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Southern Water -Foot in mouth.
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duchy
Posts: 19,511 Forumite
Nice of Southern Water to send me out a racist this morning :mad:
We got a letter from them asking to visit to survey for a water meter. No problem with that - we've had one before and would prefer to be metered as we aren't high users.
Today the bloke arrives, first thing he says is that he bets I don't know where the stopcock is ...Er yes actually I do thanks. He then tells me we can't have a meter (well we never asked for one it was Southern Water who insisted we have one so no biggie). I was already annoyed by his attitude - I doubt he would have said to my OH that he wouldn't know where the stopcock was located.
He explained why we couldn't -which was down to location and how there wasn't room and it had to be in line and went on to say the meter needed to be directly next to it otherwise people did something dodgy to mess with the readings.He went on to illustrate his point by telling me how he'd visited a Polish bloke who when told there wasn't room for the meter (like mine) has (quite reasonably in my view) asked why a piece of piping couldn't be run so the meter could be installed. He told me that of course this Polish bloke was trying it on as he was obviously going to fiddle the readings !
I asked him whether the bloke's nationality had anything to do with it or was he implying all Polish people were on the fiddle - His reply "Yes they are" I pointed out that the bloke's nationality had nothing to do with it -and that although I don't sound it (I sound pure London)I'm part Polish and I 'd like him to leave. He then argued that he had to finish his survey and wouldn't go. I told him he was leaving (I was really calm ) and he then said he wasn't been rude but that the bloke was Polish. I replied the nationality was irrelevant to his anecdote - His reply "But he was Polish" . He just didn't get it
Arghhh Sexist and racist - where do they find these people and why don't they give them a bit of training in simple concepts like avoiding making sexist and racist comments to customers in their own homes !!!
My grandparents emigrated to Britain from Poland over a hundred years ago to avoid persecution- they started their own business and all their kids grew up to be working tax payers (and served in the forces in the war) but had to deal with racism and bigotry at one time or another Apparently for Southern Water absolutely nothing has changed since their day. Ugh !
We got a letter from them asking to visit to survey for a water meter. No problem with that - we've had one before and would prefer to be metered as we aren't high users.
Today the bloke arrives, first thing he says is that he bets I don't know where the stopcock is ...Er yes actually I do thanks. He then tells me we can't have a meter (well we never asked for one it was Southern Water who insisted we have one so no biggie). I was already annoyed by his attitude - I doubt he would have said to my OH that he wouldn't know where the stopcock was located.
He explained why we couldn't -which was down to location and how there wasn't room and it had to be in line and went on to say the meter needed to be directly next to it otherwise people did something dodgy to mess with the readings.He went on to illustrate his point by telling me how he'd visited a Polish bloke who when told there wasn't room for the meter (like mine) has (quite reasonably in my view) asked why a piece of piping couldn't be run so the meter could be installed. He told me that of course this Polish bloke was trying it on as he was obviously going to fiddle the readings !
I asked him whether the bloke's nationality had anything to do with it or was he implying all Polish people were on the fiddle - His reply "Yes they are" I pointed out that the bloke's nationality had nothing to do with it -and that although I don't sound it (I sound pure London)I'm part Polish and I 'd like him to leave. He then argued that he had to finish his survey and wouldn't go. I told him he was leaving (I was really calm ) and he then said he wasn't been rude but that the bloke was Polish. I replied the nationality was irrelevant to his anecdote - His reply "But he was Polish" . He just didn't get it
Arghhh Sexist and racist - where do they find these people and why don't they give them a bit of training in simple concepts like avoiding making sexist and racist comments to customers in their own homes !!!
My grandparents emigrated to Britain from Poland over a hundred years ago to avoid persecution- they started their own business and all their kids grew up to be working tax payers (and served in the forces in the war) but had to deal with racism and bigotry at one time or another Apparently for Southern Water absolutely nothing has changed since their day. Ugh !
I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole
MSE Florida wedding .....no problem
MSE Florida wedding .....no problem
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Comments
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Fiddling utilities readings is rife in Poland, they're experts at it.0
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The only people I know for sure fiddled their meters were British born and bred.I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole
MSE Florida wedding .....no problem0 -
My grandparents emigrated to Britain from Poland over a hundred years ago to avoid persecution- they started their own business and all their kids grew up to be working tax payers (and served in the forces in the war) but had to deal with racism and bigotry at one time or another Apparently for Southern Water absolutely nothing has changed since their day. Ugh !
Non-working people also pay taxes too.0 -
I Would Rather Climb A Mountain Than Crawl Into A Hole
MSE Florida wedding .....no problem0 -
and saving our country....I am a cow so cannot speak Bullshine but I do recognise its smell when I come upon it.0
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These installers are contractors, not actually employed by the water companies and they're not properly trained in customer service.0
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Well done for throwing him out.
As an aside regarding your potential meter - I was told the same thing by the water company. I got them out again and this time I insisted they look for the access cover outside on the pavement. This had actually been covered by previous roadworks which the water chap wasn't impressed with...
Anyway 2 days later I had a new inspection point which could, if I want, be converted to a meter outside the property. So no need for me to spend money on converting my pipes inside the house to put in a meter.0 -
Not so long ago chap came to check our meter. I was out the front gardening, hubby was in kitchen, cooking.
He asked for my husband to show him where the meter was. I ignored this. He then mentioned that he shouldn't be in the kitchen cooking it should be me.
It was met with- 'why? He is a head chef who has won awards for his cooking. Why should I be in there?' He had no answer.
I indicated the meter in silence by pointing. Walked off. Blanked him when he had finished. Bloody idiot.
OP is totally correct about them needing some customer training....0 -
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It's not racist. Xenophobic perhaps, but not racist.0
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