Wednesday 20 February 2008

New boots...



As at long last, we actually have a building on site, I had to rush out and buy a pair of safety boots, because a) our contractor won’t let you on site without them, and b) it bloody well hurts when you tread on a rusty nail, or drop a brick on your foot!

Also, these boots are incredibly comfortable, and I use them when walking JRT and Mrs S – in no particular order, in the woods, or anywhere for that matter, including Twickenham.

Just recently, I noticed that the top half of one boot seemed to be having a severe argument with the bottom half, and was going through a form of separation; i.e. had split. Now I’m not normally very litigious, but somehow, after totting up the hours they’d been used, it only worked out at about a couple of months wear, over a period of time, so perhaps something was wrong.

So, off to ‘Bucket, Phewthat’llcostafortune and Sagtrouser’, Builders Merchants to the Gentry, to issue a mild complaint. Sure enough, their response was ‘Phew, they won’t take those back, they even charge postage if they’ve been misused’! Naturally, I said, ‘Hmmmph, well you’d expect them to last a lot longer if they’d been soaked in pug and oil for six months’, but Mr Elias Bucket was unswerving to the point of obstruction, and I was going to lose this one (especially as the shop was filling up with subbies buying hammers and bricks and stuff, all towering over me and smelling of Drum roll-ups).

I was bereft of boots. Shoeless in Kent. Unshod. Without sole...

Now, on the website for the manufacturer, there was a contact email address, and I’d popped one off to them just before all this unpleasantness, in the nicest possible terms, as funnily enough, when I’d bought them, I’d registered with them and got a free wallet, but that’s another story.

Sure enough, the next day, there was a reply from the manufacturers apologising for the delay and asking for photographic evidence of said problem, and receipts etc. blah blah blah. So out came the Nikon, and the above pic was whisked off. (Left boot, Leather, Scroblene for the wearing of...).

Within hours, there was another email apologising for the problem, immediately agreeing there was a manufacturing fault, and that a replacement pair would be sent immediately. They arrived on the Thursday by TNT, and I’d only started all this on the Monday!

So for bloody good service, excellent PR and superb commercial awareness, buy your kit from Scruffs http://www.scruffs.com/ but don’t check the recent item in ‘The Sun’, if you’re anyway squeamish…;0)

I said DON’T Google the item in 'The Sun'!
Well I warned you…

8 comments:

Electro-Kevin said...

I bought a pair of safety boots from Millets for £25 7 years ago. I've worn them to work every day and they've climbed Sca Fell and Snowden too. Still going great guns and looking smart.

Electro-Kevin said...

OK - I spend all day at work sitting on my arse I admit, but still ... effing good value for money !

Electro-Kevin said...

I don't know why we need safety boots at work anyway.

It's not as though anything is going to drop on my foot - and if an HST rolls over it I figure that the last thing I'll be worried about is my tootsies.

Anonymous said...

The newspapers are full these days of oversexed Public School teachers, matrons and other nubile female staff making dodgy films or dragging their pustulent but willing charges into cupboards for may to december nookie.

It is an absolute scandal.

When I was at public school the only action going was for those of a "fey" disposition who were unlucky enough to attract the attentions of Mr {Name deleted on the advice of our solicitors].

Which wasn't the same at all. (I hasten to add I didn't fit his criteria, thank god)

Like I said, it's a national scandal that these kinds of services weren't being provided by our schools 15 years ago. I feel most hard done by.

Tuscan Tony said...

THATS MY BOOT!

I have that exact pair, "rigger's boots", with steel toe cap in blue painted metal. Bought them 25 years ago, not so good now (they;'re in the barn a ce moment) but were actually *amaziugly* used on an oil rig by moi. They were superbly comfortable, and I often sported them when down the Bull's Head in Reigate. Caused somewhat of a stir there, as you can well imagine!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Elecs, they do help if you want to put your foot down...seven years wear seems pretty good to me!

The big problem is hitting the accelerator, clutch, and sometimes the brake all at the same time!

Nothing wrong with sitting down all day - at least you get a chance to see the scenery!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Fleeters ; -

"may to december nookie." Aaah, that was the open season was it? January was out - mainly as it caused crinkle-ball in many cases...

Agree about Mr"{Name deleted on the advice of our solicitors]", I think every public school had one. There must have been a special college course in the fifties, to help these people in their unrelenting pusuits. Luckily I was similar to you, but did have to decline a visit to view on old church once...!

Still, there was always Miss "{Name deleted on the advice of our solicitors]", in the kitchens, who managed a good 'flambe' occasionally...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Tuscs! Yup, I can well imagine; they are ofetn worn by - ahem - others so I'm told.

Excuse my asking, but where does the oil rig fit in?