Mapping Coastal Trails: Lifestyle Lessons from a Digital Free Trial Fiasco

Mapping Coastal Trails: Lifestyle Lessons from a Digital Free Trial Fiasco

I love getting out running with Gareth, particularly on the trails rather than tarmac and together we love discovering new routes. Following our relocation to the north Norfolk coast we have a wealth of footpaths and trails on our doorstep, inland, and along the Norfolk Coastal Path too. Whilst out running, we’d seen signposts for a route known as Peddars Way which predominantly follows the old Roman road between Thetford and Holme next the Sea, in addition to off road trails.  You can see it on the map here.

Keen to explore part of Peddars Way, and reach the sea at Holme, we dug out the OS (Ordnance Survey) map on Sunday that we’d bought several months ago.

We were planning to head out around 9:30am whilst the weather was looking good. That didn’t happen. We lost 2 whole hours, and I went from focused to frazzled, in complete contrast to the coaching sessions I run!

My language turned rather blue too.

Why?

The paper map it said that we could download the digital version (for free) using the code that we needed to scratch off, in “3 easy steps”!

Neither of us are technophobes but could we download it?!  Gareth eventually fathomed it out but then neither of us could access the download, try as we might.  I thought that I’d call customer service, but no, it’s only open Monday to Friday. Rather bizarre when most of their customers are likely to want to call at the weekend.  I tried the ‘bot’ who couldn’t help and quickly referred me to customer services on Monday!

I guess we could’ve just taken the paper map, but you know what it’s like, once you’re trying to sort something out that’s advertised as ‘simple’ you want to get it sorted. Right?!

Eventually, I said to Gareth, I think we probably need to click the ‘free trial’ button.

Now, in all transparency, I had a free trial a couple of years ago. I didn’t want a free trial, but it was the only option left to access this bloody map we’d downloaded.

The instant I clicked it, a notification appeared on my iPhone stating that Apple had charged me £34.99.

I was FUMING. Absolutely fuming. A navvy would’ve blushed at my language.

This added insult to injury.  We’d already lost 2 hours and now the ‘free’ digital copy of the paper map we bought in WH Smiths a few months ago had now cost me an additional £34.99.  This is wrong on SO many levels.

Making the Most of My Day

The app itself is great and I am sure we will get a lot of use out of it, and we had an amazing time out running, but this should NOT happen.

Payment should never be taken without a question as to whether you want to go ahead and buy first.  And not least after you’ve clicked FREE trial.

I was incensed and bashed out an email to OS and a post on Facebook.

Turns out there are A LOT of people sick and tired of poor customer service, bots, and want a return to feeling valued.  A personal service.

It’s all going wrong from multiple choice dialling systems, to online stuff (don’t get me on that one) and tech that makes life difficult. In fact, it is disconnecting people from being able to operate in today’s world.

We were speaking to a volunteer at parkun who said his has fibre on his road but it’s going to cost him £40,000 if he wants to connect to it. How is that even right?

As I am writing I am still waiting for a response from OS Customer Service … 5 working days apparently!  Forgive me if I swear again.

I promise you this though, I am not letting the situation affect my emotional wellbeing.

Shifting My Perspective

Following my outburst of expletives on Sunday I chose not to let the situation spoil my / our day.

I kicked my own ass, told myself to let it go, accepted that it had cost me money and that I couldn’t do anything else about it at that moment in time.

I left my angst at the front door and we drove to Ringstead where we parked the car and headed out on the route we’d mapped out on the app.  Which, in all fairness is great, how we came by of course isn’t great!

The run was fab, and we eventually completed just over 7 miles running from Ringstead to Holme next the Sea, taking in tarmac, muddy and very slippery footpaths, and sand on the beach before making it to the sea. And back again along the same trail.

We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were wiped out for the rest of the day.

Stuff happens. Accepting the situation, as I did, shifting my Perspective and focusing my Energy onto the run and having fun made a massive difference. Had I dragged all that angst along with me it would’ve been a completely different story.

I’ve capitalised the words as they make up APE, Acceptance, Perspective, Energy; my APE Mindset Methodology which I trademarked a few years ago now and which you can read more about here.

What is frustrating you right now?

Can you change the way you look at the situation? Shift your perspective?

How does that make you feel?

Or are you still frustrated and struggling to think differently? If that is the case, get in touch and lets chat.

Top Tips

If something is frustrating you:

• Stop.
• Breathe.
• Count to 10, 20, 30, or whatever number it takes, but do so slowly.
• Walk away from the situation.
• Take your emotions out of the equation.
• Accept that what has happened, has happened.
• Take time to calm down as above.
• Change your current state / your mindset by doing something positive that you will change how you’re feeling.  Very much in the way I did by getting out on the run, albeit 2 hours later than planned.
• Be present.  Focus on the good stuff.  Look for the positives.  Look for the learning.  We can’t change what happens but we have complete control over how we respond to situations.

If we let stuff that has happened keep affecting us we allow that situation to create our current reality.

I know what I prefer .. and that’s to live a happy and healthy life which is why I will always seek out the positives in whatever is flung at me.

If you’d to know how I can help you with your mindset, lifestyle, personal and / or career changes email me at hello@sarahjnaylor.com

As a coach and mentor I can help and support you on your journey and be your greatest cheerleader too!