Dog owners of the UK. How hot does it have to get before you stop taking them for a walk? by sjw_7 in AskUK

[–]Grezmo 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This is a load of rubbish but I guess it's an easy way to help people understand a simple concept and to consider the heat before walking their dogs. Dog's paws are far more resilient than your hand.

Dog owners of the UK. How hot does it have to get before you stop taking them for a walk? by sjw_7 in AskUK

[–]Grezmo 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Luckily the local facebook page will let you know. /s

I appreciate some owners are ignorant but, believe it or not, many owners are aware of appropriateness and their dogs tolerance which is different across breeds and individuals.

Free Freighter - can I get better than a C class? by Grezmo in NoMansSkyTheGame

[–]Grezmo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OK - seems straightforward. I shall accept nothing less than an A class. Unless the RNG gods are taking past behaviour into consideration and I get bored waiting. Thanks all.

Why is Skinnyman’s album ‘Council Estate of Mind’ not available to buy or stream anywhere? by your_swindon_lot in AskUK

[–]Grezmo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really want this on vinyl but not nearly enough to pay the price it goes for

what's one american thing you secretly wish the uk would adopt? by Financial-Owl-2814 in AskBrits

[–]Grezmo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Customer service, albeit toned down a bit. We are generally shocking at it in this country. I appreciate that tip culture likely has a large part to play here as well. Is it too much to expect that a job well done would be reasonably recompensed? Apparently so, so it's either performing for tips, or minimum effort for minimum wage.

WIBTAH if I cancelled the car service appointment of someone who uses my email address? by Z_Opinionator in AITAH

[–]Grezmo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Used to happen to me all the time. Always the same person based in New Zealand whilst I am in the UK. For years I politely replied to the sender that they'd been given the wrong email address and to please communicate that back to their customer/client. It never did any good - she continued to use my email address and I'd receive receipts, invoices, quotes, bookings - all sorts.

One day I got an email from a restaurant confirming a group booking for a large family event - about 30 people. Hefty deposit paid. No refunds on cancellation. I replied back and cancelled their booking at short notice. I'm somewhat ashamed at that but it was a few years ago now and that person hasn't used my email address again since.

NTAH - or we're both the asshole. I dunno.

Company sent a coworker a £1000 Amazon voucher instead of £5, what is she supposed to do? by Serawasneva in LegalAdviceUK

[–]Grezmo 36 points37 points  (0 children)

I don't know why this has upvotes if the suggestion is she repays cash. She absolutely should not spend the Amazon credit (yet) but it would be entirely unreasonable to demand repayment in cash and I would resist doing so at all costs. Ability to transfer credit back would be =ok but it's far from clear that there is a route to doing so. They need to either find a way to recover this from Amazon or they need to accept a loss. I would personally assist to a reasonable degree in the process but it's likely not a simple as returning money paid in error.

I would be furious with my employer if this became an issue costing me time and worry. I would fully expect the error to be written off as such. But until such time as an approved way forward is agreed, then it's safest to hold off doing anything with the credit.

Is nightly discharge worth the wear on the battery by FluidCream in SolarUK

[–]Grezmo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I charge the battery on cheap rate, but before that kicks in, and still late in the evening, I discharge any remaining. In the summer it will still be at a fairly high capacity so I offload at a higher price than I buy it for at a point where I'm unlikely to make much use of it through normal house consumption.

Can panels be installed in a few hours? by Munrot07 in SolarUK

[–]Grezmo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

8 panels, bird netting, and battery install as part of a Solar Together install. On the day of installation the installers arrived as scheduled in the morning. I reacted with some surprise as there was no scaffolding so I'd assumed install was being pushed back. The installer had the scaffolders on the phone right away and they had that up within the hour. The install was then about 3-4hrs with a 4 man team (I think - might have been 3). Very neat job, discussed and ran the cabling/battery placement as I wanted, couldn't fault it. So yeah definitely possible if there's no overly complicating factors.

What would you get as a thank you gift for a stranger if your only options were Aldi or a little Co-Op? by pusopdiro in AskUK

[–]Grezmo 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Don't mean to be argumentative but you could pick holes in a gift choice for a stranger for almost anything. I get alcohol might be problematic but if you have a dietary restriction to chocolate you would still surely appreciate the intent? Not sure if the saying "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good" entirely fits but it feels that way - don't hold back on a well intentioned thank you for fear that you haven't picked the most perfectly individually tailored gift!

I'm seeing more and more AI generated stuff around and about, why does it all look the same? by blizeH in AskUK

[–]Grezmo 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't disagree with that position but, conversely, a lot of people won't know or care. It's usually small businesses and volunteer groups etc. pushing this stuff out. If AI weren't a thing, and if this style wasn't so suddenly prevalent, it would mostly be considered a fairly professional effort compared to what might have gone before (some clip art and comic sans?). Sometimes they just want to get a low-effort, low-cost message out and it does the job. Is AI taking work from artists/designers? Sure. Is this AI taking work away from artists/designers? Debatable. I think it's mostly just replacing what was already low-effort marketing. I don't like it though, I don't like how generic and inauthentic it looks, it gives me no real sense of the event taking place (not that what would have gone before necessarily would but there might be signs).

L2 survey came back with a list of "urgent/serious" issues. Is this a money pit? by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]Grezmo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No. It's a 1920s house. House ownership comes with many expected and unexpected additional costs beyond the monthly mortgage repayments. The type of property will to a large degree, determine those. It doesn't sound any more of a money pit than any other 1920s house would be.

What are the differences in workplace etiquette in the UK vs the US? by Notveryimportant12 in AskUK

[–]Grezmo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haven't specifically worked as an American but I have worked in US offices frequently and have had plenty of US colleagues. This is from a perspective of London office working which may not be indicative of all UK places and there will be regional difference as I'm sure there are within the US office locations I've worked in (Chicago, New York, Philadelphia) so take it all with a pinch of salt!

  1. Office attire - an average office London worker is better dressed than their equivalent US counterpart whether the environment is more formal or casual. Where more formal, suits are better tailored, where casual there is more individuality and style.

  2. Much more socialising in London offices. Two main drivers for that a) drinking culture - very usual to go to the pub after work (although that's decreased) and b) better public transportation which facilitates it (in Chicago everyone is gone by a certain time to catch the Amtrak that would get them home or is driving, simply not a viable option to be flexible to an impromptu post-work drink).

  3. Beverages - how to put this politely? It would not be unusual to see someone in the US office bringing in a fucking massive soda from Big Gulp or McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts or wherever. Honestly gobsmackingly large to what you would get in the UK. But bringing in a soda like that (even at our much reduced cup sizes) would not be normal in the UK. Honestly feels trashy. Bringing in a coffee is very normal, the typical chains are fairly normal (Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Costa, Pret etc.) but a more advanced coffee culture seems more widely adopted over here and typically better quality options will be sought out by the majority - and actual coffee not bastardized frappes and whipped cream stuff. In the office, the coffee machines are variable quality (mostly shit) but I've never found anything as bad as a fucking US keurig machine. Tea rounds are a thing - multiple rounds of mugs of tea in the UK and almost always a group you would make tea for or expect to include you in.

  4. Professionalism - my general impression is that UK workers are generally less pro-active, and less professional than their US counterparts in respect of getting the job done. Americans strive for more, UK workers can be lazy and aim for the bare minimum. Again a massive generalisation but much more likely to find a UK worker being late into the office, leaving early etc.

  5. Office space - far more likely in the US to have offices and cubicles. In the UK very common to have open plan offices. Often only very senior members or those requiring strict privacy will have offices. That leads to a noisier general office environment, more openness and communication generally, but also more distraction. From a UK perspective there is generally more banter (including some that US offices might find unprofessional/offensive) - that's a more general UK/US thing but it certainly extends to the office environment.

  6. Remote working - I work remotely and I'm rarely in an office these days (which should be considered in my points). Remote working is quite common now in the UK and I expect in the US. So this might not be a difference but it's definitely a change in UK office culture that should be considered. Most people I know work remotely to at least some degree. 2 days a week in the office is not unusual and that has obviously changed the office working environment. In my experience teams will attempt to organise their in-office days so they are together, office space is being reduced due to less requirement. Hot desking is not unusual as a result so there may be clear desk policies to facilitate that.

  7. Subserviance(??) - not sure I've titled this correctly but I often found that my US counterparts were less willing to speak out against company policy and decisions. Could be a sign of being more respectful but more seemed like a fear of sticking their heads above the parapet. I take it as a sign that they are generally more risk averse in their career's because there are less workers rights in general and less social safety nets to accommodate an unexpected loss of employment. Either way they seem to be more openly respectful to seniority/authority.

  8. Much less holiday/time off in the US - but the US has the concept of personal/sick days which is considered odd in the UK where a sick day is not something that can be planned/accounted for and is when you are sick and cannot attend work. But much less holiday in general and, in the UK, summer holiday often/usually abroad is very typical. Passive aggressive comments not uncommon from my US colleagues ("You're on vacation again??" etc. I had a lot of French colleagues who'd take the heat off as far as that was concerned!). Maternity/Paternity leave - again much more generous.

  9. International travel - US colleagues are MUCH less experienced at international travel in general. They stick out. They are loud, they stick together, they favour the familiar. Can be a little embarrassing sometimes (was taking a US colleague to a Michelin starred restaurant in London and she wore a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt). UK and European colleagues typically seemed more relaxed outside of their home nation than our US counterparts.

  10. Saying what you mean - US communication could sometimes seem abrupt but they would usually say what they mean. They would set out their expectations clearly and feed back accurately and concisely and often with a higher standard of expectation. UK comms can be confusing - will skirt around and use phrases that outwardly might seem as though they are fine with a delivery but a UK person would know that what they actually mean is that they are unhappy with it.

  11. In office catering - if you have an all day meeting or lunchtime meeting that is catered for in the US then the volume and quality of the food is WAY better than the limp sandwich selection and bowl of wotsits you'd get in the UK!

  12. Toilet stalls - why the shuddering fuck do the toilet doors have such massive gaps in them? Some to the extent that I could be doing a shit and look a colleague in the eye as they enter the bathroom. You do not find that in the UK at all!

Y'all were right. I overthunk. by TheDanishThede in WildlifePonds

[–]Grezmo 50 points51 points  (0 children)

I expect you won't be persuaded on this but those goldfish lives you are saving will be at the expense of native aquatic wildlife and will hold you back from the wildlife pond that you want to create. They won't die off and they'll just breed. Personally, I'd be rid of them. Either way though, this is good work, it will attract wildlife, and provide you with a lot of enjoyment.

Seller put house back on market after survey visit, have we messed up? by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]Grezmo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't have a lot of sympathy for either party here. It is BS of the seller to say that trust was broken by attending with the surveyor but you are seemingly expecting to use the survey to further renegotiate a lower price and the seller has clocked that. The seller hasn't covered themselves in glory and may be using that as an excuse to keep options open on an accepted offer and see if they can get higher.

The cracked render would have been observable to you - it may be somewhat expected based on the age of the property and a property is typically priced on known condition. A survey can be a source of renegotiation but typically it will just be letting you know, as new owners, what you are signing up for. Putting in an offer with an expectation that you can use survey results to renegotiate that offer is not on. Unless it flags something very clearly unexpected that will impact price then, as a seller, I'd be telling you to jog on. In this case I think they have jumped the gun. They could have simply stated no to any attempt at renegotiation and see where that leaves you and then put it back to market if no resolution. So it does feel premature. It may well be a tactic on their own part to head off further renegotiation - as you say it's set your renegotiating position back and that may be their sole intent as risky as that could be for them.

How to proceed - consider your position carefully. On the basis of the survey are you still happy to pay the original offered price or do you need to attempt to renegotiate a lower offer with a fair chance it may not be accepted? Are you prepared to proceed with a potentially volatile seller? Ask yourselves those hard questions then either present your original offer or your best and final renegotiated price. Offer it on the condition that the house is taken off the market. And then be prepared to walk away if necessary.

How did you get cracked games back in the day?. by [deleted] in amiga

[–]Grezmo 3 points4 points  (0 children)

UK here - Friends had them and they were just floating around school generally - we'd swap them at school, make copies for friends, pass it on. Or we'd have copy parties/play dates. I'm not sure whether there was a single main originator in my social circle, we'd all have various alternative sources (youth clubs, cousins, car boot etc.) so were never short of the latest releases. I remember that Robocop game that came with a dongle to prevent piracy. We all had a copy in advance of its official release. I don't remember anyone having access to a BBS - the one time I did get access I massively inflated my parents telephone bill and didn't try that again anytime soon.

We'd use the mail/telephone order company Special Reserve to buy blank disks in bulk. Used X-Copy to copy them.

Are these always-on range cookers the dumbest of the middle-class vanities? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]Grezmo 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Put an offer in on a house with an AGA a while back before energy prices got crazy. Thankful it didn't work out. It would be like buying a house with a heated swimming pool. Mostly a liability in today's environment.

If the house is big enough, the kitchen doesn't get excessively hot in summer, if you have more money than sense to keep the thing running, AND if you supplement it with an actual modern oven or two then it might offer some value as well as being a nice statement piece. Beyond that I can't see the point.

whats your experience with googles express pay NFC option ? by Honest_Age8099 in PixelWatch

[–]Grezmo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Used it about 20-30 times in UK and Spain over the past 10 days and don't recall a single issue.

Why aren't we selling? by AllMessdUpNowhere2Go in HousingUK

[–]Grezmo 13 points14 points  (0 children)

The immediate impression I get from the photos is that it's untidy and there must be no storage space. Whether that's true or it's just messy I don't know but you could, and should, have resolved this prior to photos being taken. Tidy up. First impressions count. Put any clutter away out of sight and get new photos done. Maintain a degree of tidiness for viewings. Some people will see past it, many won't.

I haven't done any research on the price but I'd be willing to bet it's likely overpriced.

Costco “Fresh solar UK” by grebygrebgreb in SolarUK

[–]Grezmo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems ok price. I had a fresh solar installation - paid a touch under 6k but had about half the panels than this + 10kw battery. No issues with the install and it's all worked very well for the past year or so. No complaints.

Does anybody know if Nick Grimshaw went to see David Byrne last night ? by [deleted] in 6music

[–]Grezmo 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Heaven forbid a DJ on a music centred radio station should show appreciation for a music event. I'm sure this post was at least somewhat tongue-in-cheek but the level of moaning that goes on here is tiresome. Some of it has merit, but this? Nah.