Happy to help (but not on a Sunday)

I bought a new pay as you go mobile at ASDA yesterday, it was bundled with £20 of airtime, except that it wasn't.

The back desk said it would be in the box, but it wasn't. The front desk said they are kept at the back. The Back said they were kept at the front. After a few internal phone calls to the management team by the front desk, they announced that once I registered, Virgin would sort it out.

After charging the phone overnight and registering this morning, Virgin assured me that all such deals like that are sorted out by the supplier. If they couldn't help, then I should return it for a refund and buy it off them instead online! Sound advice, other than the small issue of the Virgin Mobile Website being down for most of the day...

Returning to ASDA this morning, I conveyed the update to the "Happy to Help" desk who told me my best bet was to talk to Brian at the back who was an expert on all things Mobile. Brian was indeed very helpful but he only worked there on Sundays and there weren't any Managers in who could actually make decisions beyond a full refund. The Checkout Supervisor was available...

Another chance to complain today, this time at the Odeon, for a screening of Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy. The festoon curtain rose, the decorative lights dimmed and the sound came on, but oops, no picture, just a dark screen. An usher was able to radio up to the box & get the lamp on quickly enough after I went to find someone, fortunately Xenon discharge lamps reach full brightness instantly.

I enjoyed the film but it had been Hollywoodified somewhat, overplaying the love interest of Arthur & Trillian. I did wonder how much of a role Douglas Adams played in the screenplay before his untimely death. I spotted the original Marvin Robot from the TV series waiting in a queue, Karen thought she also recognised the actor who played the original Arthur. I thought the voices were not quite as good as the radio series but thematically they were pretty close...