London is starting to come together after a very frustrating start searching for jobs and accommodation. I finally have a place, so the search is narrowed! Of course the day I moved in...the hot water moved out, and a cold shower in winter doesn't inspire me really. We rang our agent about the boiler, but she was away sick, so we spoke to the boss of the company, after the third day of having no hot water. We were subjected to the following dialogue (my housemate was representing US):
US: Yes hello we haven’t had any hot water in three days now, whats going on?
AGENT: Dunno......(silence)
US: Its been three days, this is not acceptable
AGENT: Don’t care, not my problem, cant help you
US: Excuse me...are you not in charge down there?
AGENT: Yes, but this is not my property, not my problem (WAIT FOR IT!!!)......stop being a baby (he seriously said this!)
US: Excuse me sir (housemate remained calm), we have not had hot water for 3 days, it's unacceptable, and it's your responsibility to fix it, you have to fix this.
AGENT: No....stop being a baby
US: You are being incredibly rude and unprofessional, we have a right to have our hot water working, we pay good rent for it
AGENT: excuse me (apparently holds up the phone...and says to his colleagues) does anyone think I am being rude....no (back on the phone) no one here thinks I am being rude.....(then he hangs up)
US: (ring back, someone else answers) we just want our hot water fixed, and your manager was incredibly rude to me, is there anything you can do
AGENTS COLLEAGUE: no.....and he wasn’t rude......(hangs up on us again)
Yes, welcome to English customer service! Tenants don’t have a leg to stand on over here! Fortunately our landlord is fixing our hot water and changing agents! According to our Croatian landlord, he described the agents like this, "please forgive my bad language, but those agents are bullshits…!"
Its certainly nice to have a bed anyway....glorious in fact, hot water is a second behind finally getting a good nights sleep after 3 weeks on a couch!