Archive for the ‘Consumer matters’ Category
My new role at the communications regulator Ofcom
December 5th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
I am pleased to announce that, following an open selection process, the communications regulator Ofcom has appointed me as Chair of the Consumer Forum for Communications (CFC). I am not new to Ofcom – I was the Member for England on the Communications Consumer Panel for eight and half years – and I am not […]
Posted in Consumer matters, My life & thoughts | Comments (12)
The future of our post offices
October 18th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
I’ve been interested in post offices since 1978 when I became Research Officer at the Post Office Engineering Union (POEU) which later became the National Communications Union (NCU) and is now the Communication Workers Union (CWU). I spent 24 years as a trade union official before taking early retirement. This week, I chaired the Post […]
Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)
All companies need to listen to their customers
October 2nd, 2014 by Roger Darlington
For the past two and a half years, I have been the independent Chair of the Customer Challenge Group of South East Water, one of the 18 suppliers of water and sewerage services in England and Wales. Each of the companies has had such a group. Since these companies are local monopolies, they are are […]
Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)
How has market research changed in the age of social media?
September 24th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
Less than two weeks before the referendum on Scottish independence, there was a YouGov poll suggesting that the ‘yes’ vote was in the lead but the actual result was a 10 percentage point victory for the ‘no’ vote. So was the YouGove poll flawed? According to the pollster’s Chief Executive Stephan Shakespeare, the poll was […]
Posted in British current affairs, Consumer matters | Comments (0)
Good food news (1): the bioreactive bump
September 18th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
A recent United Nations food report estimates that 100 million tonnes of food is wasted every year globally, with British households throwing away 7 million tonnes. In value terms, the average UK family throws away food worth £700 each year. Studies suggest more than half the jettisoned food could have been eaten. But a solution […]
Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)
Good food news (2): the wonder of baobab
September 18th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
It has been proclaimed a superfood to rival quinoa, blueberries and kale. Its yellow-green, suede-soft pods contain a dry pulp that has more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more potassium than a banana, more magnesium than spinach, and more iron than red meat. What is it? Its called baobab. And where is […]
Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)
Are we there yet? Christmas, I mean.
July 23rd, 2014 by Roger Darlington
If you ever travel with little children, you’ll know that their most common refrain is: “Are we there yet?” Little ones struggle to understand time and distance. Well, it seems that they’re not the only ones. Today I received my first Christmas brochure. It was online and from Jessops. I wish those guys would look […]
Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)
My first experience of a webinar: talking about a water company’s prices and performance
June 6th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
Ever heard of a webinar? A webinar is an online event that is hosted by a company and broadcasts to individuals through their computers via the Internet. A webinar allows a presenter/speaker from the hosting company to share PowerPoint presentations (or other multimedia content) with audiences that can be located anywhere. A webinar also allows […]
Posted in Consumer matters, My life & thoughts | Comments (0)
Growing number of water customers find bills unfair or even unaffordable
May 8th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
The statuary consumer body for water and sewage services is CCWater and it commissions each year a survey of how customers feel about their services and their bills. The latest annual tracking research report from CCWater is published today and the key findings include: • One in five water customers say their water bill is […]
Posted in Consumer matters | Comments (0)
Do we really live in “this grumpy democracy where everyone has a voice”?
April 30th, 2014 by Roger Darlington
Recently, I was a speaker at a breakfast seminar organised by the Westbourne Communications agency in central London. The title of the session was “Stakeholder Challenge And Influence: Lessons For The Utilities Industry”. I was invited in my capacity as the Chair of the Customer Challenge Group at South East Water to talk about different […]
Posted in British current affairs, Consumer matters, Internet | Comments (0)