Readers’ letters

C High St demise

Dear Ed, – I must write and convey my experience of service within independent high street stores.

I was a great believer in rejuvenating our High Streets and small business, and not least because I run a few business ventures myself both customer facing and web-based.

I must, however, remind “small business” that the customer is “King” and with the only too real threats from the ever expanding supermarkets this is something that should be ever present in the minds of the small business owner.

Prior to Christmas I purchased items from the high street. Upon opening the items at home I noticed they were damaged, and returned them for exchange.

This was done with courteous manner. The items I received, I used the next day, in an undemanding environment and without expectation of failure. This was not the case, the items failed and so I returned them.

The reception I received from the retailer was unpleasant and quite unwelcome, raised voices and name calling are not a way to undertake business with customers.

I promptly visited a supermarket, bought similar items at a similar cost and have used the items constantly since Christmas, with no failure in any sense.

I will now be more reluctant to use High Street traders, I am sorry to say. I have heard from a number of professional people who are in a similar frame of mind. The High Street is, in my mind, causing its own demise if this treatment of customers is a standard which is deemed acceptable. - Yours etc.,

NAME SUPPLIED,

Lanark.

A man for all times

Dear Ed, – How topical can you get? This verse written in 1786 says it all. Robert Burns, like Shakespeare, is a man for all times.

Nothing Changes

I’m now arrived – thanks to the gods!

Thro’ pathways rough and muddy,

A certain sign that makin’ roads

Is no this people’s study:

Altho’ I’m not wi’ Scripture cram’d,

I’m sure the Bible says

That heedless sinners shall be damm’d;

Unless they mend their ways.

I hope readers enjoy it. - Yours etc.,

MARGARET YOUNG,

6 Castle Yett,

Biggar.

Looking for fair fuel

Dear Ed, - There can now be very few people in the UK still unaware of the record price being charged for fuel at the pumps and it won’t be long before we all feel the effects.

But one group being particularly hard hit right now are UK hauliers. The road freight industry is the sixth largest employer in the UK and really IS the industry on which the rest of the economy, particularly the manufacturing sector, is almost totally dependent.

Food distribution is another sector on which we all rely; we all expect to see fresh bread and milk on supermarket shelves but how many of us actually stop to think how it actually got there?

Who would ever have envisaged the day when a loaf of fresh bread became a luxury item? If prices continue to rise it could soon become a reality.

It’s time that something was done. To that end, the two organisations that look after the interests of British hauliers have decided, in an unprecedented move, to put up a united front and are both firmly behind the campaign FairFuelUK.

Between them, they represent thousands of UK hauliers.

But the time has come when the fuel price situation is now so serious that all users of fuel, especially the general motorist, now have common cause with us.

To make a real difference we need ALL fuel users to join our campaign. There is another fuel duty increase planned for April but we can stop that happening.

We will not take part in or support disruptive action as that would simply demean our industry, country and hurt the general public.

But we need to do something before it’s too late. It CAN be achieved, but only with YOUR support. Sign the petition at www.FairFuelUK.com. - Yours etc.,

G DUNNING,

Chief Executive,

Road Haulage Association.

T DE PENCIER,

Chief Executive,

Freight Transport Association.

Hard to manoeuvre

Dear Ed, – I’m writing to comment on how difficult life is for mobility scooter drivers. The ice and snow was bad for all pavement users but we have extra hazards to cope with.

On occasion we cannot get off and on the pavement easily as there are no lowered slabs but the other day there was another complication: the pavement had been dug up and cordoned off with no means of getting on to the section coned off for pedestrians.

There were no workmen to be seen and an alternative route was difficult. Other hazards include buckets dumped on pavements and cars with bumpers encroaching on to the pavement.

There are so many scooters now that perhaps a little thought should be given to the use they can make of the pavement and also ease of access?

Sometimes we are accused of speeding but this is not possible on the pavements as they are so bad.- Yours etc.,

CAROLA CRAISE,

Mercat Loan,

Biggar.