Petty Red Tape!

[Caran]

Had a phone call from my doctors surgery today. Offering me a flu jab.
I declined as I never have the jab.
Receptionist said if you don't want the jab can you notify us so we can put it on your records.
No problem say I, I can notify you now.
No she says, you will need to notify us in September so we can put it on your records then.
What a load of cobblers! Why can she not take it now and just write on records " No flu jab"

[marval]

We just get a text telling us when the flu jabs are, or the dates are on their website. You either just turn up on one of the two days, or you don't. No having to agree or decline.

[Jackdaw33]

I do not consider the state pension to be a benefit. It is a return on my 43 years' investment in NI. To my mind benefits are discretionary, the state pension is an entitlement. Having said that, I claimed mine over the phone. Far fewer hoops to jump through.

[New Judge]

"I do not consider the state pension to be a benefit. It is a return on my 43 years' investment in NI."

Don't start me off, jackdaw! It's too late!

[vulcan42]

I receive a letter from my clinic giving me the time and date of my flu jab. It isn't compulsory so I phoned them and eventually spoke to the receptionist and cancelled the visit. A few days later received another letter saying I had missed the flu jab and they consider this as an appointment missed. Apparently now I am on a "yellow card" and if I miss another appointment during the next twelve months I shall be asked to leave. It makes you wonder just whose benefits these clinics are designed for, it doesn't seem to be the patients.

[naomi24]

Vulcan, that's appalling. You have to lodge a formal complaint, surely?

[vulcan42]

naomi, I have already lodged a complaint and have an appointment on Monday, I hope I don't miss it!

[vulcan42]

I was just thinking, It would be ironic if I miss the appointment because I have the flu.

[goodgoalie]

Exactly, Vulcan. Please explain this to Alanis Morisette

[Cloverjo]

Vulcan, I can only guess that the receptionist was distracted while cancelling your appointment, and didn't actually finish.

I've had a similar thing with the dentist, but I had (partial) proof that I had cancelled so I was "let off."

[Ellipsis]

> It would be ironic if I miss the appointment because I have the flu.

Even worse if you catch it while there ...

[THECORBYLOON]

NJ, Retirement Pension is one of various contributory benefits as per legislation.

[Buenchico]

>>> Commercial companies simply would not get away with such indifferent and inefficient service to their customers

If only that were true, NJ! Here's the text of a letter I sent to Greene King brewery on Monday:

"Dear Sirs

Some lessons for you in how to annoy a customer:

1. Send him an email with a voucher offering him a third discount on meals, valid only from Wednesday to Sunday. However ensure that the email isn't sent out until teatime on the Friday, thus leaving the customer feeling aggrieved that he didn't have the voucher when he'd treated himself to a rare pub lunch on the Wednesday ;

2. Rather than send the voucher as an attachment, or as a link to web page, include that voucher as part of a lengthy email in big and colourful type, so that he has to use up lots of expensive printer ink (through printing out five pages of A4) in order to get a physical copy of it ;

3. Ensure that when the customer visits his usual Sunday evening pub [The Old Rep, Ipswich], during normal food service hours [6.55pm] there are menus on every table so that the hungry customer, who hasn't eaten all day, can look forward to really enjoying the discounted meal which he's about to order. However, when the customer tries to place his order, tell him that the kitchen is closed, leaving him clutching a worthless voucher and having to leave his mates in the pub while he trudges down to McDonalds for some food.

Oh, hang on though, why am I telling you all this? After all, it seems that you already know how to really annoy your customers!

Yours faithfully"

Oh, that reminds me: it's about time I chased up the customer services department of Poundstretcher as well. I emailed them about an incorrect price on their website on 27 October. They waited until 29 November before replying, offering me a £5 voucher if I provided my postal address, which I did without delay. I'm still waiting for the voucher!

Perhaps Greene King and Poundstretcher recruit all their staff from government offices?

[Jackdaw33]

I'm right with you there, Chico. I am in dispute with my landlord, Anchor Housing Association (name and shame). We have a laundry room which contains one washing machine for the use of 30 residents. It broke down on Sunday evening. We were promised a new one by Monday. Now we are told that it will be 'some time next week, but can't say when'. 30 people are going to be without laundry facilities for up to a fortnight. My monthly rent, which is not cheap, includes a hefty service charge. We are not getting the service. When I complained to the manager I was told that she had done all she could. I told her that her best was not good enough and that I had other means at my disposal to make them get a move on. I have not yet emailed head office because when I do it will be long and detailed so needs some thought in writing. I have found in the past that a letter to the local press is quite effective in getting them off their arises.

[Buenchico]

Keep hassling, JD33!

I've posted here before about how the Woolwich Building Society tried to repossess my house, for not keeping up with the mortgage payments, several months after I'd paid them over £30,000 to pay the mortgage off. After I complained, they eventually located the missing payment but then demanded over £200 extra to cover the interest that had built up between me paying them the money and them actually crediting it to my account. The branch manager was adamant that I'd have to pay until I mentioned that it was only a two minute walk from her office to that of the local newspaper.

That wasn't the end of the story though. Over a decade later I tried to sell part of my garden to a neighbour, only to find out that I couldn't because there was still a charge, in favour of the Woolwich Building Society, registered against the property. Trying to find someone at Barclays Bank (who'd by then taken over the Woolwich) to sort the problem out was a real pain in the posterior!

[diddlydo]

Reminds me of an incident I had with the National Trust (I've been a member for years) - they sent me a voucheer to claim a free cream tea for 2 in their on-site cafes/restaurants. We duly went to Waddesdon Manor and eat our cream tea. When I offered the voucher in payment the waiter said "You can't use that here as we're not a National Trust restaurant!" How we were supposed to know that I have no idea. Needless to say I called for the manager who grudgingly accepted it - he probably wanted to get rid of me before i made an even louder fuss in the crowded restaurant!

[zebo]

When the flu vaccines were first introduced many years ago, I was in the doctor's surgery for something totally unrelated and at the end he said, Roll your sleeve up, we have to use up all these flu vaccines, and wham, I was vaccinated. I have never had a worse winter than that one and I've avoided them every since.
On the subject of You couldn't make it up, we once lived on a quarter which had no accessible letter box and as I worked in the local community rather than the military we wrote and asked for a letter bob to be cut in the gate as I received mail other than BFPO which went to OH's place of work. When I got home one day there was the local postman outside the gate with a letter, Oh, didn't know where to post this, glad you came home when you did! The letter from the MOD office declined our request as all our mail would be delivered to OH's place of work!

[nescio]

The NHS excels in other ways. Several years ago, I was waiting for an appointment at a clinic at my local hospital. The woman from no.8 came to my door (no. 38) with a letter addressed to me at no.8. She had just returned from holiday, to find the letter and found my address in the phone book. Fortunately, the appointment was for two days later, so I was able to attend. I explained they had the incorrect address and since the computer was down, gave me a post it note to attach to my file, giving my correct address, which I duly wrote, signed and dated. I went for a follow up a couple of weeks later, the appointment letter again delivered by the woman from no.8, to find the post it still attached to my file, with 38 crossed out and replaced with 8!