley a few days ago, I never expected to be moved in so quickly. I didn't meet Carla, but Finley seems cool and well laid back, just the sort of landlord I was looking for, that and a decent kitchen. I aim to keep the wok busy and to have a go at sushi. Impossible in my mum’s kitchen, as far as she is concerned, if it isn’t meat and two veg it isn’t worth eating. Very glad I got this place, not exactly close to work, but it feels right. When I came out of the meeting, I didn't think I got it, Finley hardly asked any questions and didn’t seem that interested in me. I thought perhaps he was just going through the interview because he didn’t like to say ‘sorry mate’. He did mention how important it was that we were all compatible and got on, but he just chatted away about the house and this and that. I was surprised he didn’t check out very much about me, but there again I suppose it was a two way street and I wasn't exactly Jeremy Packman myself. I wonder what Carla is like although Finley thinks she is attached, some bloke from Cardiff.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	5th January 2007	Blog No: 2
Interviews went quite well. Some of the hopefuls were a bit of a surprise. Perhaps Mum was right. Two have agreed to moving in next week, George Hempsey, who on first impressions is a top bloke and a well fit girl called Carla Jones. The third one to complete this happy family is Carlton Drew, a laid back computer geek from Milton Keynes, but he can’t move in until the week after. I am quite relieved and look forward to them moving in. Hate living alone. I hope I have made the right choices. Felt as though I should have planned the interviews better, we just chatted and I have gone on gut feel, but I am sure it’ll be ok. George is moving down from Manchester where he was at uni but it’s back to his origins for him. Carla is moving up from Cardiff where she has been studying journalism. Not sure if she is unattached. Hope so.
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Posted by: Finley McKenna (profile)	2nd January 2007	Blog No: 1
I really am exhausted today, having spent most of the Christmas and New Year holiday in endless shopping trips to IKEA and Next in search of sales bargains for my new pad. The parents have come up trumps again having supplied a load of what I need - all the things you take for granted. Thank God for parents. So I have finally moved into my new house in Selly Oak, Birmingham – a mid terrace, three storey place that is now home. Interviewing tomorrow for house mates, had a lot of responses to the ads placed before Christmas, looking forward to meeting them. Not sure how to select them, I’ll probably go with gut feel and see what happens, as long as they can pay their rent and not leave the place in a mess, most people are ok when you get to know them. Mum is paranoid about the whole thing.
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