Journal Entries
I Think it's Time to Panic Now.
Posted Dec 21, 2008
Sometimes it's strange how something that would normally be completely insignificant triggers the realisation that things have gone beyond the point that you have control over and the do-dah has hit the fan without you realising it. It's all gone badly wrong, and you weren't even aware 'just' how bad things had become.
Back in September or so, the so called 'credit crunch' was rearing it's ugly head. Figures for new car sales were badly down. But we had weathered troughs before. My side of things in the 'service' side of the business were not so bad. We were still busy. We had a booking list for services and repairs that extended out for almost a week, which is not bad for a garage of our size, although a year ago it was nearer two.
In October things deteriorated somewhat, but we were still busy. The sales dept, which handles new and used car sales, were definitely feeling the pinch and on several days not one customer looking for a new car darkened our doorstep.
Come November we were all called together in the workshop to hear the news. That the company could not sustain the losses it was making without taking some sort of action. Plans had been laid behind the scenes and with effect from that day a number of staff were to be called into the office to receive the news that they were redundant. We waited through the day, and as each hour dragged on more people disappeared and eventually the cull was over. In all, throughout our group about a dozen went on the scrapheap. It did not go unnoticed that not one redundancy was made within the sales department.
The company reserved its right to make whatever further adjustments it saw fit, although it promised that full consultation would take place. Over the following month delegates from each department were elected and they attended the meetings that handed down the decisions that had already been made.
Early December it had become quite apparent that car sales were still down. In fact they were nearly non existent. Lately they have picked up slightly, but the damage to November's trading figures has already been done. Now you have to appreciate that our company is linked to a major concessionaire in the UK and is contracted to buy in a significant number of used cars through the year. The market for used cars has also headed south and the required stock, which previously was easily sold on, is accumulating with us. The sales dept in October had wisely stopped buying in 'desirable' cars, despite there being at least two or three people each week asking what would be the buy-in price for their car. The answer of course being that there wasn't one.
We have a main car park which accommodates some 200 cars, which is for the use of the service dpt and sales for those cars about to be, or are in prep to be sold. We also have two rented overflow parks in nearby fields that house the long term stayers, and the bought in turkeys and the rubbish that is waiting to be passed onto independent traders, or even to go to trade auctions.
In all of this the service side has been relatively busy. We are kept going on a day to day, hand to mouth existance, but at least with enough work to keep everyone busy. So from the immediate point of view the only thing that has changed is the loss of a waiting list. We still have the daily aggro and the rush to get everything completed on time, but by and large the downturn isn't obvious to the service dept.
We also have a key closet with boards around the wall with hooks for the keys of the stocked cars. The boards have six rows of 50 keys. about 300 cars. On Tuesday of last week I went into the cupboard, as I do many times each day, and it hit me for the first time, with all the subtlety if a brick between the eyes, that every hook was filled. And that is in addition to about another 100 or so cars on our forecourt and out on loan. In total there is about 450 cars in our hands going absolutely nowhere.
Mid December has brought the news that the company has decided that the redundancies haven't had the desired effect. They wouldn't of course, as they were too few and too late. They are now going to make an across the board pay reduction of 10%. No consultation there then. The reduction will take place from January and it can be refused by the individual. If you do refuse however, notice will be served. Oh, and they still reserve the right to make further redundancies if that doesn't have the desired effect.
Rumour has it that more redundancies will be made, possibly in Jan - Feb. and that it will be the service dept which is going to receive the lion's share of the cuts. ...and so it is on that note that we approach the new year.
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Latest reply: Dec 21, 2008
I may be some time...
Posted Nov 22, 2008
I'm about to try something that I've never done before.
I want to do some editing of the tapes that I've accumulated over the years on the camcorder. Y'know, holidays and high days and all that. But to do so apparently I need a 'firewire' connection to the 'puter, and I haven't got one.
According to all the opinions that I've solicited from those that profess to know, it's an easy job. Just take off the cover and plug a card into a vacant slot and Bob's yer uncle.
Well, in my experience it's never quite that easy. I've got the card and I'm girding myself up to do the job. But if it all goes wrong I may be off the air for some time...
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Latest reply: Nov 22, 2008
The joys of Modern Technolody.
Posted Nov 15, 2008
Well, the new telly was delivered on time. So far so good.
Friday night and Saturday morning were spent unboxing, putting together and setting up. I had the idea that I was getting rid of wires and clutter, and so I have to some extent, but not as much as I thought I would. The instructions for the DVD are pretty much incomprehensible, . The committee of two hasn't got the hang of the HDD yet. But we're working on it.
Friday night was big TV night. A whole lot better definition, it's surprising just how many spots and warts some of these personalities really have. It's a bit too much information.
This morning the DVD was turned out for the first time. After cocking up the picture ratio on the initial 'easy' setup and taking two or three hours to get that put right, we tried last Christmas's present 'The War of the Worlds' on it. I've gotta say that it's fantastic, almost as good as when we saw it at the flix.
Tonight or tomorrow I could be going to rerun my all time favourite '2001'. It looks like I could turn into a couch potato.
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Latest reply: Nov 15, 2008
The Deke family enters the 21st Century.
Posted Nov 9, 2008
Mrs Deke received a tax rebate
So we went out on Saturday and blew a significant portion of it.
Come Thursday we should be the proud possessors of a new 40 inch TV screen complete with a DVD incorporating hard drive memory and er... everything.
You cannot know how glad I will be to see the back of old TV, digital box, VCR and DVD players complete with sodding interconnecting bus box and remote for each one.
Of course I have the job of putting it all together. But it can't be any worse than when Mrs D feigns technophobia or a headache when having to change channels.
I have one remaining problem. All those films that I bought on VCR and all the recordings that I've kept on video tape. I literally have a sideboard drawer full of them. Condensed down onto DVD's it will take up 1 per cent of the pace. Which is wonderful, but it still means having to re record the whole lot over again.
Ain't modern technology wunnerfull.
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Latest reply: Nov 9, 2008
Never take seriously...
Posted Nov 9, 2008
...anyone who wears sunglasses indoors.
Discuss this Journal entry [6]
Latest reply: Nov 9, 2008
Deek
Researcher U27380
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