Athena from Optus at Pacific Fair - positively God like.

There is nothing like spending hours, yes literally HOURS, trying to sort out your phone / internet deal to make you lose the will to live.

I got all excited today about getting a new phone. I did the research, picked the one I wanted and then found out that,
A. There were only 100 in the whole of Australia.
B. They weren't being made anymore
C. Maybe Nokia are going the way of the dinosaurs - this could be scuttle butt.

So back to the drawing board. I hate all this research shit. I schlepped out to Harveys to have a look there and then rang some more Optus people, Craig from Robina was about as useful as a wood glue to a jeweller. I told him so. I doubt he gave a shit about his poor review.

I settled on a Nokia 930 even though the one I wanted had a much better camera and let's face it that's why we buy a phone today, so we can take pictures. Oh how the times have changed.

And off we went to Pacific Fair cos they had one set aside for me.

Music should have been playing and angels singing as we walked in to meet ATHENA.

Young people in phone shops must routinely flip for it, when they see old people approaching. I reckon if I was a twenty something with a good grasp of technology and mega-boobies and all that, I would hide under the counter rather than deal with dickheads like me.

But hide she did not.

She sat patiently, she played show and tell with various phones, she LISTENED to what I wanted and then worked out a plan to get it for me.

She dialled and I spoke to Philippines, One through Five and finally I got onto Crystal who was very helpful. She made computer notes about our 'deal' and then it was back to Athena. During the 2 hours - yes 2 shitting hours!! Athena and I had reconciled that perhaps I didn't need a new phone at all, I just needed more memory on my old phone which I get along very well with. She did some comparative print outs and while I was singing along on hold, a decision was reached. She popped the new thing in the old thing and set it all up for me. Yippee!!

The home stuff was sorted too and new plans made for the mobs. As unlikely as it might be, we walked out of there on a cheaper plan based on our old people usage and we were all happy little campers.

Athena was a bloody breath of fresh air. She came and went as she saw to other punters but always came back to me to see how I was doing talking to the Philippines. And in the end she dotted all the Ts and crossed all the Is.

She should be giving lessons in Customer Service, although sadly that would mean she would be off the floor and I'd be stuck with one of the others.

Now I am set. No more messages about lack of space and the need to delete files - have tried that and have been most unsuccessful. I can click away and will wonder about anew phone/camera as and when this one dies or I am brave enough to take the leap away from what I know into the land of the very unknown.

Thanks very very much Athena.