That would have been in November but at the last minute we realised that when I'm coaching people over the phone I can be tied up on the phone line for an hour and a half and that has meant that potential B&B guests weren't able to get through.
So I phoned BT and asked for a second line to be installed. A simple task you'd think but it turns out that it is something that takes six weeks before an engineer can visit. Except that on the due date I get a text saying they've checked their records and they could see that I already had a phone line so they had no need to visit and would just activate the number. One or two hitches with that. Firstly we don't get much of a mobile signal in the house so I don't usually keep the phone on whilst at home. That meant that I didn't get the message until late afternoon. And what was the point of activating a number when I had no way of plugging a phone in to be able to make and receive calls....because I needed another line.
Now I'm not normally an angry or aggressive person but phoning BT has the same effect as if I'd had a personality transplant and become a very vocal, angry old woman! After explaining my situation to one person she tried to get hold of the engineering team to fix a time for an engineer to turn up in person and after a while I get switched from a ringing tone to the standard automated message saying I'm in a queue. After 15 minutes of this I disconnect and try again. I go the whole rigmarole again with a different phone operator and the same thing happens so after slightly less time I disconnect and call again. This time a young man answers, I explain the situation and say, in no uncertain terms, that I do not want to be put on hold but want to speak to his manager. He tells me he will connect me and promises that he'll put me on hold for a few moments only to explain the situation to his manager. Ten minutes later I disconnect, with my blood pressure and voice tone now at fever pitch.
The final lady I spoke to must have wondered what hit her and I finally managed to get the message across that this was their problem and that they had 15 minutes in which they had to find a time for the engineer to call and phone me back or I was reporting them to Ofcom. I was in quite an amenable mood on the first call but an hour and a half later, with what felt like steam coming out of my ears I was fuming. So much for customer service. Each time we moved house in 2010 I had problem after problem with BT trying to get phone lines and internet service, so the moment our contract expires that's it, I'm finding some other phone company, who surely can't be any worse.
Rant over!! Finally a couple of days before Christmas a sub-contractor from BT turned up (the same morning as 3 electricians testing all the new wiring, a carpenter and someone installing our roof insulation - a bit of a chaotic morning!) - and the line was at last installed.
The web-site and the stationery order had been on hold pending knowing what the new number would be. Which is why it has taken until mid January before the web-site could go live. Take a look at www.gladstonecoaching.co.uk
It will take a while to build up business contacts and to finish my coaching qualification so the building of my portfolio career continues and diversifies.
You may think that it is far too soon to be thinking about next Christmas but I've spent the last few days checking Pintrest sites for Christmas patchwork and craft ideas. Next on my to do list is to make some samples of Christmas makes and put together Christmas workshops to offer to WI and other groups across Norfolk in the Autumn.
Meanwhile I'm putting together the content for a course on How to set up and run a successful B&B. We've learnt so much in the last few years and I think with the combination of Mike's and my experience we can really help other people set up their own B&B. I'll also be able to offer ongoing coaching and mentoring support, which will help differentiate us from the couple of other B&Bs in the UK who are offering similar courses.
Meanwhile bookings for the B&B are up on this time last year and we've just taken our first overseas booking, which reminds me of the advert from a well-known bank (and my former employers) who say that..... "In the future, even the smallest business will be multinational"
So whether it is The Old Bakery B&B, The Bakehouse, Gladstone Coaching and Development, The Old Bakery Quilts and Crafts or our jams and preserves sub-division - we say....bring it on, next stop the world!
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