Random Rants

[faceless]

WHERE GEEKS HAVE NO NAME
John Mckie
www.dailyrecord.co.uk

THERE'S a reason why John Wayne, Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson never played traffic wardens. They were real men. They didn't hide. I got a parking ticket last weekend and you may know the fella who did it - Parking Attendant WS3374. Kind of like R2D2 but with a worse grasp of the English language. What kind of name is WS3374? It used to be the folk in prison were just a number. Now it's the folk who want us to end up in prison.

I'd identify him from his signature but it's just a squiggle of a Z. The Venus de Milo has a clearer autograph. Emailing to appeal won't leave you with a name. Some company's human resources departments now send you an email with no name when you apply for a job. All the bills for your car, your bank, your home, your tax, your mobile - no one will actually identify themselves in case you have the nerve as a paying customer to want to talk to them. As for Sky Customer Service, that should be renamed "Twenty Minutes of Sky Hold Music at Premium Rate".

There's a lack of responsibility today which is downright shameful. Read political, sports and showbiz coverage. The knife is normally twisted by a "spokesman", "insider" or "friend". Few have the nuts to give their name. Stealth charges are just as craven. Try buying something off amazon.co.uk and it's only after you get nine clicks into the required 10 that they'll cough to the extortionate postage and package charges. Or the airline which won't mention the flight tax which can be two-thirds on top of any ticket price until just before end of booking. If you want to complain, Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive couldn't help you track someone down to talk to.

Reckon when you get the letter demanding you have ID cards, you'll see a name at the bottom? There's more chance of Hazel Blears MP getting picked for the Harlem Globetrotters. If asylum seekers knew about our service culture before they got here, they'd book return flights. It's pathetic. How did we get into this mess? Gordon Brown has an image problem as a sly, money-grabbing Chancellor. If Gord wants to sort out Britain, he could abolish phone trees (press one if you want to be ignored, two if you want to be patronised, etc), force traffic wardens and taxmen to give their names and have bills where the charger takes some responsibility and tells you who you can call. This would transform his image more than all that ridiculous smiling he's doing.

Britain's service culture is a sick joke. In the interests of balance, sometimes when you call to complain, you do get through to a person 20 minutes after you dial. The good news is, when that does eventually happen, you can find out what the weather is like in India.

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I thought this was a pretty good rant - if you see any more from 'official' newspapers etc, post em up... it goes to show how easy it can be to get paid for talking shite!

[eefanincan]

Great article! I particilarly liked the bit about the "Twenty minutes of Sky Hold Music at Premium Rate" Very well written.

[alan1254]

the Uk has no service culture , when I moved to the states I was shoked that if I had a problem I didnt have to argue and rant and rave to get it resolved, It took me ages to stop automatically going on the attack to get what I wanted, US sales staff , public officials, telephone help people want the situation resolved, its good for buisiness/ PR/getting re elected, and they always start with ' hi my name is Bill how can I help you' one of the few things Brits could learn from the US is how to treat the public