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Golden Voices - 18 April 2008

Josie Loftus
18/ 4/2008

EVERYONE has at sometime made a complaint on either a personal or official matter to some organisation or authority or to another person in or outside of your immediate family and friends.

It’s all part and parcel of human nature not to agree with everything that affects us as well as it is part and parcel to be happy about things we like.

There was a time when making a complaint was regarded as important an issue to be taken seriously enough to either put matters right, apologise or at the very least beg to differ. As I said … ‘there was a time’ which is very different from then to how things are now when complaints are made or one dares to question, challenges or even begs to differ even when one knows one is 100 per cent right and honourable.

Attitudes about: blame, serving the public, accountability and conscience has changed dramatically over the past few years. And I’m not talking about shop bought goods. Ironically, it is within the stores etc. where the customer is now accepted as being right without question but not so amidst the service providers eg, gas, electric, telephone and worst of all the faceless wonders of official departments who use deflecting tactics to put an end to what they can’t handle. Suddenly, they become sensitive and unable to carry on listening because 1. Shouting will get you nowhere 2. I (they) am not the person who got it wrong in the first place 3. Put it in writing 4. Calm down 5. We can’t discuss this over the ‘phone 6. Don’t swear, etc. etc. …

Most of the above listed excuses are thrown at you regardless of whether you are guilty or not of ‘causing offence’ to the delicate being who just cannot solve your problem and now, it is you who has become their problem and Oh! boy, you will suffer for it. Continual delaying tactics, official jargon, lost papers and even missing people somehow water down the initial urgency until the problem gets buried away under the weight of the money its costing and you give up, glad to be rid of it but your image as a reasonable customer has been truly tarred and feathered for ever more.

I once asked an officer of a certain Department if they were not getting a bit concerned by the fact that a member of their staff had been ‘missing’ from their desk for over a week, no one knows where they are and shouldn’t the police be informed … needless to say I was accused of being flippant which was not helping me to solve my problem … See! What did I tell you!. You have suddenly become their problem and you give up because you are now confused about what the problem was in the first place.

But joking apart; I am always astounded when at meetings where the public are invited to go and listen and ask questions there is always a ‘speaker’ of some sort too ready to quash what they regard as an ‘attack’ on their pet subject. Well used one-liners like ‘let’s not be too negative … let’s move on … I hear what you’re saying … look what we’ve done up to now (nothing to do with your problem but hey!)’.

I questioned my last telephone bill simply because I had just opened it whilst I was talking on the ‘phone and I noticed how expensive it was regardless of the special offers and the friends and family free calls which I was reminded by the operator was free. ‘No, no’ I say, I’m not talking about that; why am I paying such a lot of money for line rental, broadband and what exactly are the package fees I’m paying for. The operator rambled off every gobbledegook offer I’m told I’m enjoying … erm … wait, wait a minute, hang on, what’s Home ID. ‘Its what you are paying for’, yes I know, you’ve just told me but what is it ‘cos it’s not showing on my bill. I’m not aware I know about it or use it and please prove to me that I ordered it.

Two days later I get a call from BT telling me that I will receive a full refund of the £9.99 monthly charge for Home ID and there will be no more deductions for this service. The maddening thing is that this service is not shown on the bill so I didn’t know I was paying for something I had never used, needed or had ever asked for. So the moral here is ‘phone your communication’s company and ask their customer service operator to explain exactly what packages you are paying for and if you don’t understand them, say so and if what they are telling you does not show on your bill then question it. They’re after your money and it seems they’ll take it, if you let them.

HAVE you Golden Voices ladies ever wondered what men talk about when they’re together … like at football matches?

Last Sunday my eldest son Keith couldn’t find anyone to go with him to watch the big match between Manchester United and Arsenal. So rather than see a spare ticket go to waste he asked me if I wanted to go. I still don’t know why I said yes but I did and I’m really glad I did so.

As you will have gathered from some of my previous columns, I have never been interested in sport but I am not against men being avid sports fans or taking up sports as a hobby. I’ve always thought it keeps them out of harm's way and from under your feet.

Both my sons played football as youngsters and are passing on their know-how to my grandsons who I have to say play more seriously than their dads ever did, which is evident by the amount of pirouetting they do with the ball that would put a ballet dancer to shame. So, there I was sitting amongst hundreds of United fans, young and old, men and women all with one thing in common; to enjoy 90 minutes of diversion away from the news, problems with utility services and an opportunity to shout, yell and curse without getting into any trouble for doing so.

It really was an eye-opener to hear the good-humoured banter and songs of skit going on between rival fans. I was in fits as my son started to explain the double meanings and the wind ups of the hidden messages of the choruses sung in perfect unison.

And then the teams came out on the pitch to warm up. Massive cheers for the Reds and what cheers there were for Arsenal were drowned out deliberately which, said Keith, is only what happens whenever United play away. I thought it was the height of rudeness and when I said so, Keith nearly choked.

Anyway, being a woman; I was interested in everything else going on around me … especially the three men who sit in their reserved seats at the back of Keith and shared toffees which they discussed at great length, in fact for most of the first half. It was truly hilarious listening, erm … I mean I overheard them competing with each other about how much their toffees cost and which particular brand is the best for chewing. Yes, ladies, all human life is on the terraces at the Theatre of Dreams.

Anyway, United won 2-1 and I was enthralled by the skill and talent of both teams.

What struck me particularly was the youth of the players and how they played for the fans who criticised, booed mercilessly and shouted explicit insults whenever they lost the ball then praised and applauded them when they did good.

The election leaflets have arrived through our doors showing some of the achievements made throughout the Ward and it is impressive to say the least. But can we have just a little bit of the good stuff in New Moston, please?