This afternoon I was locked out of the online account for my credit card (a very well-known name) and saw a message asking me to call.

It’s an 0844 number which costs at least 8p per minute from a BT landline. Recently the card company introduced a new voice system that takes even longer than ever. It begins with a ponderous promo message for the website before you can actually get anywhere. (more…)

The Local Government Association has compiled a list of words and phrases which council staff should avoid if they are to communicate effectively. Here is the full list:
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When Lisa Ferguson changed her supplier, British Gas continued to send her bills. These were followed by letters threatening to cut off her supply, start legal proceedings and report her to credit reference agencies.

She wrote to the British Gas chairman and the watchdog Energywatch, but still the letters and bills continued. So she decided to turn the tables on British Gas and take them to court for for unlawful harassment, claiming damages for distress and anxiety and financial loss. (more…)

The experience of uncovering the widely misreported crowd figures at the Manchester Pride parade has given me a healthy scepticism towards anything I read in the press.

A popular theme in the news these days is that the BBC is short of cash. But this is never put into a historical context. It seems that journalists are either too lazy or over-worked to look into it in any depth. So I decided to find out for myself… (more…)