C’mon, Andrew!
Tue., December 16, 11:46 AM
Have you noticed a decline in service at Diaryland? I hate to complain, but gee whiz, I’m not the only one. For example, there have been numerous comments about not being able to use the Guestbook. Some of us tried using Notes, which is less than satisfactory, because it looks crummy and takes up space. (I even wondered– because I’m comparatively new here and I don’t know – whether the Guestbook was developed as a substitute for the less-than-perfect Notes program.)
Then I began reading other complaints, about notifications not being given, or about requests for technical aid that were not answered, or about responses from Sammy that basically said, “I can’t fix that; you’ll have to wait for Andrew.” Meanwhile, someone else pointed out that there had been no Diaryland news for something like three weeks.
Then, lo and behold, my Buddy List shows that the news has been updated. Oh, good, maybe there will be some explanation. So I open it, only to find an ad for Super Gold memberships. Y’know, Andrew, for some of us even a Gold membership is expensive. Your members are generally very patient, because we enjoy the communities that have evolved from Diaryland. But do you really think, with the attitude we’ve been getting, that we really want to spend more? C’mon!
Coffee maker update (so silly!): Do you remember when I mentioned that my coffee maker was wearing out ? It shouldn’t be a big deal, after all, since I had a new one still in the box.
What I have is a brand new fancy Gevalia coffee maker. You know the kind – you pay three times as much as the coffee is worth and they send you a “free” gift. I had been sort of saving it to give away – a wedding present maybe – because I loved the Braun I was using. I just got tired of having to walk around the counter to plug and unplug it because the switch was broken. So I set up the new one.
I’m glad I never gave it to anyone. It would have been embarrassing. To begin with, it came without documents. I don’t necessarily need instructions to use it, but warranties and/or replacement data might be helpful. Then I discovered that it often seemed to be standing in a pool of water. It doesn’t seem to be leaking, but evidently you have to be careful how you fill it. Since it’s higher than the old one and I’m still shrinking, I have to use the stepstool to add the water and then get down to where I can see how full it is.
The thrill of a new appliance was quickly wearing off when I began to examine it more closely. What does it have that the Braun didn’t have. It has a little dial that turns to “lighter” or “darker.” As far as I can tell, it’s not attached to anything. It has a spring that holds the grinds basket over the pot, so tightly that pulling the pot away seems to strain the whole thing. About the only thing it has is an on-off switch that works; granted, that's good.
I’ll start looking for another special on a Braun. The Gevalia pot will probably last until I find one – or else I’ll go back to plugging and unplugging the old one. I didn’t pay for this and, y’know, you get what you pay for.
Since I’m trashing the Gevalia people anyhow, I should tell you why I no longer buy their coffee. The coffee is very good, but the staff can’t seem to get an order straight. The month after they agreed not to send me any more – a six-month hiatus because I had too much – I got another shipment. I offered to send it back because I couldn’t use it, and I severed the relationship completely. I think nothing annoys me as much as poor service.
Uh, Andrew?
