All articles by Jac Roper – Page 26
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Numerate? Moi? I'm afraid sums are not my game
I knew someone would point out my rubbish sums over pro rata holiday entitlement in the June 15 issue.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: First past the post
A rally of postmasters took a petition of four million names to 10 Downing Street last month (how come they delivered by hand?) to protest about loss of income and falling numbers.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Got your Xmas decs yet? It'll soon be time to deck the halls
All too soon it will be time to replace the batteries in the flashing reindeer earrings, dust off the glitter balls and put up the paper chains. Yes, it's coming soon to a store near you... actually, hopefully, yours.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: What's a fair fee to get at your own money?
I've had complaints again about Cardpoint and its transaction fees.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Who said life is a lottery? In Camelot's case, rules are rules.
Following a piece I wrote a few issues back, reporting on the retailer who temporarily lost his Camelot terminal because the story of a local big winner was 'leaked' to the local press before getting Camelot's permission, I've had further feedback on the subject both from Camelot and retailers.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Urgent appeal - what does counterfeit booze look like?
I believe my anonymous caller when he says that he buys all his alcohol from reputable suppliers - either from Booker at Slough or Bestway, JJ Wines or Enterprise, all of which are in London's Southall.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Jac asks: which promotions are suitable for the independent as well as the multiple trade?
Unilever must ask itself this from time to time.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: A licence to print money
Five million more customers shunted towards PayPoint terminals for TV licence renewals and ad campaigns running on primetime TV must be good news for retailers with those type of terminals. But it's not such good news for post offices that have just lost the service.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Selling up? Sign your name here
Except, as regular readers will know, you need to watch what you sign. Following my write up of Raymond Brunt's court clash with business transfer agents RTA, four other retailers got in touch, all saying variations on "the same thing happened to me".
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Customer service - old story, new twist
Apparently, if you want to cancel your news supplies from WH Smith you need to give four weeks' notice. I understand that some notice is a good idea, but what happens in a sudden emergency? A fire? A flood? A death in the family?
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: A new slot! In praise of local authorities!
I'm so impressed with this that I am using 'screamers', a journalistic term for exclamation marks which are largely frowned upon in journalism as one takes the view that the story should speak for itself and not need these props - and certainly not three in a row! (One will ...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Another effect of accepting debit cards
A few months ago a small shop might not have been able to accept credit and debit cards. Now, post-Chip and PIN, many more have been persuaded to do so. But, as Ian Macintyre - who runs a CTN in Tarbert, Argyll - points out, credit card purchasing of mobile ...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: In a heatwave you need a fridge that works
As sagas go, this one is a roller coaster. Lloyd Bakewell first contacted me on May 10. He had ordered a glass-fronted drinks chiller from Husky for his store, The Village Shop at Thornton, near Leicester. He got the free Carling stock and was happy - but not for long.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Triton means cheaper top-ups
The word means many things: minor sea god; satellite of Neptune; big mollusc (you can tell I've been at the dictionary) and, yes, cheap top-ups.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: It shouldn't be daylight robbery at the C&C
I’ve said this before. Never mind, it bears saying again. You don’t go to the cash and carry to get robbed, do you?
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Free Epos? Surely it's too good to be true?
Most people like freebies but equally, most will ask, where's the catch?
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: This was not exactly a crisp response
Oh Gary, where are you when we need you? Michael Wakeling sent me an email from Nottinghamshire with a frustrated and challenging opener that read: "I doubt if you can help, but here goes..."
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Want to move a terminal? Check the contract
Time for another reminder here about Bus PASS terminals. Not for the first time a retailer has complained about the price of moving a terminal just a teeny bit to the right or left.
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Licensing reminders - are there any local authorities co-ordinating their dates?
I pose the question because Jayanti Shah did. He trades in Enfield in North London and got his reminder on June 21. As he points out, this won't matter in a few year's time when you get the reminder once a year, whenever. But right now, it's still insult added ...
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Dear Jac
Dear Jac: Always room for one more scam
Have I told you that my 'scam' file is now second-biggest in my filing cabinet? Sadly, 'crime/security' is still my biggest file. Put the two together and I would need help in lifting them.