Reviews by bluesparky

This review is for Newcastle Super Strike, Warners Bay NSW

verified email - 19 Sep 2016

I am always impressed every time I go to Superstrike Warners Bay. The staff are so friendly and helpful. The prices are reasonable for the bowling and the cafe prices are expected for a small business (so not the cheapest you will ever find but not unreasonable either). The food however is always served freshly made. I definitely recommend this bowling alley for it's great service, friendly atmosphere and affordable bowling!

This review is for Pacific Transcription, Milton QLD

verified email - 19 Sep 2016

The product itself as it is manufactured appears okay from my initial look aside from Pacific Transcription's sticker stopping me from opening the battery cover and the cost is reasonably standard for the products sold. The service on the other hand must be okay of you are giving them positive feedback but if you ask a question they think is unusual they are very patronising, rude and engage in bulling behaviors. I was appalled by the manner in which I was treated for simply asking how to remove their company sticker off my $500 voice recorder because IT WAS COVERING THE BATTERY COVER in a way that prevented me from opening it and inserting the battery which arrives separately in the same box! How is that a dumb question? If I have to remove a sticker that won't come off easily and leaves sticky residue I want to know how to safely remove it without damaging the casing. This product is not cheap and I'd rather not void the warranty by inadvertently damaging the cover with a substance designed to remove adhesive. The support staff member's tone of voice was very sarcastic as she told me that it was a stupid question and why wouldn't I want the sticker there (She obviously missed the point about the battery cover not being able to be opened with the sticker where it was). Not to mention this simple question turned from a very small issue into a big issue very quickly. No actual advice to address the issue, instead all I received was to be made to feel very insulted, patronised and belittled. OMG it's just a sticker, tell me how to remove it so I can start using my product!

Approximate cost: $500

This review is for Reading Cinemas, Maitland NSW

verified email - 04 Jan 2016

Absolutely fantastic! This cinema has Audio description in EVERY theatre (Audio Description is for people with vision loss, it describes the visual action on the screen through a special head set). The guy who is the former cinema projectionist should be commended. This guy took the initiative to fine tune the system so that every theatre could use the AD feature, he also learnt about the system and trialled it, I have never come across a cinema staff member anywhere since digitalisation came in that has put that much dedication into ensuring ALL customers get a quality cinema experience. Initially it was only set up with all but one theatre having access. The brilliance of having a cinema with all theatres accessible means people with a vision impairment can simply go to the movies like everyone else, no calling in advance to work out what movies and what sessions are accessible, no waiting 1-2 weeks for a new release to be put in a smaller theatre etc. That is true inclusion! The AD system used is also the good type that is reliable and high quality. The headsets seem to always be on charge and the staff seem to know the difference between AD for the blind and closed captioning for the deaf (sadly this is a rarity). The cinema itself is quite nice, clean and staff are friendly and helpful. Can't recommend it enough.

This review is for Cardiff Chemist, Cardiff NSW

verified email - 04 Jan 2016

I'm very impressed with this pharmacy. The staff are very helpful, polite and professional. The service is great and they really seem to understand their customers with convenient opening hours and delivery times which I find is important as a person who takes regular medication. They really seem passionate about providing good service to customers, nothing seems to be a problem for them,

This review is for Couriers Please, Sydney NSW

verified email - 04 Jan 2016

My main concern was with the support I received. The lady I spoke to seemed to have a chip on her shoulder about the customers who send out packages. I understand not everyone a business deals with will be nice, however there was no need for the customer service representative to get heavy handed about not letting the sender refer me back to Couriers please and offloading responsibility for one out of four packages possibly being lost onto the sender. It was irrelevant to my call which was to ask why the online tracking showed that my parcel failed delivery (despite being home waiting for the delivery). I wasn't impressed by the unprofessional nature of the customer service. To add to my disappointment I really wanted to leave an email to notify the company of the incident, but there is no way to leave feedback if you are vision impaired as they use graphic based verification (similar to captcha) that is inaccessible to screen reader users. I am glad to read that another customer has had a better experience, however it might be good if the company reinforces the need for customer service representatives to not use receivers as a means to vent whatever existing frustrations they may have about senders. Also it might be good if the company looked into ensuring their service, including their website and feedback forms are accessible to all consumers.

Approximate cost: $30

This review is for Greenhills Veterinary Hospital, East Maitland NSW

verified email - 09 Jul 2015

Would you like fries with that? This vet isn't too bad with routine treatments like vaccines but they are more expensive than others. The main concern I have with this vet is how some of the vets seem to recommend unnecessary treatment. I have a cavalier and the breed the commonly are at risk of having shallow joints. Because it is common in the breed every vet I have been to has checked her joints some more thoroughly than others but for some reason Greenhills is the only vet surgery who insist she has very shallow joints and she needs a $2000+ surgery urgently. They also took advantage of my vision impairment and tried to tell me her teeth were really bad and she needed teeth cleaning under anaesthetic. I was surprised by this also because her teeth have always been considered good. I took my Mum with me to another vet for a second opinion and so my Mum could verify in case they said the same thing about her teeth. The vet at a different surgery told me that my dogs teeth were in the best condition she had seen for her age (5 at the time). There was a little plaque buildup on the top of her back teeth where my brushing and her chewing had missed but no gum disease or other signs of concern. I now just give her dental treats such as greenies to supplement teeth cleaning! Problem managed!

This review is for Hunter United Pest Control, Gateshead NSW

verified email - 09 Jul 2015

I was very impressed by the young man who came and did my end of lease flea treatment, he called half an hour before arriving and was very professional, polite and did his job well. The carpet cleaner from the same company wasn't as good so from other reviews I can see how the service may vary depending on who you get but the man who I got deserves and has earned the full 5 stars in all areas. The receptionist who took my booking was also lovely and a pleasure to talk to. They also gave me a great price.

This review is for Shortland Property Management, Wallsend NSW

verified email - 09 Jul 2015

My experience upon signing my lease was really good, however after my property manager changed so did the service. Upon leaving I found the service had become appalling and I felt my property manager was trying everything to get my bond with inconsistent and false claims. They also did not comply with their responsibilities under legislation by failing to give me notice of final inspection, repay over paid rent within 14 days of initial request, accurately calculate my remaining water usage, ignored the condition report (Insisting I was wrong about things that were dirty despite it clearly being noted on the report that they were dirty when I moved in) and appeared reluctant to want me present at the inspection. The property was left cleaner than when I moved in and they even said it was immaculate except two things, one of those 'things' was already on the condition report as being dirty and the other could have easily been accepted as fair use (I contacted fair trading to confirm this). I am appalled and disappointed by the unprofessional and inappropriate manner that my property manager and the company she represents has behaved. I would warn people against using this business on the grounds that they appear to be engaging in behaviours that are extremely questionable and at times unlawful. Not worth the risk!

This review is for Morpeth Woodfired Pizza, Morpeth NSW

verified email - 26 Jun 2014

The pizza here has always been great but I must admit they got even better since the new owners arrived about 6 or so months ago (can't recall exactly when they took over). Since the new owners, they not only do great pizza but they now allow you to choose your toppings which was the only thing I didn't like about the old owners so now it is perfect! Awesome pizza, highly recommend!

This review is for Lorn Veterinary Clinic, Lorn NSW

verified email - 26 Jun 2014

I've been taking my dog here for just over a year and I couldn't be happier. The staff are lovely, they provide excellent service and I believe they truly have my dogs best interest at heart. The vets here do their job very well and I highly recommend them.