Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 16 of 17

Thread: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

  1. #1
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Looking down & checking on swearing
    Posts
    19,378
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked
    3,403 times in 2,693 posts

    Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    But I submitted my passport for renewal through the Post Office checking system on Monday, and have just received my shiny new passport today - five days later!
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    Been helped or just 'Like' a post? Use the Thanks button!
    My broadband speed - 750 Meganibbles/minute

  2. Received thanks from:

    Zak33 (27-09-2013)

  3. #2
    Gundam Infinite's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Southport
    Posts
    1,647
    Thanks
    150
    Thanked
    122 times in 93 posts
    • Infinite's system
      • Motherboard:
      • MSI GD80
      • CPU:
      • Intel i5 750
      • Memory:
      • Kingston 16GB
      • Storage:
      • 120GB OCZ Agility 3
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GTX 460 SLI
      • PSU:
      • Corsair HX 650W
      • Case:
      • Silverstone TJ09B-W
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Pro - 64-bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell S2309W
      • Internet:
      • Infinity

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    As expected.. so no one normally comments on how well a system works. Only Q_Q when things go wrong and next thing you hear is that everyone knows how slow/badly managed "x" is..

    Personally I've always thought that Gov services to the public were run fairly efficiently. Never had a bad experience renewing passports, applying for driving license, renewing tax disc, etc.

  4. #3
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Looking down & checking on swearing
    Posts
    19,378
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked
    3,403 times in 2,693 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Fair point, although things like Tax disks and driving licences I would expect to be automated, while a passport mioght have a few manual checks - although as a renewal, maybe not so much.

    There is a degree of expectation management on the form where they say that the minimum renewal time is three weeks - so anything under that is a bonus (or am I being a tad cynical?)
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    Been helped or just 'Like' a post? Use the Thanks button!
    My broadband speed - 750 Meganibbles/minute

  5. #4
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    20
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    3 times in 3 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Cynical is a good thing

    Was very impressed recently with the DBS(new name for CRB disclosures). Last time I had one done(2/3 years ago) it took about 2 months to come back, this time ... 4 days. Now if only they had awards for most improved goverment department, the DBS would get a vote from me.

  6. #5
    HEXUS.social member Agent's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Internet
    Posts
    19,168
    Thanks
    735
    Thanked
    1,607 times in 1,045 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    The thing is, you shouldn't be impressed. That's how the systems should work.

    The fact that you're impressed shows how disillusioned we've become with government services in general
    Quote Originally Posted by Saracen View Post
    And by trying to force me to like small pants, they've alienated me.

  7. #6
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Looking down & checking on swearing
    Posts
    19,378
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked
    3,403 times in 2,693 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Quote Originally Posted by Agent View Post
    The thing is, you shouldn't be impressed. That's how the systems should work.

    The fact that you're impressed shows how disillusioned we've become with government services in general
    True - but there is a clever bit of expectation management - the leaflets all said a minimum of three weeks, so of course I'd be pleased when it arrived sooner!
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    Been helped or just 'Like' a post? Use the Thanks button!
    My broadband speed - 750 Meganibbles/minute

  8. #7
    Registered+
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    20
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    3 times in 3 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    should being the operative word. I work in the NHS and very little that I've seen works as it should...and if i'm disillusioned on the inside of the system, I dread to think what the poor patients on the ward think of it from the outside

  9. #8
    ho! ho! ho! mofo santa claus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    2,898
    Thanks
    386
    Thanked
    446 times in 304 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    oh no, within a space of a few posts a good news story is turning on its head.

    I know public servants who have been 'enjoying' a pay freeze for several years, have had their pensions decimated, their workload increased due to cuts and the expectation upon them also increased in terms of the complexity of their work, and yet they still consider it their duty to serve to the best of their ability.

    Give 'em a break fellers. These are people who contribute to the backbone of our lifestyle and they are working, like others, under much duress in the current economic climate.

  10. #9
    DILLIGAF GoNz0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Derby
    Posts
    10,872
    Thanks
    632
    Thanked
    1,192 times in 945 posts
    • GoNz0's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus Rampage V Extreme
      • CPU:
      • i7 something X99 based
      • Memory:
      • 16gb GSkill
      • Storage:
      • 4 SSD's + WD Red
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GTX980 Strix WC
      • PSU:
      • Enermax Galaxy 1250 (9 years and counting)
      • Case:
      • Corsair 900D
      • Operating System:
      • win10 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 24"
      • Internet:
      • 220mb Cable

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    My Daughters 1st passport took 9 days, can't moan as it is out of season.

    Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack
    off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.

  11. #10
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Looking down & checking on swearing
    Posts
    19,378
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked
    3,403 times in 2,693 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Quote Originally Posted by santa claus View Post
    oh no, within a space of a few posts a good news story is turning on its head.

    I know public servants who have been 'enjoying' a pay freeze for several years, have had their pensions decimated, their workload increased due to cuts and the expectation upon them also increased in terms of the complexity of their work, and yet they still consider it their duty to serve to the best of their ability.

    Give 'em a break fellers. These are people who contribute to the backbone of our lifestyle and they are working, like others, under much duress in the current economic climate.
    Indeed - and it a sad reflection on the regard the Civil Service is held by many that there is a degree of cunicism.

    The Civil Service has become politicised by both sides of the political divide, which unfairly draws into question their political impartiality.

    However, elements of the Civil Service have also tended to destroy an image of professionalism by taking (in some cases, ill-considered) 'industrial action'.

    The Civil Service also bears the brunt of poor decision making by their political masters (again, on both sides of the political divide).

    The end result is that they get blamed from all sides because of the consequences of decisions outside their control.

    So yes, I was pleased to experience first hand an efficient process!
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    Been helped or just 'Like' a post? Use the Thanks button!
    My broadband speed - 750 Meganibbles/minute

  12. #11
    Seething Cauldron of Hatred TheAnimus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    17,164
    Thanks
    803
    Thanked
    2,152 times in 1,408 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Hang on a second.

    Your saying that it's good value? How much did that thing cost? You can get very hard to forge IDs commissioned with RFIDs and Holograms for £50 as one offs. They only take 48 hours to turn round.

    Last time I got my passport renewed, I needed it in a hurry to get a VISA so I used the same day service. I was told that I'd need my Birth Certificate and a whole bunch of other stuff that I collected some 400 mile round trip, to find I didn't need any of it. Even the photograph signed by someone I'd been told explicitly when I made my appointment I'd need. I didn't. I had only lived in London 18 months, so it was quite the effort to get a professional who had known me for 7 years.

    I mean, sure they did it, and for a government department it was good.

    But for any private company it was horrifically slow, inaccurate, expensive and a waste of my time.
    throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)

  13. #12
    Now with added sobriety Rave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    SE London
    Posts
    9,948
    Thanks
    501
    Thanked
    399 times in 255 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Quote Originally Posted by peterb View Post
    But I submitted my passport for renewal through the Post Office checking system on Monday, and have just received my shiny new passport today - five days later!
    So they managed to print you out a crappy little book with your picture in and post it to you in five days, and only charged you 80-odd quid for the privilege.

    There's me thinking it's a ludicrous rip-off, and I turn out to be completely wrong. If that's how good government services have got now, I say NATIONALISE EVERYTHING!!

  14. #13
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Looking down & checking on swearing
    Posts
    19,378
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked
    3,403 times in 2,693 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Quote Originally Posted by Rave View Post
    So they managed to print you out a crappy little book with your picture in and post it to you in five days, and only charged you 80-odd quid for the privilege.

    There's me thinking it's a ludicrous rip-off, and I turn out to be completely wrong. If that's how good government services have got now, I say NATIONALISE EVERYTHING!!
    Ah, but you are forgetting all the background checks, and cross checking other records. Of course, for a fine upstanding citizen like myself, that would be minimal, but then I'm probably subsidising the checks on less 'desirable' characters. And there is all that biometric infrastructure to pay for - so it isn't just the cost of the book.

    And all for just 60p/month or just 2p a day!
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

    Been helped or just 'Like' a post? Use the Thanks button!
    My broadband speed - 750 Meganibbles/minute

  15. #14
    ho! ho! ho! mofo santa claus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    2,898
    Thanks
    386
    Thanked
    446 times in 304 posts

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    Quote Originally Posted by peterb View Post
    Ah, but you are forgetting all the background checks, and cross checking other records. Of course, for a fine upstanding citizen like myself, that would be minimal, but then I'm probably subsidising the checks on less 'desirable' characters. And there is all that biometric infrastructure to pay for - so it isn't just the cost of the book.

    And all for just 60p/month or just 2p a day!
    Precisely. It's an important and much desired document although the odd undesirable apparently does manage to get their grubby little hands on one.

  16. #15
    Account closed at user request
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Elephant watch camp
    Posts
    2,150
    Thanks
    56
    Thanked
    115 times in 103 posts
    • wasabi's system
      • Motherboard:
      • MSI B85M-G43
      • CPU:
      • i3-4130
      • Memory:
      • 8 gig DDR3 Crucial Rendition 1333 - cheap!
      • Storage:
      • 128 gig Agility 3, 240GB Corsair Force 3
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Zotac GTX 750Ti
      • PSU:
      • Silver Power SP-S460FL
      • Case:
      • Lian Li T60 testbanch
      • Operating System:
      • Win7 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • First F301GD Live
      • Internet:
      • Virgin cable 100 meg

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    3180 staff. Quite a lot of them. Trouble is most are probably working hard but in an unbelievably bureaucratic manner.

    And they're only hitting 85% of regular passports on time (10 days)

    https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...bp_v25_WEB.pdf

  17. #16
    Not a good person scaryjim's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Gateshead
    Posts
    15,196
    Thanks
    1,230
    Thanked
    2,291 times in 1,874 posts
    • scaryjim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Dell Inspiron
      • CPU:
      • Core i5 8250U
      • Memory:
      • 2x 4GB DDR4 2666
      • Storage:
      • 128GB M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Radeon R5 230
      • PSU:
      • Battery/Dell brick
      • Case:
      • Dell Inspiron 5570
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 10
      • Monitor(s):
      • 15" 1080p laptop panel

    Re: Not often I'm impressed by a Government department...

    3180 staff. Issuing 5.5million passports a year, plus other documentation.

    That's over 15,000 passports a day, on average. But since most people are idiots, I expect over the summer they're dealing with twice that, maybe more, at times.

    They're hitting 99% of passports on time, as the official turn around is 3 weeks. 10 days is an internal target, and the document clearly states that they missed that due to very high volumes over the summer. If the general populace were a little more organised and got their new passports sorted in advance, I imagine they'd be a lot closer to that 10 day target.

    The big problem with working in the public sector is that no matter how well you do that job, most people will only ever consider it good enough. So you never get any thanks for doing your job - you only get kicked in the teeth when something goes wrong.

  18. Received thanks from:

    Agent (30-09-2013),peterb (30-09-2013),santa claus (30-09-2013)

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •