Ladbrokes crack me up.

[Cassius Marcellus]

Yesterday, I phoned Ladbrokes customer services.

It went something like this :-

Hello, customer services, can I help you.

I hope so. I placed a bet today in your branch in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. It's a winning bet, but I've lost the ticket.

What you have to do is go to the shop, write out a copy and present it to the manager.

Yes I know that, but I can't get back there until tomorrow afternoon.

You can do it tomorrow that's okay.

I know that as well. I'm trying to contact the shop so I can tell him not to pay it out if anybody else walks in with the ticket. Could you give me the shop phone number please.

We can't give you the shop phone number.

Can you contact the shop and tell him what has happened, or get him to phone me at home.

What branch was it?

Wisbech.

And where is that?

Cambridgeshire.....the same as it was two minutes ago

Which branch?

I didn't know there were two branches in Wisbech. I don't know the name of the road, but it's opposite a church.

Norfolk Street or Church Terrace (WTF!!!!)

What do you reckon? (I was going to add ' Sherlock' but stayed polite)

Church Terrace then. Do you know the slip number? (What a fcuking
unbelievable question)

No. Why would I memorise a slip number?

In case you lost it. What time did you place the bet?

1-19 p.m.

So, between 1-00 and 1-30 then.

If you prefer ' between, but it was 1-19 exactly, they were just getting ready to start the 1-20 race.

What bet was it?

Two horses... (and interrupted mid-sentence)

Was it a Lucky 15 or a yankee, or something else?

You can't do two horses in a Lucky 15 or a yankee. It was a win double, one was Mexican Bob, I can't remember the name of the other one, but it won at 8/13. Could you contact the shop and let them know.

Yes, but do they know you.

No. I'm not a regular, but if you describe me, he will remember me as there were only two people in the shop when I placed my bet.

I don't know what you look like (FFS!!)

That's probably because I haven't told you yet.

Oh yes, that was silly of me. Please describe yourself.

6 feet 2, ugly, big enough to blot out the sun when I walk in the door, wearing a cream coloured anorak.

Andwill he recognise this description?

Wouldn't you?

I suppose so, yes. Could I have your name please, and a contact number.

Gave her both and she said she would phone the shop, and phone me to let me know if it had been found and cashed, and if it hadn't, to put a stop on it unless somebody gave my name when he wrote out a copy.

30 minutes later I had received no phone call, so I phoned back. I have no idea how many people are manning the phones in customer services, but thankfully, I never got the same woman, unless she was now wishing to remain incognito.

Within two minutes of explaining what had happened, she phoned the shop while I stayed on the line, and said the bet had not been cashed, and will not be paid untiI I get there today and fill out a lost ticket claim form.

I would assume that both these women (if it was two) are on the same wages, which basically, is sad.

Then this happened...

I got to the shop this afternoon.

Made out a copy and got my cash. In doing so I told the cashier that there was some confusion as I never knew that there were two branches in Wisbech.

She said that Church Terrace WAS the only branch, Norfolk Street had closed down quite a few years ago.

So much for technology

I hope the manager and his staff at Norfolk Street are still getting paid..

[Anderson.]

Nice. I enjoyed reading it.

[cutiepie]

I'm sure you felt rather frustrated at the time, but it definetly made me smile

[salford_student]

the best I had was with william race room many years ago.

john magnier walked in the shop with a few other people.

came upto the counter, with £100 eway double on one of his horses (well mrs mags) @12/1 in some obscure irish race and aristotle in the derby at 20/1.

bet was just under shop permission to lay, but above notification.

next thing one of his friends came to put on the same bet, i said i'm not taking it till i had notified the previous bet.

phoned up raceroom convo went something like this

ME: (gave details of the bet)
RR: customer ID
ME: dont have a customer ID, but it is john magnier
RR: sorry but dont expect me know your customers, i dont work in your shop
ME: its a warm source (our charts state, report warms sources, i.e. trainers, owners etc)
RR: how ?
ME: he owns both of the horses that hes had the bet on
RR: whats his name again ?
ME: john magnier!!!!!!!!!!!!
RR: I've just checked, both the horses are owned by Mrs magnier, so hes not a warm source as he doesnt own them.
ME: hes getting a friend to place exactly the same bet, to beat our permission to lay limits, can I take the bet
RR: is the level of the bet, permission to lay or notification ?
ME: on its own, notification, combined with the other bet permission to lay
RR: well its notification, so treat it as such.

I put the phone down

take loads more of these each way doubles, and duly notify each one, trying to explain to the raceroom whats going on.

the first horse in the double duly romps home (at this point my cashier is in the local laddies with some money from the till putting a bet on for me)

a totalling up of the bets after the race, shows that I've got about £12,000 running on aristotle in derby @ 20/1, with a liability of £1/4 million pounds

raceroom then rings up, its the raceroom manager

RR: do you realise your shop has a £1/4 million pound liability on the derby
ME: yes
RR: how come you didnt you didnt seek permission to lay ?
ME: I told the muppet earlier, they were all coming from the same source but he said i couldnt do permission to lay only notification, check the tapes
RR: do you know the customer(s)
ME: he nots regular in the shop, but i do recognise him
RR: who is it
ME: john magnier
RR: WHAT THE ****!!!!!!!!!!!!

aristotle went off 2nd fav for the derby that year, think about 5/2,11/4, he didnt win but i bet their was some very nervous people in that raceroom.

anyone who has worked for one of the big chains, will tell you conversations and idiots like this are very common in these organisations

[bettingVeteran]

ha, hilarious account ... I use LadBrokes but only online,
looks like I'm missing out on a right laugh.

[Verisimilitude]

Reminds me of "Kevin 'bloody' Wilson" and his 'Dictaphone' song!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PjTlIvfT61Y

[Carl]

only now whilst just starting work at Coral can I relate to these 2 tales
Must admit Im pissing myself here.

[WHUPUNTER]

Thanks for that fellas.