Special treatment

coolcait

A propos of nothing very much. But keeping it moneysaving

Can you get special treatment for free, or on the cheap, or does it always have to cost an arm and a leg?

My mum thinks that it costs. I think that it can be much less straightforward than that.

For example, mum's next door neighbour always seem to get whatever she wants from the Council. Mum can follow all the guidelines about getting rubbish removed from the street, and it takes the Council ages to remove it. If they ever do

Next door neighbour seems be able to make them jump whenever she snaps her fingers. Half the time it's her rubbish that gets uplifted . But, there the Council workers are - within about 5 minutes of next door neighbour announcing that she's called them.

Mum's convinced that next door neighbour is paying them.

I think that next door neighbour probably knows the right trigger phrases - like in the Incredibles, when Bob tells the little old lady which form to ask for. Or when someone threatens legal action, or something like that.

Free, but effective. And incredibly frustrating to those who follow the published rules, and get nowhere.

Still, if you want to be philosophical about it, that kind of special treatment usually means that someone, somewhere is selling their soul.

Anyway. Special treatment. Can you get it for free? How?

browneyedbazzi

It depends on what you're trying to get and who you are trying to get it from. In terms of getting something done by the council, sadly things often get resolved quicker if you moan to a politician rather than follow the 'correct' route to report the issue.

ska_lover

I agree with Bazzi.

The local authority owned flat, above my flat, was leaking water badly recently. The tenant only uses it for a benefits address - and doesn't actually live there. I took 2 days off work to try and sort it out,and neither day the council bothered to even turn up, or ring me back, despite me speaking to half a dozen people in different council depts. Their attitude was to put a bucket under the leak - and it infuriated me, as I said some of us have to go to work, not sit at home changing buckets every bloomin half hour

We ended up having to get the local MP involved. To sort out a basic maintenance issue. Altogether it took them 7 days to sort it out...

geoffky

I will let you into the secret.. It works..

http://www.fixmystreet.com/

coolcait

That's helpful, thank you.

So, it's about knowing how to get around the system?

For example, instead of going onto the Council website, and clicking on the link to tell them about the rubbish, you find an email address to someone who works there, and send it to them directly.

I guess that they then pass it on via some internal system - to get it out of their inbox :rotfl:- and it gets dealt with more quickly than other complaints.

I don't think I'll tell mum about that one! She's old enough to still believe in the concept of fair play.

coolcait

Let's expand things a little.

What if references to 'the Council' were allegorical?

How much would the advice change?

browneyedbazzi

Firstly, sending things directly to an individual at a council may work (if the individual is the helpful type and not on holiday) but it isn't a tactic I would rely on. Things generally move quicker if you get in touch with an elected member rather than an employee.

As for if the advice would be different if it was a different organisation involved - not really. Generally the most effective way of getting something sorted is to bring it to the attention of someone who has the power to act or the ability get others to act. With councils this is often elected members or the chief executive. In other organisations the best person may be the chief exec or another high profile/powerful person in the organisation.

Using social media (ie posting your complain on facebook/twitter) can also be very effective.

Gingernutty

Don't complain too often, mention vermin, give specific dates and times if something occurred, stick to the facts, leave emotion out of it, spell properly and use correct grammar.

Try to give them the impression that you are the sort of middle class, well educated people that know how to escalate things if you aren't satisfied.

Flytipping, noisy neighbours, antisocial behaviour, busted street light, collapsed drain or dog mess, every time I've complained about something around my way, the council has done something about it - eventually.

I wouldn't say it was within five minutes though.

Most councils have made some sort of pledge to respond to complaints within certain periods of time, so if it's a legitimate complaint, it will get sorted.

And, of course, if you've complained justifiably before, then they might give greater credence to you the next time.

Kind of like the opposite of 'crying wolf'.

coolcait

Thank you to everyone who has contributed. You've given some very helpful information.

I think I see the way forward here. Thank you.

Tiglath

geoffky wrote: »

I will let you into the secret.. It works..

http://www.fixmystreet.com/

I endorse that - our black wheelie bin was stolen and for 3 weeks I couldn't get the council to respond to phonecalls and a letter and acknowledge that we needed a replacement (in the meantime the bags were building up in the front garden). 24 hours after a post on there, and I got an email saying a new bin would be delivered the next day, and it was.

SmallL

My parents backdoor was sticking, the council took months to come out and 'plane' the stuck bit.
In the winter the gap was 3/4 inch and it took them a month again to finally replace the door. Imagine the draught!!

On the otherhand outside my house (not council owned) someone had fly tipped a sofa, i called them and they took it away the next morning.