Loyal.

I have been with the same family run garage now for about twenty years. They know me,  I know them. I don't even need to say my name when I ring up to ask a question, if I say, "Hi can I ask you a question?" The reply will be, "Hi Maxine, what would you like to know?" I have never put air in my tyres, I just take it there, and they do it for me. On the odd occasion, I have taken my car there, and they have done a five minute job, and not charged me. Why? Because I am a loyal customer, they are the only garage I go to, for MOT or repairs. They have even driven to my home, to put air in my daughters car, when she had a flat tyre, I offered the owner £30 cash, because I know time is precious, he declined and said, "No charge, it's OK." So instead, I used that £30 and spent it on tins of biscuits, sweets and cakes, for the lovely small staff there. They are loyal to me and I am loyal to them. I can not praise them enough.

My husband, gave me my first mobile phone when I was expecting our first child Daniel. This was just incase I broke down, I did break down, so I was able to ring for help with the AA or RAC. I have been with that same mobile phone provider ever since, our son is in his twenties. I am loyal.

I have been with the same bank, since I was fourteen, when we set it up at school!   Loyal.

Eight years ago, we had solar panels and fitted by the same man he turned out to be a con artist, he had told us, "Both items, they are free paid for my the government on the Green Deal Scheme. A year later we had a bill, a statement that it all cost £13,000, we are still sadley paying for it, and will be for many more years to come!

The solar panels works well, when I give them a meter reading, they inform me how high the percentage that we get, it is very high.  

The following year, we had Tony to service it the boiler. Tony has serviced our boiler ever since. First he serviced it in February, then because we were skint we asked him to service it in March the following year, and the year after that, we asked him to service it in April, then the following year, he serviced it in May .....

About four years ago, the boiler started to drip, it would drip onto the washing below, wetting up the roll of kitchen paper! When it dripped we had no heating, I would text Tony with a picture to show him the water. This would be inbetween service times. When I text Tony, he never replies, he always only replies when I eventually say, "I know as a plummer you are very busy, if you are unable to come out and fix the boiler then is there anyone you can recommend?" Surprise, surprise, when I text this, he suddenly always texts me back! Some times he charges us, and sometimes he does not, it depends if it is a small easy job for him or not. He is basically a good egg! He is loyal to us and we are loyal to him.

On October 11th this year, I texted  and informed him that, "Our boiler is leaking, and we have no heating, please can you come  and have a look at it?"  He has read it,  and he still hasn't replied to me. He is waiting for the, "I know that you are very busy as a plummer, if you are unable to come and fix our boiler, no problem, but if you are too busy, have you got the number of a plummer that I can ring?"

It has been SO cold, I have had to keep my coat on, this morning I put the oven on low when I got up, to try to make a tiny bit of difference, but it didn't do anything. The cold air was still coming from my mouth.

Today while I was still at work, in the warmth, I sent Paul a text to ask him, "Please can you bring down the heavy electric Delonghi small radiator from upstiars, so that we can keep it on low in the TV room." It has made a tiny bit of a difference, as I have tried to keep other doors open, too as to warm up the next room.

There is damp downstairs in the house. Last year, I refused to put the expensive heating on, but when I saw the amount of damp that we had, I had to relent and put the heating on for the houses sake!

 I don't know how people cope without putting on the heating. I wear a lot more clothes now and in bed! When we do have heating, and I am on my own in the mornngs, I don't put it on, I warm my  hands around my large mug of tea or hot chocolate, that soon does the trick.

I will contact Tony tomorrow because I am loyal, lets see if he is STILL loyal to us.