Re: [racebase] TAB PDF form for whole meetings

Mon, 07 Mar 2005 03:28:24 -0800

I've just found the series of messages (although they may not all be here) that passed between myself and the TAB last September, regarding the lack of a facility to download a couple of form guides.
 
I had a bit of fun with it at the time and there's probably a laugh or two still in it.
 
The first exchange is on my earlier posting . . . here's #2 —
 
Reference number 246391

Attention Mike

Thanks for your reply but kindly read my email again. I do not want the
fields. I already have the fields, courtesy of the Best Bets and the NZTR
website.

What I want to do is download the form guides (the ones which can be
accessed at http://www.tab.co.nz/racing_world.cfm) in pdf format. I want to
store them on my computer for reference today, tomorrow and into the
future. I currently have files stretching back some three or so years. They
are a wonderful resource and an absolute credit to the TAB . . . although
spoiled somewhat by putting the shallow thinking of Budgie at the gateway.
The formguides you have directed me to may be of some use to Granny and
Auntie Flo on their way to the track or the TAB for a small flutter but
they are of no interest to the serious punter.

The form guides I require are where they are supposed to be on the TAB
website. They are, however, lacking a button labelled RUNNER which, when
right clicked, allows the entire guide for each meeting to be downloaded.

At least you did better than a young woman working in your area of the TAB
to whom I posed the same query a few years back. She told me the fields
were available in the Herald.

Gil Dymock

BTW: If you don't what I'm referring to, go the website via the above link,
and access the Gore trots fields. That site has the RUNNER button;
Saturday's gallops guides do not.
 

**** I got this response . . .
 
Hiya Gil,

There are PDF files under the following link that may assist you....
http://www.tab.co.nz/splashpdf/download_racing.html, there are easy form
and expanded form available, these files include the same information as
the ones that you are referring to in your email...

the internet is under review for redevelopment, and the Pdf files that you
are talking about are on the agenda for change, so keep an eye on the site
for more changes to come.

I hope this helps.

Karen
Internet Support

**** My reply . . .
 
  Hello Karen

  Take it from me, the form guides at the site to which you have directed me
are not, I repeat NOT, as good as the guides I've been accessing for the
past three or more years. They may contain the same information but they are
not as easy to use . . . for starters, they are not tabulated (believe me
this is important). That comment line is an intrusion I can do without, too.

  Why fix something if it ain't broke? And if you are determined to alter
something, keep the user in mind.

  Gil Dymock

  BTW: Can you answer me this . . . why produce a brilliant form guide,
which is obviously compiled to appeal to the serious punter, and then put
those Budgie comments at its gateway? It's like owning a Rolls-Royce and
garaging it in a chook house.
 
**** This came back . . .
 
Apologies for the delay,

If you check the site you will find, the Pdfs there,

Sorry for the incontinence.  Hope these help.

If you have any further comments feel free to email me direct on
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Karen
Internet Support
 
**** To which I replied . . .
 
Karen
 
By Pdfs do you mean the button labelled RUNNER? And above this button the instruction "Download the entire meeting in printable Adobe PDF format"?
They are certainly there now . . . but they just as certainly weren't there earlier this afternoon.
 
If you look through my previous correspondence, you'll find that this information (why isn't the button there; will it appear?) was all that I was after.
 
Instead I've had a series of emails pointing me in entirely the wrong direction; leaving me the impression that my original request was brushed off with the first available reply ("Go to this site . . .") by people who seemingly did not take the time to find out what exactly my request was.
 
Here's another request . . . direct your (the TAB's) energies to assisting serious players. The dilettantes can either upgrade their level of engagement to that of the serious punter or continue to use pins, follow newspaper tipsters, horoscopes or whatever. They won't care what they are served up . . . but the serious do care and do notice any downgrade.
 
Finally, I'm a bit puzzled about this line in your reply . . . "Sorry for the incontinence.  Hope these help."
 
I assure you that I don't suffer from incontinence; never have. And even if I did, how a pdf would help is beyond me.
 
Or is the incontinence being experienced at the TAB's end? I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can say or do that would help.
 
Gil Dymock
 
BTW: the address you supplied [EMAIL PROTECTED] doesn't work.
 
**** The exchanges continued . . .
 
Hi Gil,

Thank you again for your email, My earlier email I sent you this morning, in regards to pointing you in another direction, was to help you at the time, whist I was looking into the problems with the Runner Index form guides.... and this evening I sent you a courtesy email to let you know that they were fixed and available.

And yes sorry about my spelling mistake, I think you knew what I meant, ( I was trying to let you know as soon as possible that the issues were resolved)
 I will take more time in the future to check my spelling.

Thanks again

Regards Karen

Karen Jackson
Team Leader Operations
IT Infrastructure & Operations
Internet Support
Direct Dial - 04 576 6876
Mobile - 0272 406 235

"You know the odds now beat them....."
http://www.tab.co.nz

 

**** The final salvo was fired by me, at which time I put the boot right in (to mix a couple of metaphors) . . .

 

Karen
 
At no time in the correspondence over this matter was I informed that, yes, you knew there was a problem with the absence of the RUNNER button.
 
From the very first I was informed that everything was in its rightful place and all I had to do was go to the right place.
 
I knew what I wanted and I defy anyone to claim that I didn't make myself perfectly clear in that regard. Here's my original message, under the heading Internet form guides: There is no facility to download the meetings at Tauranga and Wanganui in printable Adobe PDF format.
Gil Dymock
 
I am not asking where are they . . . I am asking why am I unable to download them in pdf format. I did not want to be pointed in any other direction. All I wanted was a simple answer. Either "We know the button ain't there and it won't ever be there" or "We know the button ain't there but we are trying to rectify the problem".
 
What was I supposed to glean from this reply from your man Mike: "Hi, You can access the fields via the form guides. Click on Racing Form then from the next page Easyform guides for each meeting required. This gives the fields together with form and a short comment next to each runner"?
My take was that he just banged out the first reply that came into his head.
 
Here's your first effort: "Hiya Gil,

There are PDF files under the following link that may assist you....
http://www.tab.co.nz/splashpdf/download_racing.html, there are easy form
and expanded form available, these files include the same information as
the ones that you are referring to in your email...

the internet is under review for redevelopment, and the Pdf files that you
are talking about are on the agenda for change, so keep an eye on the site
for more changes to come.

I hope this helps."
Nothing there along the lines of "we're working on the RUNNER button problem." In fact, by the tone of the second paragraph it looks like I may be losing the best piece of work that the TAB produces.
 
As for the "incontinence" thing and the misspelled email address . . . that suggested to me, very strongly, that you had stamped out a reply and hadn't taken the time to check it; that sorting my problem out wasn't too high on the agenda.
 
My apologies if I've taken up your valuable time. If you don't want your customers to contact you with any queries then I suggest you state so on your website and remove the contact facilty. But if customers are able to request help then I don't see why they shouldn't expect to have their problems dealt with in a precise manner; to have answered the question that's been asked.
 
Gil Dymock
 

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