The 3 Towns Coffee centre

[Pendragon]

Any time you call an 0800 number (for a credit  card, banking, charter
communications, health  and other insurance, computer help desk, etc)
and you find that you're talking to a  foreign customer service
representative (perhaps in India , Pakistan , Ireland , etc), please
consider doing the  following:

After you connect and you  realize that the customer service
representative is not from the United Kingdom you can always ask if
you are not sure about the accent), please, very politely (this is not
about trashing  other cultures) say, "I'd like to speak to a  customer
service representative in the United Kingdom ."

The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager, but, again, politely
say, "Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a customer service
representative in the United Kingdom ."

YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO A REP IN THE UK .  That's the rule
and the LAW.

It takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to the
United Kingdom . Tonight when I got redirected to a UK rep, I asked
again to make sure - and yes, she was from NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE .

Imagine what would happen if every United Kingdom citizen insisted on
talking to only UK phone reps from this day on.

Imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of UK jobs that
would need to be created ASAP...

If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to
consider doing this - see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in
viral marketing 101.

Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to
be abrupt or rude to a foreign phone rep. You may even get correct
answers, good advice, and solutions to your problem - in real English.

I didn't realise you could do this.  When I think of all the times I've battled to understand foreign customer service reps and vice versa.  Apparently it's your right by law to speak with UK customer services.  Bonus 

[DaveR]

I hate to do this but...
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/ask-tranfer-uk-rep-law.shtml

[Fester]

Hmm, I have worked for 2 companies where the call centres were FULLY outsourced.
One to Malta, and one to Lithuania.  We had no UK call centre.
Anyhow, that aside, I think that if this became a campaign I would support it.

2 things though, when I speak to ebay, it is always to someone in The Phillipines, and the assistance is first class.
In India (Where certain utilities including TalkTalk are based) the standard of English is first class.

However, as you say, its not Angie, its not about that... its about creating jobs in the UK.

[Fester]

I thought it couldn't be law... unless the law had changed.
Would I ever work for a company that broke the law??

Still ... a good idea if it had been true.

[SDQ]

What angers me the most is that when you speak to companies about using their organisation you generally get UK reps so you conclude that you are going to be using a company that doesn't out-source customer services, which is something I feel quite strongly about as I would rather pay a bit more if I knew it meant the jobs went to UK staff. Then, a few weeks or months into the contract, when you call up about anything you end up speaking to people based anywhere except the UK!

[Jack]

Its a nice sentiment that all those call centre jobs would be re-located to the UK, but wouldn't your bills just go up?  There is a reason these call centres are abroad - cost.  Cheaper wages, willing workers, incentives by foreign governments to re-locate etc etc.

[Quiggs]

I once asked a call centre rep. where he was speaking from? He replied in a strong Indian accent " I speaking from my mouth "   

[Yorkie]

The opposite end to what I normally find!     

[TheMedz]

Just as an aside. Unilever when I worked for them in Ewloe/Queensferry had shipped in people from all their European based companies and ran a European help desk from  their offices in St David's Park.  Probably more of a condemnation of me rather than the strength of their linguistic skills but needless to say all the European staff spoke better English than I did!

[Pendragon]

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.  John Peg and I are going to Wrexham Hospital to sort his good leg out and get minor adjustments made to his dodgy one.  After that were off to the Auction rooms to get a valuation on some of his Dads WWII aviation maps.  His Dad was a pilot in the RAF during WWII and the maps plot out various sites for either surveillance or bombing zones.  Johns dad was also a member of the Goldfish Club, you could only be in this club if your plane had been shot down and you survived to tell the story.  He's just had a reel of old film footage converted to Dvd that was taken during the war by his Mother.  Love spending the day with him. 

[Pendragon]

Just to clarify the difference of The Goldfish Club, The Caterpillar Club, and The Flying (Winged) Boot Club.
 
The Goldfish Club: One had to be rescued/survived an aircraft ditching from the sea where their life preserving equipment saved their life.  In 1945 there was 7000 members of the Goldfish club by 2003 there were less than 600 members in total.
 
The Caterpillar Club: One had to parachute (bale out) from his stricken aircraft and survive, if that person landed 'in the drink' he then also qualified for membership of The Goldfish Club.
 
The Flying (Winged) Boot Club: One had to come down behind enemy lines from their aircraft and return to their unit, usually on foot! They could also become members of the above two clubs if the criteria aforementioned applied.     

[Michael]

   Its very peaceful on the forum tonight.   

  No wonder. 

   I was talking to two, possibly three, active members tonight.

  They didnt say it but they were no doubt thinking it. They couldnt get a word in!!!!

  So definately no chance on the keyboard

[Fester]

   Its very peaceful on the forum tonight.   

  No wonder. 

   I was talking to two, possibly three, active members tonight.

  They didnt say it but they were no doubt thinking it. They couldnt get a word in!!!!

  So definately no chance on the keyboard

Only 2 active members Mike..... Dave R and myself..
Mrs Fester still thinks we are a bunch of anoraks, or as she often calls us, ''overcoats''   

[DaveR]

Interesting post from Oscar's blog - do we agree?

It's a sad day in a way for yet another name we have been brought up with, "Burtons" starts it's goodbye from Mostyn Street, Montague Burton is still atop the building looking proud for a little longer, but not much longer I suspect, it's said that this will now become a Cafe Nero.
The old Gareth Hughes Gents wear Shop and what was kerridges China that was long since knocked into one to become a travel agent has now become a Red Cross charity shop.
Mostyn Estates have let another shop in St Georges Place to the RNLI ss a charity shop and of course work has commenced on what was the old Woolworth to transform it into a Sainsbury Local we are told, so who knows had they waited a little longer the Landlords may well have had a better tenant, the unit being opposite Sainsbury.
Llandudno has become a centre of excellence for people to be able to donate their old clothes and general tat in such a variety of charity shops, ever since Ball and Boyd closed the charities shops have flourished on their free labour and cheap business rates.
The Iconic Hooson's Corner is empty as Hoosons is now but a name from the past.
The old National Milk Bar, what was Sandbach and another shop that was a sports shop at one stage, again knocked into one only now to be empty, Lyons Toy shop empty.
Diskos, to Carlton Corner is akin to the outskirts of Manchester as you drive in.
If Tesco Express open up in the Clarence as per the application as they have done in other towns then no doubt there will be two more empty shops or at least two more to let on Gloddaeth Street.
Madoc Street is looking sadder by the month, Upper Mostyn Street has little unless you want to drink and participate in the night time economy.


The Old North Western, Railway station, Pier Pavilion, Heulfre gardens are nothing short of embarrassing to Wales never mind Llandudno.
The decline started in this area long before any recession, this goes back many years where the fruit has been picked off the tree with little regard to ever putting anything back into the ground, I would suggest that the serious decline started in the 80's and early 90's.
In short the council have put little or nothing back for more years than any one can remember, hotels and guest houses are of the main basic and offer poor value for money and little or no amenities.
The swimming pool I am told is often closed to the public or at best limited to how many lanes Joe Public can use, no cinema in town for wet evenings, families or people who don't know where Llandudno Junction is.
No indoor activities as such, what use is the tourism department, what do they do all day?
The Town Councillors with a collective age of a thousand years or so can not even organise Christmas Lights let alone Fireworks that work after the rain.
They still live on Alice in Wonderland yet can not even keep the only remaining attraction clear of sand on the west Shore, now to solve it they want to dump it into the boating pond that is it's self empty for months at a time!
What use has the ARSEmbly been since tourism has in the main come under their umbrella?
Is there any wonder private investment is so slow with the shower in charge, take the Quay in Conwy debacle and a proven developer who they let slip out of their hands.
There are a bunch of numpties on the whole who would be incapable of running a whelk stall on the quay in Conwy.
Never mind the Tories have a plan for Llandudno, put Haworth and Little Mike Williams up for election, one who never opens her guest house and one who has not worked for years.
At least Lyon and Boyle ran businesses successfully for many years, who knows who will be the councillors next time around for the town.
Conwy little better with Vaughan who will no doubt be promising it all again come next year.
Sad.

[Yorkie]

One of  the best articles for a long time on Oscar.  It is pretty obvious that this was written by a different person to the one who writes some of the usual drivel.       It is not difficult to notice the different writing styles, punctuation and spelling of at least 3 people who regularly write the Blog.