Adam, my point is entirely true. Regardless of how good/bad an officer is & with 20 years and counting of Local Government experience, I can confidently say that there are many of both categories, an email from a Councillor immediately and naturally demands more attention than an email from, say, me.None of that says that there aren't good & dedicated officers, there are. My own experience of Hounslow is highly mixed in that area, right down to different members of the same team.You're right, Local Government can't choose its customers, but it can choose staff capable and motivated enough to deliver consistently good service, which doesn't always happen. Things are better now than they have been in the past, but there are still far too many staff who skate through on the bare minimum, knowing how very difficult it is for management to improve/remove them.Your later point that the main issue is capability, not politeness is fair enough, I'm genuinely amazed at how some of the staff I've worked alongside ever got appointed when they have what appears to be a negative skill set!
Mark Warburton ● 920d