Utility companies
My mum recently moved house and struggled to get the electricity connected.
She'd called the utility company prior to the move and organised for it to be switched on a couple of days before she planned to move in - the switch box was located on the front verandah, so there'd be no issues with accessibility while she wasn't there.

Moving day, and she arrives to find that the electricity hadn't been connected. She calls the utility company again, gets a bit of a run around as to why it hadn't been connected already, and a promise that an electrician will be out between 6pm and midnight that night to connect it.

Midnight comes and with it a remarkable lack of electricians.

The next morning, she makes another call to the utility company to find out what the hell's going on. Eventually through to a real person, she tells them that the electrician didn't turn up the night before to switch on the power, and asks if they can tell her quickly when he will be out, as after a couple of calls and a lot of time on hold with the utility company, her mobile battery is almost dead.
"You should have charged your phone before you called."
The phone monkey places her on hold briefly to call the electrician to see why they didn't turn up the previous night and when he'll be able to come out.
"He did go out there last night, but the lights were off, so he assumed nobody was home".
(teff, Sun 6 Sep 2009, 4:46, 3 replies)

*click*
2 stunning examples of utility company fuckwittery there.
( spesh., Sun 6 Sep 2009, 10:25, closed)

Click
Because I know that this must have happened.
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Sun 6 Sep 2009, 13:48, closed)

nice lurkage!
the LEDs are useless. im amazed they gave timescales of 6pm to 12 as they stop after 8 in most cases!

tip: get the agents name, and ask that the electrician call you before they turn up. if they dont, you can get compensation XD for missed appointment (its around £25) but its oftern your word against theres. what happened to your mum is sadly a very common thing :(

if you have any more probs with any thing like this, gaz me :)
( Captain Pilchard The king of B-movies!, Mon 7 Sep 2009, 0:14, closed)