At last we got around to going and ordering a new carpet for Nik's room. The one that's down is nearly threadbare in parts and looks decidedly grotty after nearly 30 years. We also desperately need new doors on the bedrooms upstairs but it wasn't worth getting them until the new carpet's down.
We went to CarpetRight in Warrington and chose carpet and underlay which should be all fitted within a couple of weeks. I also looked at carpet for the sitting and dining rooms, which are connected by an archway. I know, more or less, what I want but I won't order until the redecorating is done. We are going to strip off the wallpaper and I want the walls re-plastered so we can paint them. Colin was brilliant at DIY, could do nearly everything except plastering at which, he admitted himself, he was "crap", so there's a lot of rather uneven filling needs addressing.
It won't be cheap but once it's done it will outlast me.
On the way home we passed another retail park and had a quick look round DFS. I want a new suite, when all the work's done, so we thought we'd get some ideas. We went around the store, sitting on sofas and chairs, examining swatches and remarked how good it was that we could do that without a salesman hovering annoyingly. We found a corner sofa and a chair we particularly liked and sat on it when......up comes the saleschild. I doubt he was as old as our Peter's (my grandson), perhaps 21 but no older, and he wanted a sale.
On being asked if he could, "Help us at all?" I explained I was still at the planning stage, looking for ideas for later in the year. This prompted him to start on the sales pitch about the Summer Sale which would end soon, etc., etc. The conversation then went, approximately, like this:
Me. But, of course, you'll then have another sale.
Him. Oh no, not when this one's finished.
Me. But you always have a sale on.
Him. No we don't. People just think we do.
Me. But you have perpetual adverts on TV for your latest sales. They're on all year round.
Him. Ah, but we get different stock in so all this (sweep of the arm to encompass the whole store) may be different.
Me. That's fine, I'm sure you'll have something I like.
Him. But it may not be 50% off like today.
Me. I'll take a chance.
Him. You could take advantage of 0% finance if you buy today.
Me. I don't want finance. What discount will you give me for cash?
Him. Nothing, we don't do that.
Me. The manager of SCS told me he would give me a discount for cash (this is perfectly true). There is no such thing as free credit, you add it into the cost of the furniture.
Him. (flushing a bit) Erm, we do make a small charge but this company doesn't give discounts. (Rallies a bit), It would mean some customers paid less than others (gives me the Karl Marx stare meant, I think, to shame me into capitulation on my unegalitarian request).
Me. Yes, that's what I want, to pay less than those who take 4 years to pay. Why should I pay for 4 years credit if I'm not using it?
Him. Well, erm, anyway.......we don't give a discount.
Me. Oh well, I'll go back to SCS then. Good afternoon.
Nik said, laughing, as we got in the car, "He annoyed you, didn't he, Mum?" I had to agree that he did, a little, though I appreciate he wanted a sale and probably needed the commission. Nik said, "Poor lad." I don't know why.
We went to CarpetRight in Warrington and chose carpet and underlay which should be all fitted within a couple of weeks. I also looked at carpet for the sitting and dining rooms, which are connected by an archway. I know, more or less, what I want but I won't order until the redecorating is done. We are going to strip off the wallpaper and I want the walls re-plastered so we can paint them. Colin was brilliant at DIY, could do nearly everything except plastering at which, he admitted himself, he was "crap", so there's a lot of rather uneven filling needs addressing.
It won't be cheap but once it's done it will outlast me.On the way home we passed another retail park and had a quick look round DFS. I want a new suite, when all the work's done, so we thought we'd get some ideas. We went around the store, sitting on sofas and chairs, examining swatches and remarked how good it was that we could do that without a salesman hovering annoyingly. We found a corner sofa and a chair we particularly liked and sat on it when......up comes the saleschild. I doubt he was as old as our Peter's (my grandson), perhaps 21 but no older, and he wanted a sale.
On being asked if he could, "Help us at all?" I explained I was still at the planning stage, looking for ideas for later in the year. This prompted him to start on the sales pitch about the Summer Sale which would end soon, etc., etc. The conversation then went, approximately, like this:
Me. But, of course, you'll then have another sale.
Him. Oh no, not when this one's finished.
Me. But you always have a sale on.
Him. No we don't. People just think we do.
Me. But you have perpetual adverts on TV for your latest sales. They're on all year round.
Him. Ah, but we get different stock in so all this (sweep of the arm to encompass the whole store) may be different.
Me. That's fine, I'm sure you'll have something I like.
Him. But it may not be 50% off like today.
Me. I'll take a chance.
Him. You could take advantage of 0% finance if you buy today.
Me. I don't want finance. What discount will you give me for cash?
Him. Nothing, we don't do that.
Me. The manager of SCS told me he would give me a discount for cash (this is perfectly true). There is no such thing as free credit, you add it into the cost of the furniture.
Him. (flushing a bit) Erm, we do make a small charge but this company doesn't give discounts. (Rallies a bit), It would mean some customers paid less than others (gives me the Karl Marx stare meant, I think, to shame me into capitulation on my unegalitarian request).
Me. Yes, that's what I want, to pay less than those who take 4 years to pay. Why should I pay for 4 years credit if I'm not using it?
Him. Well, erm, anyway.......we don't give a discount.
Me. Oh well, I'll go back to SCS then. Good afternoon.
Nik said, laughing, as we got in the car, "He annoyed you, didn't he, Mum?" I had to agree that he did, a little, though I appreciate he wanted a sale and probably needed the commission. Nik said, "Poor lad." I don't know why.