19th February 26. Doncaster. Rain

Doncaster for some reason is always wet and cold when I have a job here. Today didn't disappoint in that department.

If you wanted a day that would put you off doing this work. It's day's like today.

Don't get me wrong. It's still a good day and it makes me smile to think at a month away from retirement age. I can still travel, see places and earn money. And still fit enough to do it well. And I would like to continue doing so for as long as I want.

So a bit of rain, a horrible dirty van. That I had to walk round a dirty compound to find, that didn't start on collection. All while having to wear the uniform of the great unwashed. A high-vis yellow cover. I refuse to call it a jacket. Because there are people (men) who actually buy jackets to wear permanently who do this work. Avoid them like the plague. Why? Because they generally come from a recovery or mechanical background. If you come from a sales. ( Customer friendly background) You will know what happens when you ask anyone from the service department, (Non customer friendly background) there are obviously some exceptions. The answer is usually a hard no. At best. So take a mechanic out of this environment and where do they go? Vehicle recovery.

Here they can keep their hands dirty and move cars for a living. Wearing the same HiViz which just gets less yellow as time goes on.

But usually that non customer friendly attitude stays with them. So ask them to deliver a new car to a retail customer or a retail sales department. And whilst their knowledge of cars is great when they go wrong. They don't have the customer facing skills to provide a professional service. That's not their fault.. they are trained for different things and obviously sales people are not great at fixing cars. Each to their own skills. So why recovery companies come into this vehicle collection and delivery service is only because there's a lot of work. But they are not good at coping with the 'customer is always right' theory. Where sometimes you have to wait and be patient with a customer, maybe show the cars controls etc.

But this place, full of yellow jacket wearing people or the rain, is not going to spoil my day.

Ford Courier for collection

The van found, it was suffering from the bumper being hit which makes the shut line between the bumper and bonnet open, as you can see.

It was also filthy inside, stinks of cigarettes and wouldn't start. Not sure why I have to book a slot for collection if it's not ready?

It also had zero range of fuel ⛽.

One of the more helpful people told me to take the van, once started. To the fuel tank and he would kindly put some in. Helpful.

That done. And a wet screen appraisal done. Not easy doing an appraisal on a wet phone screen. I was on my way back to Aylesbury in horrible torrential rain. Put an audio book on concentrate on the M1 southbound. Stay out of trouble get back safely.