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Original poster

BT Engineer is outside an hour ago!

43 replies

SpicyEnchiladas · 10/03/2021 08:52

I have a fault with my broadband and BT said that they will send an engineer to fix it between 8-1pm. I took the bin outside this morning and saw him sitting in the side street in his van. I came back quickly thinking he’ll knock on my door anytime but he didn’t! It’s been over an hour ago that I got the message that he’s on his way to me. I checked again and he was still in his van on his phone. I have a lot of things to get on with today. Shall I go and call him in or wait till he knocks?

OP posts:

RileyG73 · 10/03/2021 09:36

DOB HIM IN DOB HIM IN DOB HIM IN

Or don't be a knob and just get on with your fkin day?

Original poster

SpicyEnchiladas · 10/03/2021 09:37

@Fastforwardtospring

They have preliminary checks they can do on your line before they get into your house. They are measured on how many jobs they a day and report when jobs take a long time. I think you need to give the guy a break, the worst part of their job is dealing with the general public.

I didn’t say that I will report him or cause him any trouble. I just don’t think it’s right to arrive at a customer’s address and stay in your car for more than an hour outside while you’re meant to get on with your work and drive off to solve the next customer’s fault. What preliminary checks do take an hour please?

OP posts:

KingstonTownThePlaceILongToBe · 10/03/2021 09:37

I think the only thing he has done wrong and actually quite weird considering he was parked so close at the time that you saw him while doing the bins, is that he called and lied about being in traffic.

You agreed to the time slot when arranging the appointment and he arrived within that time slot so you don't really have anything to complain about.
I wouldn't actually complain about this as its trivial, if he was late whilst skiving outside then thats different.

justasmalltownmum · 10/03/2021 09:38

Mydelivery driver does this as he has to wait for a certain time on his tablet. I don't think it was a big deal as he came in his tjme slot.

Mochudubh · 10/03/2021 09:41

Maybe he started early and was on his break, or in the weekly team meeting like a PP said.

Reminds me of when I worked for the Council and a woman rang to complain that the bin men were parked up drinking tea at 11am. They'd started at 5 and were on their lunch break.

emilyfrost · 10/03/2021 09:41

I just don’t think it’s right to arrive at a customer’s address and stay in your car for more than an hour outside while you’re meant to get on with your work and drive off to solve the next customer’s fault.

He will have been working. His entire day isn’t spent driving from one customer to another; he has lots of paperwork and meetings to do.

Since you haven’t got a bloody clue what you’re taking about, you should pipe down and get on with “all the things you need to do today” rather than bitching on MN.

orpah · 10/03/2021 09:44

He might not have been doing checks related to your house, it’s none of your business what he was doing! He might have been taking calls, in a meeting, doing paperwork or he might have been reading the paper and browsing mums etc. The point is it’s none of your concern. He came when he said he would

orpah · 10/03/2021 09:45

[quote SpicyEnchiladas]@orpah I know that. The problem is he was outside an hour ago and then rang to say he’s stuck in traffic. Even before I got the message that he’s on his way to me. He did all the checks once he was in the house. He didn’t say that he checked anything from outside.[/quote]
Well that’s blatantly not true, you started the thread complaining before he’d phoned to say he was stuck in traffic

lastqueenofscotland · 10/03/2021 09:45

Get a fucking grip honestly.
He could have had paperwork, he could have been trying to work out a route for a day or having to shuffle stuff about if someone called sick. He might have needed to speak to his manager.
His entire slot wasn’t built around you.

Original poster

SpicyEnchiladas · 10/03/2021 09:45

@MichelleScarn

What 'harm' has it caused you? Where do you need to be for the lots of things that you need to be getting on with today and are they time dependent?

I need to be outside and once home I’ll be working in the loft. When I was given the appointment, I was told that I will receive a message 20-30 minutes before the engineer shows up. I thought that will give me a good time to drive back home if I were outside. I saw his van first thing in the morning when I took the bin, so I expected him to come in soon after that. I was sitting doing nothing. Then I got the message that he’s on his way, and an hour later, he rang me to say he’s stuck in traffic.

OP posts:

Nicknacky · 10/03/2021 09:52

It’s 9.45 and an engineer is there sorting the problem. I would consider that a win and stop moaning that he didn’t jump out his van immediately after parking.

Fastforwardtospring · 10/03/2021 10:18

Why don’t you ask him what he was doing, that will go down well, he could be calling the exchange testing your line, in a queue to a call centre, yep there in house service isn’t brilliant, shall I go on?? I am always over the moon to be near the first on a list with the time slot you have been given. If you had been last he is perfectly within his right to turn up at 12.55 and start on your fault, blimey you would have been moaning then.

FuckyouCovid21 · 10/03/2021 10:34

So they said he'd be there between 8 and 1 and he was there at around 9...not seeing the problem. You'd be none the wiser if you hadn't gone outside

LookItsMeAgain · 10/03/2021 10:36

I would have had to say "Oh, goodness, I didn't realise that the traffic from #22 to here was that bad (assuming that you're at #40 or something)... I must get on to the AA and get it included in the morning traffic reports" and laugh!
Or you could say "I wasn't sure it was you I spotted parked up in the van as I was taking in my bins. Sometimes engineers get sent to different locations and I wasn't sure if you were the engineer for me. I could have made you a cuppa if you had come in earlier. It's awful weather we're having" and carry on the conversation and see what they come back with.
It is strange to arrive at a location and sit in a van for over an hour. It's even stranger to say that they are stuck in traffic when they've essentially been made (don't know if they knew that) and you know that they are sitting outside in their van

emilyfrost · 10/03/2021 10:38

@LookItsMeAgain

I would have had to say "Oh, goodness, I didn't realise that the traffic from #22 to here was that bad (assuming that you're at #40 or something)... I must get on to the AA and get it included in the morning traffic reports" and laugh! Or you could say "I wasn't sure it was you I spotted parked up in the van as I was taking in my bins. Sometimes engineers get sent to different locations and I wasn't sure if you were the engineer for me. I could have made you a cuppa if you had come in earlier. It's awful weather we're having" and carry on the conversation and see what they come back with. It is strange to arrive at a location and sit in a van for over an hour. It's even stranger to say that they are stuck in traffic when they've essentially been made (don't know if they knew that) and you know that they are sitting outside in their van

You wouldn’t have had to say anything; you have control over yourself.

It’s none of OP’s business why he was say outside for so long. He had hours to the end of the slot; he wasn’t late.

Chunkyetfunky90 · 10/03/2021 10:45

LookItsMeAgain
I would have had to say "Oh, goodness, I didn't realise that the traffic from #22 to here was that bad (assuming that you're at #40 or something)... I must get on to the AA and get it included in the morning traffic reports" and laugh!
Or you could say "I wasn't sure it was you I spotted parked up in the van as I was taking in my bins. Sometimes engineers get sent to different locations and I wasn't sure if you were the engineer for me. I could have made you a cuppa if you had come in earlier. It's awful weather we're having" and carry on the conversation and see what they come back with.
It is strange to arrive at a location and sit in a van for over an hour. It's even stranger to say that they are stuck in traffic when they've essentially been made (don't know if they knew that) and you know that they are sitting outside in their van grin

Please don’t do this !!

wanderlnst · 10/03/2021 10:47

I think you're completely overreacting. This is a non-issue. Most likely on a work call/ catching up on paperwork as other posters have said.

So what if he was sat in his van outside your house? It's a public road, not your private property, and he's perfectly entitled to sit in his van there. It would have been easier just to tell you he's stuck in traffic rather than give you the ins and outs of his admin, which is frankly, nothing to do with you.

I think the reason you're het up about it is that you wanted him fixing the job as soon as you saw him and that is why yanu because he was there within the 5 hour window you were provided.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 10/03/2021 12:11

I think it’s reasonable to say that he might be having a Zoom meeting, or catching up with paperwork, or checking lines, or any of the other things mentioned. What’s less reasonable, is that he said he was stuck in traffic, when he was sitting in his van a street away. What’s the purpose of not telling the truth?

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