Datalite UK Limited - List of Datalite Articles

The Sheer Hell of Telephone Call Centre Voicemail Telephone Call Centres and their horrendous

voicemail systems can often provide the ultimate in bad customer service experience. Just about everyone has experienced the sheer hell of telephoning a call centre. The endless voicemail mantra of ‘your custom is important to us’, the torturous piped music, the waste of time, and to rub salt in the wound invariably having to pay money for this nightmare. For many companies and organisations their voicemail is nothing short of a public relations disaster, and some of the worst examples can be found in the telecommunications business and government organisations. This article examines the current call centre vogue and questions why it is used in the first place.

Why eBay Has Become a Hostile Sellers Environment Great bargains can be found

for buyers on eBay, and this famous online auction facility in the past provided a reasonable deal for sellers as well. eBay can tap into a host of targeted potential buyers for niche markets. However, over recent years eBay has consistently adversely amended its policy for sellers resulting in ever changing goal posts. This has included hiking fees and altering a well established and balanced feedback system to one which assumes that buyers can only ever be positively viewed no matter how unreasonable they are! This article examines eBay’s recent policy shift and examines whether this has resulted in a hostile environment for sellers.

HEALTH & SAFETY - Is Perspex Plastic Really a Better Choice than Glass? The United Kingdom currently

appears risk averse and obsessed with Health and Safety issues. Indeed this can be taken to extremes, and has led to over zealous interpretation with the banning of such innocuous items and activities such as hanging baskets, pantomime shows throwing sweets to children, conker competitions. When it comes to purchasing picture frames, many organisations particularly those linked with government demand the more expensive and environmentally unfriendly plastic safety glass over traditional glass. This article examines whether plastic glass really is a safer option than traditional glass.

Is The UK's TV LIcensing Agency Just Plain Evil? Some organisations are inefficient, some are over

bureaucratic, but in the United Kingdom the TV Licensing is concluded to be just plain evil. This agency assumes every address is using a television and if their records shows there is no TV harasses potentially innocent persons to the point of using language that treats them as criminals without checking their facts first. The UK is rather unique in having a compulsory television license . This is to fund the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) whether watched or not. The TV Licensing Agency is tasked to collect the fee, but as Datalite UK Ltd discovered they assume every business has a TV, and treats does that don't as criminals!

British Telecom – With Its Pathetic Customer Service Is This The Worst Company in the UK?

British Telecom Telephone Horror Customer Service

Datalite UK Ltd commissioned British Telecom to provide a communications package of Telephone and Broadband Internet in early 2009. The year that followed saw a horrendous catalogue of problems exasperated by unbelievably poor customer service. These experiences are passed on to other potential business BT customers; with the overall message AVOID BT LIKE THE PLAGUE! BT is a communications company with a unenviable reputation of providing the worst customer service in the United Kingdom, winning numerous 'wooden spoon awards'. Following Datalite's experience the conclusion was reached that with their rubbish customer service BT should really be called British TeleCON!

5 Business Tips to Survive Royal Mail's Latest Postal Strike Here we go again! The Royal Mail embarks on

yet another suicidal post strike in Autumn 2009, and again on a lead up to Christmas. The last strike resulted in a permanent loss of many customers to Royal Mail as well as a massive business disruption, in some cases with catastrophic consequences. The latest strike will result in more of the same, it is a remarkable case of self defeating destruction. Datalite UK Ltd in a previous article on the UK Post Strike of Autumn 2007 passed on some of its coping experiences. This article provides further lessons learnt and an update on business tips to survive a major mail strike.

Why Did British Gas Threaten and Harassed A Business For Payment Of A Non-Existent Gas Supply?
Moving a business to a new location can be a stressful scenario at the best of times. However Datalite UK Ltd was astonished to discover how much time and frustration is spent on dealing with organisations such as British Gas. An extraordinary saga experienced revealed British Gas bullying tactics, ridiculous invoices loaded with charges to almost a £1000, and incredible mindless bureaucracy. All this despite not being a customer of British Gas, and the premises not having any gas appliances, gas supply, or even a gas meter!

Is Global Warming Climate Change The Ultimate Con? Climate change has existed during the Earth's history without any influence of man whatsoever, and was around long before even the existence of life itself. Indeed mankind owes its very existence directly to the Earth’s episodes of Climate Change. The science supporting the postulation that manmade CO2 emissions will lead to global warming and hence disastrous climate change is not as indisputable as government and other authorities would have you believe. It is quite possible that mankind is being conned into a philosophy that may well be a waste of time, money, resources, and the possibility of doing more harm than good. Is this the ultimate con?

How To Cope With The VAT 'Nightmare Before Christmas' The UK current government strikes

Gold Man Escaping VAT Tax Bureaucracy Paperwork

again with a bureaucratic nightmare scenario. The recently announced VAT rate reduction couldn’t have come at a worst time for UK VAT registered businesses, the benefits in the short term are negligible, but set during the peak pre-Christmas business activity an unacceptable administrative burden is virtually guaranteed. The last main VAT rate change was way back in 1991, and many systems, routines, and computer programs have been set at 17.5 percent with little experience on the practicalities of changing the VAT rate. Datalite UK Ltd passes on some thoughts and suggestions on how businesses can cope.

Who Is The Biggest Enemy Of UK Businesses? The United Kingdom over the past decade has been an

UK Business - London Scene Big Ben and Red Telephone Box

extremely hostile environment for businesses, especially the smaller concerns. Numerous government initiatives have added ever increasing layers of bureaucracy, additional costs, and inefficient time wasting requirements. All this is underpinned by ridiculous levels of legislated Political Correct ideology that adversely affect a UK business to efficiently operate or even to employ suitable staff. This article provides an overview of the resultant problems, with some solutions, and a bleak conclusion that if the UK government continues with its current policies and politically correct ideology the country itself is heading to bankruptcy.

What Happened On The Day You Were Born? People may come across as only being concerned abo

ut others with little regard for self, but in the final analysis with precious few exceptions, the vast majority have a natural interest in their own origin. If a question is posed to most individuals 'What Happened On The Day You Were Born?" it is a fair bet the response will not extend much past "Well I Was Born Of Course?". True, but there was also a myriad of news events happening at that moment, fashions and music in vogue, sporting events and a whole world that was the effective and unique stage of an individual's entry to the world. This article explores the natural interest in this all important individual event and provides useful resources for further research.

Is The Customer Always Right? An old adage is ‘the customer is always right’. In most cases this is a sound

principle for a business to adopt, but customers cannot always be right and extremely bad and obnoxious clients not only waste much time and money, but can be bad for future business and put off existing valued customers. It is useful to remember that business owners can ultimately choose their customers. The key is drawing a line between offering excellent customer service for a reasonable complaint from a reasonable person, to not wasting an undue amount of time, money, and effort on the patently unreasonable. This article explores the provision of customer service and aims to establish where this line may be drawn.

Despatching Fragile Products – Tips From A Picture Frame Supplier - No successful business likes to take the flak, expense, and possible loss of a customer, due to the failings of another business. Such a scenario can present itself for any business delivering products via mail. Ultimately success and reputation is very much dependant on the efficiency of the transit company employed. Frames Online UK despatches picture frame products containing inherently fragile glass; tips and experiences are provided on protecting and despatching fragile products and provision of sound customer service following reported breakages.

Why Is UK Tax So Taxing? - Another article starring the United Kingdom's tax collecting bureaucracy HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC formerly Inland Revenue). There is so much material available with this out of control department, a massive preening had to be done to keep this article down to a reasonable length. Serious questions are asked of a department that appears to treat taxpayers as criminals, including unreasonable threatening, bullying, and harassment tactics. Bizarrely the current UK government appears to have an agenda to penalise and if possible criminalise as much of the hard working tax paying population as possible; whilst rewarding shirkers, illegal migrants, criminals, select politically correct 'minorities', the feckless, and long term welfare claimants.

Should Our Countryside Be Regarded As An Economic Resource Or As Natural History? - This essay was written in the mid 1980s by the Managing Director of Datalite UK Ltd, John D Henry BA BSc whilst he was serving in the Royal Navy. This work won a national Royal Navy essay competition. With the current focus on Carbon Dioxide emissions (CO2) a flawed priority in the author's view; it is interesting to compare what was of eco concern several decades ago to the current vogue of focusing on CO2 emissions.

The Grinding Square Wheels of Bureaucracy - What is it with the United Kingdom at the moment? It currently provides numerous examples of what can and does go wrong in modern western 'democracies' at their worst. This article contrasts the differing philosophies of the private business world in contrast to the taxpayer funded public sector. The latter not being equipped with a simple measure such as profit, can grow uncontrollably to the point of achieving the exact opposite of their original intention. The United Kingdom's HM Revenue and Customs tax collection department provides numerous examples of an out of control bureaucracy.

Mail Order Business - How To Cope With A Postal Strike - The Autumn of 2007 saw a serious of National Postal strikes in the United Kingdom. Datalite UK Ltd in common with many other businesses with a mail order element had to survive. Strategies, experiences, and tips are shared. One of the prime lessons learnt was the simple adage 'don't put all your eggs in one basket'. Businesses whom concentrated on a business model of primarily providing a Mail Order Service were particularly vulnerable during the post office strike.

Personalised Gift Products - A Novel Niche Business Concept - Datalite produces a number of personalised framed certificates including the ever popular 'The Day You Were Born', 'Our Wedding Day', 'Baby Certificates' and many others. This article includes a brief history and excursion into the novel gift concept.

Picture Frame Supplier 'Dips Toe' in Wholesale Market - Datalite UK Ltd under its Frames Online UK branding developed a popular and loyal customer base with its supply of smaller quantities of picture frames. This article explores the decision and mechanics of its expansion into the wholesale trade marked.