Things to do (when it snows) list
2/02/2009 at 09:51
View from my office door
With most of the country on an unofficial extra holiday, eBay sellers still need to be on their toes. Your customers aren’t likely to worry about how your courier is unable to collect today and more likely to think “Great, a day off work, now I can wait in to sign for that parcel from eBay!”.
Things to do when it snows list:
- Ring the courier if they’ve not already phoned you to check if they will be collecting today
- Ditto Royal Mail collections.
- Change despatch emails to warn buyers deliveries may be delayed even if there isn’t snow in their region.
- Email buyers whose items shipped on Friday to warn them their purchase may be delayed.
- Don’t take the entire day off, even if collections aren’t carried out today pick and pack orders ready to go to avoid a backlog.
- Make sure you answer ASQs promptly – chances are there are a lot of bored buyers sitting at home ready to spend some money.
- It’s a great day for getting some listings done, you probably won’t be going out much either so use the time productively
and finally
- Take some time off to build a snowman!
Whirly says
10:08 am on 02/02/2009
Practice what you preach Chris,
We want to see your snowman built by teatime.
northumbrian says
10:26 am on 02/02/2009
Suvvern softies
northumbrian says
10:34 am on 02/02/2009
just shows how good ebay really is
I cant remember the last time ebay was down regardless of how much traffic,
yet
if you try and log on to most of the travel help sites and official emergency sites
they are crashed because of the traffic,
totally barmy
its no bloody good them working when they are not needed
its when there is can emegency they should be working, and better than ever
northumbrian says
10:46 am on 02/02/2009
there is no view from my office window its a white out at the moment
Chris Dawson says
10:59 am on 02/02/2009
Just received the following from ParcelForce…..
Due to the severe weather conditions there may be some delays in deliveries today.
We have reports of several vehicles being stuck in the snow already.
With more snow forecast later on today this may also have an impact on your collection as well.
We have already had to suspend adhoc collections.
All efforts are being made to ensure that deliveries and collections are
adhered to weather permitting.
northumbrian says
11:13 am on 02/02/2009
Post as Normal here
its just another day,
out on the edge of the empire
ebuyerfb says
11:51 am on 02/02/2009
This would be a complete disaster if this happened here sometime in the next few months. USPS is supposedly going to drop Tuesdays so basically that would mean four day weekend.
Chris Dawson says
12:41 pm on 02/02/2009
Oh it’s getting worse…. ParcelForce’s latest….
Due to the severe weather conditions we are now having to close our depots in the area. No collections will be carried out today and all adhoc sameday collections have been suspended.
We apologise for the delays this will cause, but trust you will appreciate that is an unprecedented situation and we are hopeful that the service will resume tomorrow weather permitting.
Well they’ve already collected from me but isn’t looking hopeful for the parcels to go very far!
northumbrian says
1:44 pm on 02/02/2009
good grief ! lets panic and cause a crisis, ,snow in winter whatever next
ebuyerfb says
1:52 pm on 02/02/2009
@ # 9
You should try living where I do. 85 F on Christmas (29.5 C). Going to be in the 70′s tomorrow. Trust me, we do panic when it snows. It is much more economical than preparing for it.
northumbrian says
2:01 pm on 02/02/2009
we would do more than panic here ,if it were 29.5c on Christmas day,
we would drop dead with shock,
Chris Dawson says
2:41 pm on 02/02/2009
I can’t understand why self employed people can get to work but the likes of teachers can’t. Schools all over the county are closed but shop keepers still managed to open. Do teachers etc *all* live in the worst areas for snow drifts but their neighbourrs don’t?
Clarky says
2:48 pm on 02/02/2009
Manchester is working hard
But there again we arent some southern “OMG a snowflake” jessy’s so we would be
Kate & Jen says
2:48 pm on 02/02/2009
Chris, its not so much about teachers not being able to get to school, but the councils health and safety policys that shut schools, they don’t want anybody slipping over in the snow incase they get sued or a child being hit with a snowball could be seen as bullying
Its crazy!
I have loved my kids being off school today…lots of sledging!
Kate & Jen says
2:51 pm on 02/02/2009
OH! Clarkey, lets see how you notherners cope when it hits you!. a snowflake my arse!
My husband got into London no problem this morning (oh frig, he’s a notherner!)
shiftyswifty says
3:23 pm on 02/02/2009
I phoned the kids school this morning…
“Is the school open today”….the be told “Of course, why shouldn’t it be, our teachers have come in, so the kids can”
They phoned me at work at 10 this morning…”ERRR can you come and pick your children up NOW please !”…I replied..
“ERR NO, I done my job by bringing my children to school this morning, now your TEACHERS can do theirs by teaching them, I will pick them up as usual at 3 .45 this afternoon”
Just off out now to pick them up !!!
Chris Dawson says
3:35 pm on 02/02/2009
The schools in Wokingham have ALL decided that tomorrow will be another snoliday!
You know I don’t understand why kids that grow up in places like Canada aren’t all uneducated, after all they have months of proper snow, not just a few inches. Do they not have snowballs or slip over in the snow on school premises and if not why can’t we not too?
DBL says
5:00 pm on 02/02/2009
*Wot Kate & Jen said*
Our school had a child slip on wet leaves and it is still with solicitors etc 2 years later so snow is worse.
They’re struggling to get planes out at airport, they are fighting a losing battle Mr Beads says, they are trying to clear snow to push back the planes but as fast as they clear it’s back.
The tugs they use to push the planes & move the equipment are not gripping the surface. They are getting diverts from other airports, they have that technology to bring a plane into land using computers from the ground after the Kegworth crash so they get a lot. Hubby says no one can get out of the staff car park tho
Can’t see why they don’t grit the roads tho.
Full roast pork joint with all the trimmings here, love being at home
Andy says
5:16 pm on 02/02/2009
#17 Chris, in the words of Mandy if you don’t like it here you can go and live in Canada!
I think it has something to do with snowchains, etc. which everyone has in places where it snows non-stop.
board_surfer says
5:24 pm on 02/02/2009
What amuses me is that London has “exercises” for this disaster and that catastrophe
A couple of inches of snow and the place is shut!!
Who said southern softies???
Chris Dawson says
6:22 pm on 02/02/2009
#19 Been to Canada in winter, didn’t have snow chains, everyone managed just fine.
Couldn’t move there though…. I’d miss laughing at how poorly this country copes or doesn’t as the case normally is
Jimbo says
7:12 pm on 02/02/2009
I think a day off (or two) for the kids to dance about in the snow is fine. That the buses weren’t running and Royal Mail didn’t deliver or collect though – what with the credit crunch & all. I blame the ……… (choose your own scape goat).
Whirly says
7:19 pm on 02/02/2009
We have snow in Falmouth, deep snow,, fingers crossed for tomorrow it would be great for the kids to have a day off to play in it (with me)
It’s the first time my 2 have seen snow and it could be the last!
northumbrian says
7:19 pm on 02/02/2009
I wonder when you move to Canada if there is training available about shipping and customs charge moaning , so you can integrate properly
northumbrian says
7:22 pm on 02/02/2009
“It’s the first time my 2 have seen snow and it could be the last!”
Eh
you gonna bury them or freeze them or summat
Whirly says
7:31 pm on 02/02/2009
Andy says
7:15 am on 03/02/2009
#24 Was going to mention the Canadian buyer and customs angle but thought ‘better not’ so thank you for filling in.
We had a great day with the kids yesterday and it looks like the same today. All this piffle about how we should be better prepared from the same people I suspect who’d have moaned and bitched if the government had announced 3 years ago that they were spending a few billion a year on equipment, staff, etc. so we could all get to work if it snows like this once every twenty years or so.
Ed (BuildaSkill) says
7:34 am on 03/02/2009
Balmy 34 degrees C here today, clear blue skies and a gentle wind off the sea.
G&T tray already set up beside the hammock
See ya
northumbrian says
8:51 am on 03/02/2009
A barmy 0 degrees here ,a lead grey sky ,and a stiff wind coming off the hills,
a Large whisky with a dash of hypothermia set up beside the snow cave,
sporrans circling overhead , the haggis baying ravenously at the entrance
Chris Dawson says
8:16 am on 05/02/2009
Here we go again…. another 4 inches of the white stuff
Andy says
8:27 am on 05/02/2009
Unfortunately not here – it’s missed us completely!
Sue Bailey says
10:54 am on 05/02/2009
There’s a whole list of postcodes where PF won’t book collections today:
AL1-10, B1-38, B40, B42-50, B60-80, B90-98, all BA, all BS, CH1-8, CH25-34, CH60, CH64-66, CH88, CH99 , CM0-9, CM11-24, CM77, CM99, CT1-21, CT50, CV1-13, CV21-23, CV31-37, CV47,CV98, all DE, DN1-12, DN14-22, DN31-41, DN55, DY1-14, EN1-11, all GL, HP1-3, HP6-8, all HR, LE95, LL11-49, LL51-78, LN1-13, NG1-NG34, NN1-7, NN11, NP4, NP7, NP8, NP25, ME1-20, OL1 4, OL2, OL5, OL12 8,9,OL13-16, PE10-12, PE20-25, S1-14, S17-18, S20-21, S25-26, S32-33, S35-36, S40-45, S49, S60-66, S70-75, S80-81, all SN, SS96-98, SA48, SG1-19, SK12 1,2, SK13, SK14 6,8, SK22, SS0-9, SS11-17, SS22, SS99, TN23-30, all WR, WS1-15.
(nicked from the PSB). Expect this to change throughout the day, so don’t promise your buyers too much at the moment.
Chris Dawson says
11:06 am on 05/02/2009
Can add a bunch of RG and OX as well – they can’t get to me today!
northumbrian says
3:43 pm on 05/02/2009
Would you ADAM AND EVE it
schools shut here yesterday, hardly any snow at all ,the hills were like an ants nest ,with hundreds of kids sledging,
TODAY its snowing like the artic, three times as much as yesterday , and the day before,
and all the Schools are open