Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I do not believe it

We're in the process of making an offer for the lease of a shop in a busier location than our present retro/vintage charity shop. One thing the landlord requires is what's called a "status enquiry" (basically a reference from our bank to confirm that we could pay the first year's rent). We have to fill in a form and pay £8.50 to the bank and they should send the necessary information to the landlord's agent.

First attempt was just over a month ago. Agent asks, "Where is it".  I call in bank. No record of a form. 

Try again last week. Call in today. No record. Ask bank manager how this could have happened. The first go might have been lost in the post, but last week's try was handed in with my own hot little hand. Manager prods about a bit in the innards of their computer system. Looks worried. Finally confesses that our requests had been passed by the branch to their commercial customer centre which then sent them back to the branch for action, and so on in an infinite loop that is impossible to trace because the people who open post and redirect it at either end of the system don't do anything else. 

Have printed off another request form and handed it to the manager with a personal cheque for £8.50 to avoid more delay getting a second signature for a branch cheque. She swears she will personally supervise its progress.

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