What is French for customer service?

Wednesday 10 June 2015

Cloudy with showers 23 degrees

Blissfully cool this morning and the garden and fields were busy sucking up the night's rain. The bamboo has grown about a foot overnight.

Off to town this morning to see the Dermatologue.  It was a very long wait and I was only in for about ten minutes whilst she examined my many moles.  I am particularly covered in little red ones - cherry angiomas - which are a sign of ageing skin.  I also have brown ones and beige ones.  OH says my back is like a dot to dot picture.  Apparently they are collections of blood cells.  Had a coffee and, walking back to the car, was followed by a strange man in a white suit, blowing kisses at me.  I think I need to tone down my allure ;)

Back home and the La Ratte potatoes have taken the opportunity of a decent watering to start developing potato blight, the buggers.  Pulled off the dead leaves.  Everything else is looking very happy.

Had to put plastic bags over the newly planted pots of ipomoea because when OH concreted them to the posts (they blew off and smashed last year), he filled in the drainage holes.  I am going to have to find a better solution as there is a lot of rain forecast for this week and the pots are just going to fill up and rot off the plants.

Following receipt of an email in French for PB seller to the US couple who are divorcing, I translate it and he comes back saying he doesn't want to go with the legal route but is prepared to give them an extension if they pay in ten percent penalty clause fees.  They have already paid in five percent as a deposit, which will be forfeit if the sale doesn't happen so effectively he is asking for 15% percent penalty fees.  I am absolutely infuriated.  The poor US lady is in a terrible emotional state after all that has happened and PB is being a smart guy and trying to screw an extra 5 percent out of it.

I go down town and am in state of high umbrage and decide to go and tackle the Tresor Public who helped themselves to 200 euros from my bank account for late payment fees of local taxes when I had paid them on time.  This was in respect of taxes for 2013 and they took the amount in October 2014 and when I complained, said I would have to wait to get it back and the wait 'risked being very long'.  

I went in just before closing time.  The receptionist, who resembles Dennis Healey, glared at me from under her substantial eyebrows and informed me that, normally, they were closed at 4 pm.  I said where is my money.  She said what money.  I said the money about which you have received two letters and two emails and ten phone calls.  She said we have repaid you.  I said no.  She said bouf and went into another office and came back and said the payment was rejected because we don't have your social security number (wtf!!!!).  She grimaced out a smile, thinking I wouldn't know it.  I did and reeled it off.  She said it would be sent très rapidement.  I said if it wasn't, it would be their turn to get a mise en demeure (snotty letter demanding money).  She drew down the blinds and put the key in the door and said was there anything else.  I left after giving her a long stare.  Do you know the joke?  What is French for customer service?  There is no French for customer service - it doesn't exist.