Hard to explain how bad economic crisis is, says Cable

wotsthat

ILW wrote: »

It was incredibly ineficient.
The service was terrible.
It took 6 weeks to get a phoen installed (if you were lucky)
Their services cost a fortune.
They were losing a fortune (if the subsidy was taken out)
etc etc

...and some people called it selling off the family silver!

At least we kept the Post Office - the jewel in the crown.

ILW

I do believe it was a bad move to sell of gas, water and electricity though, as they are effectively monopolies.

Thrugelmir

ILW wrote: »

It was incredibly ineficient.
The service was terrible.
It took 6 weeks to get a phoen installed (if you were lucky)
Their services cost a fortune.
They were losing a fortune (if the subsidy was taken out)
etc etc

When my mobile was stolen. Vodaphone took 6 days to place a block on it despite it being reported within 3 hours. During the 6 days a bill of £779 was run up. It took me 10 weeks for Vodaphone to agree to cancel these charges.

This along with other experiences. Such as dealing on a corporate level with American Express. Indicates that the overall customer service of many of the Uk's major companies is a shadow of what it was.

Seems if we are going backwards rather than forwards. As profit is the main driver with scant regard for the value of individual customers. Globalisation of business at its worst.

ninky_2

ILW wrote: »

It was incredibly ineficient.
The service was terrible.
It took 6 weeks to get a phoen installed (if you were lucky)
Their services cost a fortune.
They were losing a fortune (if the subsidy was taken out)
etc etc

a bit like the railways now then? the public purse still has to step in with subsidies and rescue packages (railtrack).

when it is in the public interest for a company to remain solvent to such an extent the government will bail them out of difficulties i can't see there is any increased motivation for them to be better run than if they were a nationally owned company. what we are left with is the responsibility without the control. we're guarantors on the mortgage without owning the house.

sabretoothtigger

wotsthat wrote: »

...and some people called it selling off the family silver!

At least we kept the Post Office - the jewel in the crown.

How many times has Royal mail raised their prices. They are a monopoly that extracts money from society like a tax.

ILW wrote: »

I do believe it was a bad move to sell of gas, water and electricity though, as they are effectively monopolies.

Windfall taxes have been paid by utilities before now. Theres no benefit to making them part of government

i can't see there is any increased motivation for them to be better run than if they were a nationally owned company.

The incentive is their investment, if its run efficently it should make a greater profit. The ticket prices are regulated which puts more pressure on the company to cut costs wherever they can.

If it were part of government there would not be that two sided negotiation just one political dept asking another for more money all the time

Seems if we are going backwards rather than forwards. As profit is the main driver with scant regard for the value of individual customers. Globalisation of business at its worst.

You can choose whichever mobile company you like. If we had one government dept, they would not run things better.
Ask anyone from the early eighties how easy it was to get BT to install a new phone line, compare it to now and its flawless

Joe_Bloggs

@Wardwarkowner you said in response to my post:-

I think you need to look up the word 'contributed' monkey.

Can you clarify the message that I should have taken on-board from this ?
J_B.

ILW

BT is a good example of a successful privatisation, not all were as clear cut though.

worldtraveller

Good old Vince seems to be at it again, saying it how it is!

“We really haven't engaged with the real depths and seriousness of the financial crash. You've got bits and pieces of regulation being put in place, but it's very piecemeal. The structure of banks are being addressed in the UK but nowhere else.”

Asked whether another huge bomb could soon go off, he replied: “It’s not imminent. But you can see this happening."

The Independent