Damnit.
I'm about to come across like I'm three, but I don't care, I'm upset. My package from Run for Galgos came... and while it had the Princess Bride medal in it, it did not have the Sherlock medal in it.
I wanted that Sherlock medal. I walked 14 miles to get that Sherlock medal. I was sent an email over 10 days ago saying that it would be mailed this last weekend. I'd planned on showing it off at Red Circle and Watson's Tin Box in the next few days.
So to say I am disappointed is to understate the issue.
What happened is actually pretty clear. There's a fearsome amount of nitpicking administrative detail behind running a virtual running club. When my name ended up on the mailing list twice, the "mistake" was probably "corrected" and the later medal bumped the previous one in the mailing list.
BUT! When I've been asked to not just make a monetary donation to a cause but put out significant personal effort -- and *prove* that I've made that effort -- and even received a message that reward for that money and effort was going to be mailed on a specific time -- I don't think it's at all out of line to demand them to uphold the bare minimum of their side of the contract.
The fearsome amount of behind-the-scenes admin is likely also why emails to the group get an automatic return message of "this email is checked twice a week and medals are mailed twice a month." From what I can tell, that's about the only way to have a personal life and run a club. But when you've been asked to do so much on their behalf it's off putting to hear that they'll eventually get around to acknowledging it - and when you're upset, that message basically reads as "At some point we'll bother noticing we screwed up and in some far-flung point in the future we may even be arsed to correct it."
I really hope it doesn't take too long. Because while it's already too late for Red Circle and Tin Box, I don't want to look at the beautiful Princess Bride medal and only remember disappointment. And I don't want to look at the beautiful Sherlock medal and only think "well, fucking finally."
An object lesson on how not to handle the Solitary Runner.
UPDATE: Actually got an email tonight! The medal will be "worked on next week." Hopefully this means at least the quick resolution I wanted.
I wanted that Sherlock medal. I walked 14 miles to get that Sherlock medal. I was sent an email over 10 days ago saying that it would be mailed this last weekend. I'd planned on showing it off at Red Circle and Watson's Tin Box in the next few days.
So to say I am disappointed is to understate the issue.
What happened is actually pretty clear. There's a fearsome amount of nitpicking administrative detail behind running a virtual running club. When my name ended up on the mailing list twice, the "mistake" was probably "corrected" and the later medal bumped the previous one in the mailing list.
BUT! When I've been asked to not just make a monetary donation to a cause but put out significant personal effort -- and *prove* that I've made that effort -- and even received a message that reward for that money and effort was going to be mailed on a specific time -- I don't think it's at all out of line to demand them to uphold the bare minimum of their side of the contract.
The fearsome amount of behind-the-scenes admin is likely also why emails to the group get an automatic return message of "this email is checked twice a week and medals are mailed twice a month." From what I can tell, that's about the only way to have a personal life and run a club. But when you've been asked to do so much on their behalf it's off putting to hear that they'll eventually get around to acknowledging it - and when you're upset, that message basically reads as "At some point we'll bother noticing we screwed up and in some far-flung point in the future we may even be arsed to correct it."
I really hope it doesn't take too long. Because while it's already too late for Red Circle and Tin Box, I don't want to look at the beautiful Princess Bride medal and only remember disappointment. And I don't want to look at the beautiful Sherlock medal and only think "well, fucking finally."
An object lesson on how not to handle the Solitary Runner.
UPDATE: Actually got an email tonight! The medal will be "worked on next week." Hopefully this means at least the quick resolution I wanted.