On Sun, 3 Aug 2003 at 20:54:54, Roy wood wrote:
(ref: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>)
>
>In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, gwicks
><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
><SNIP>
>
>I won't quote back any of the long and detailed list Geoff has just
>given us but I have a great tendency to agree with him on ninety
>percent of it. If we are to be honest with ourselves we could add a few
>lines to the list as well.
Only one I don't agree on. A loss of £100 a year is nothing.
That is a small price to pay for membership of the QL club.
If only my loss was that small.
There is a story which is one of quite a few which keep me with the QL.
Someone sent me their 'beloved' QL for repair just before Christmas last
year. I had told her on the phone that it was a standard price, but
forgot to mention that did not include microdrives. Of course, the
problem she had was microdrives!
I replaced both and did not charge her 'It was my fault for forgetting -
it is your lucky day'
She then wrote back a delightful letter, saying that she was quite old
and my letter had arrived at a very low point in her life. She was not
looking forward to Christmas, as she really had very little money.
Reading between the lines, I think she had just lost her husband.
Anyway, it was just before a QL show, so I asked her whether she could
come, as I had a Trump Card I could give her.
At the show, Malcolm Cadman added disks and a double floppy disk drive.
... and I have never cashed her cheque for the repair.
That is why I stick with the QL.
>
>I would counter these with a story of one customer who did not want to
>buy anything just wanted to retrieve his files from some ED disks. He
>had QPC2 but the PC would not see ED disks. I found a drive, built a
>box with a PSU and retrieved all the files onto HD disks for him for
>free. He was not alone in being helped for free. We are all saints and
>sinners in equal measure.
>
>Both Q Branch and TF Services make a loss each year. Just keeping the
>phone line and equipment maintained is bad enough but going to shows is
>expensive. We do it because we enjoy it and because we enjoy the users
>- on the whole. Tony may have meant that the Irish show was 'the best'
>because it had a big social element missing from other shows. If you
>take little or no money at the show you cannot afford a hotel or
>overnight stay and so the social element goes.
I am sleeping in a tent this year (8-)#
--
QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255
tony@<surname>.co.uk http://www.firshman.co.uk
Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255
TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG
