British Telecom May ‘86
I am in receipt of your installation bill, and subsequent final reminder. It would appear that you are more efficient at billing than installing
Let us recap.
During late Feb. I visited your Norwich office and applied for a telephone line to be installed anytime after our moving-in date of 29th March, Easter Saturday. Your office specified Tues. 1st April- a portentious date..
On Wed. March 5th, a besuited gentleman visited the premises. ‘-just to make sure we can find it alright. Ah, yes, mm- no problem here- see you on Tues 1st.’ On Tues 1st., an engineer visited early morning. ‘-just to make sure we can find it- no problem here- need another man with me- got another job to do in the area first- back later’.
By Wednesday mid day- nothing had been heard or seen, so my wife phoned your Nr. Lynch (who said he was so thrilled by British Telecom that he was leaving that day)- no he had no idea what was happening, but if we could ring back in an hour, he would find out. An hour later, he had spoken to the engineer who would be there within the hour- i.e. by 2 o’clock.
At 4.45 (still nothing) I telephoned Mr. Lynch, to be told that he had already gone.. I left a message that the next morning we would be out, but you engineers could (and had better) do their deed at 1 o’clock, Thursday. Two fresh engineers were drafted in on Thursday, 1.30, to fit the line and a phone model we hadn’t asked for- that required another visit by another engineer, the next afternoon. He then christened our new phone with a slanging match to your office, and if that wasn’t a free call, I shall require a credit..
It occurs to me as an innocent bystander/victim that before you enter into anymore contracts, you should decide who runs your company- the management or the engineers. Meanwhile, I have deducted £44.80 from you’re a/c for loss of earnings- I was prepared to lose Tuesday but not Wednesday as well..
Having spent all of my working life in ‘private enterprise’, a phrase which you discovered quite recently, I can tell you that you have a lot to learn.
------------------------------------------
No reply- the £44.80 was simply added as arrears to the next two bills. I deleted it both times. It didn’t appear again, and was never paid.
------------------------------------------