See Dear Tesco
Because they started work at 7.30 this morning (according to Jimmy) and because their drill was going at 13:45, I replied:
Dear Steven Phillips
This is still a wholly inadequate reply.
Firstly, I am not a 'customer'; I am writing as someone who has had the anti-social behaviour of Tesco imposed on me irrespective of choice. So please do not patronise me by calling me a 'customer'.
Secondly, the paragraph "When an Enforcement Officer agrees to undertake enquiries on behalf of one of our customers, we are unable to make direct comment to that customer until we are informed that all investigations have been concluded. No customer details are released until that time " is a complete abrogation of responsibility. Please do not try and pretend that some part of the Data Protection Act means you are unable to respond to my complaint. As you are no doubt aware, Local Authority Noise Enforcement sections are inundated with requests for help, especially in hot weather such as we have been having lately.
Thirdly, irrespective of whether or not my local authority are taking enforcement action, the fact remains that as I write, Saturday 13:45, your contractors are acting illegally in continuing their building work to the extent that it is encroaching on my right to enjoy the peace of my home. Previously, Tesco may have pleaded ignorance; I have now drawn it to your attention twice - this is the third time - and I do not believe there is any defence in law to continuing illegal acts having been notified that they are illegal.
As it is clear that Tesco have no intention of acting in a considerate way to neighbours, I feel that I am left with a choice of options. One is to consult my solicitor, which I shall do on Monday afternoon unless I receive a sensible reply to my correspondence. The second is to organise a leafletting campaign, including a picket of the store on Friday, its opening day, which I am perfectly capable of doing. Thirdly is merely to alert the local and national media to the sheer contempt in which Tesco holds ordinary people.
Finally, you have not acknowledged my request to meet with your store manager to discuss issues regarding the safety and enjoyment of my home. These issues include noise and parking: I am very concerned that Tesco customers will park in a way that will block access - including emergency access - to my house and that of my immediate neighbours. Your corporate silence on this matter will be included in any press release I write for the media.
I look forward to a constructive reply. In the meantime, I shall copy this to the local residents associations.
Yours sincerely
Gert Blog
I sent this at 13:58.
At 14:10 I got a reply:
still no Dear Gert...how rude: dragged up, not brought up
Thank you for your email.
Please accept my apologies for any offence caused by my initial response as this was certainly not our intention. However, we understand that you have taken the matter up with your Local Authority Enforcement Officer.
When an Enforcement Officer agrees to undertake enquiries on behalf of one of our customers, we are unable to make direct comment to that customer until we are informed that all investigations have been concluded. No customer details are released until that time.
As soon as we receive confirmation that the matter has been finalised, we will contact you again. Until this occurs, I am unable to comment on your complaint.
Thank you for your time.
If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] quoting TESXXXXXXX
Kind Regards
Steven Phillips
Tesco Customer Service
Naturally, I replied:
Dear Steven Phillips y'see, I was brought up to treat people with respect...
This is (almost) a copy and paste of your previous email and does nothing to explain why your contractors are continuing to work illegally at 14:23
Yours sincerely
Get Blog
He replied
Thank you for your reply.
As stated previously, when an Enforcement Officer agrees to undertake enquiries on behalf of one of our customers, we are unable to make direct comment to that customer until we are informed that all investigations have been concluded. No customer details are released until that time. Unfortuantely, I am therefore unable to assist you further at this time.
As soon as we receive confirmation that the matter has been finalised, we will contact you again.
Thank you for your time.
If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] quoting TESXXXXXXXX
Kind Regards
Steven Phillips
Tesco Customer Service
I suddenly noticed the standard disclaimer at the bottom of the email "The views expressed in this email are those of the sender and not Tesco. "
Let's just say I redrafted a few times before deciding to omit a sarcastic reference to Steven Phillips being pigshit thick and ignorant and angrily hoping his next-door neighbours have a hiphop party that lasts from when he knocks off this evening throughout the night, into tomorrow and all through tomorrow night, then he would not be so quick to dismiss and ignore me.
Instead, I wrote:
Dear Steven Phillips
Yesterday I was contacted by the Lambeth Noise Pollution officer who enquired as to the situation with your store. I said that - following loud hammering and drilling after midnight on Monday/Tuesday I had not been aware of out-of-hours work for the remainder of the week, but that may have been because I had the radio on fairly loud most evenings. We agreed that we would see what happened this weekend, and if I were disturbed, I should contact him next week.
Therefore, we can conclude that my previous complaint is technically closed and I am making a new complaint that at almost four o'clock the use of heavy machinery from your site is audible from my house, over a stereo playing Wagner* loud. I expect a constructive reply to this email, including an admission that Tesco do not believe the law applies to them. If I do not get a response I shall write to the Managing Director of your company, highlighting your increasingly rude and contemptuous attempts to fob me off.
Yours sincerely
Gert Blog
16:04
Thank you for your reply.
Whilst I appreciate your position, when an Enforcement Officer agrees to undertake enquiries on behalf of one of our customers, we are unable to make direct comment to that customer until we are informed by the Enforcement Officer concerned that all investigations have been concluded.
As soon as we receive confirmation from the Enforcement Officer that the matter has been finalised, we will contact you again.
Thank you for your time.
If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] quoting TEXXXXXXXX.
Kind Regards
Steven Phillips
Tesco Customer Service
16:24
Dear Steven
Unless I receive a substantive reply before 16.55 to the effect that the builders, working illegally, are being pulled off site until 8 am Monday, I am copying my correspondence, with an executive summary to the media
Yours sincerely
Gert Blog
Dear Steven
Incidentally, I assume that all your foreign workers have work permits or Leave To Remain, and are working within Health and Safety laws, including the Working Time Directorate? I shall be contacting the Immigration Service on Monday to determine whether they are interested in verifying this fact.
Gert Blog
16:42
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately, as advised previously, I am unable to respond to your complaint until we are contacted by the Enforcement Officer concerned to inform us that all investigations have been concluded. No customer details are released until that time.
As soon as we receive confirmation that the matter has been finalised, we will contact you again.
Thank you for your time.
If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] quoting TESXXXXXXXXXX
Kind Regards
Steven Phillips
Tesco Customer Service
Sadly, the South London Press newsdesk is not answering its phone. I'm sure it will on Monday. By which time I will have emailed them "Tesco's illegal working shows contempt for locals"....
* OT a new and very nice Parsifal that arrived yesterday....
