You know – that sort of polite conversational stuff before the killer request. Oh no.

He was straight in there:

‘Ere. I Wanna tell you  story (that’s my Max Bygraves impersonation, by the way…)Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.This is a story about a massive telephone billing cock-up, distressed and angry deafies (myself included), Twitter power and – oh the irony – the utter failure of a telecommunications company to communicate effectively.

On Monday I got an email from my new telecomms provider Plusnet, notifying me of money to be taken from my account. I was utterly stunned by additional call charges: £47.42 for three calls. Obviously, I called them to query it. They said these were correct as my bill breakdown listed three calls with two stars after them which meant they were reverse charge or ‘operator assisted’ – neither of which I had made.

I asked them how to complain as something was surely wrong – wasn’t it? They told me to fill in a form on the website, which I duly did and they responded by saying the call charges were for my text relay calls. This is the service that allows deaf/hard of hearing people to use the telephone thanks to an operator text service. There is  no additional cost for the use of this service – but Plusnet said this had now changed due to: ‘BT Wholesale changing the way that these calls are charged. Therefore all phone providers working through BT Wholesale (which is the majority) are finding that these calls are now classed as and charged at the same rate as reverse charge calls.’

So – each call was coming in at a whopping 68.79p per minute.

I unplugged my phone (as I could no longer afford to use it), emailedAction on Hearing Loss (AoHL) (formerly RNID) to see what was going on and posted a warning on LinkedIn. (I also emailed the Guardian Society newsdesk, just for good measure). This was clearly discriminatory.

At the same time, the tweets were beginning to surface… Key tweeters being: @SuzieJones2010 @brownliz18 @DeafTAG @peskypeople @mmostynthomas @deafMatters (apols if I’ve missed anyone).

Liz’s guest post on Suzie’s blog articulated her experience and responses soon followed. DeafTAG posted a warning on its website following the tweet action.

So far, so good, for those on social media and email. By the end of  Tuesday, the issue was ‘out there’, rumblings were afoot and there was an assurance of an investigation by Plusnet and apologies – via Twitter and Suzie’s blog.

On Wednesday I got an email from AoHL to say they were attending a UK Council on Deafness (UKCoD) meeting that afternoon to discuss the issue.  Also present would be the UK communications regulator Ofcom.

On Thursday AoHL updated me – and I was shocked to hear that Ofcom had been in contact with Plusnet several weeks ago after receiving complaints.

They had now accepted they were in the wrong were in the process of contacting customers and arranging refunds. In the meantime they had (apparently) dropped all charges for text relay and won’t be charging for those calls at all until they sort out the ‘underlying problems’ (whatever they are).

Well it’s great news that it has all been resolved and yes, it has been a victory for ‘tweet action’ in forcing this swift result and those involved should be credited. But, as a communications professional, this whole debacle has really left a sour taste in the mouth – not to mention a series of questions around how Plusnet (those friendly Yorkshire folk) communicates with its customers.

Firstly, let me say this: not everyone has a computer, uses the internet or is part of the social networking scene.

Presumably, since August, those ‘offline’ have been receiving vastly inflated bills through their letterboxes – and all of the distress and financial panic this has meant (not to mention the isolation for those who have unplugged their phones or had them disconnected).

Like me, they would not have logged on to Twitter for info, but would have called the company directly to query the bill. But, as I found, this did not ‘clear things up’ but just confirmed bills ‘were correct’.

It beggars belief that customer support staff have only this week been told about the error. Why weren’t they briefed weeks ago when the company was contacted by Ofcom? Imagine the difference that would have made to panic-stricken customers like me!

And whilst it’s great that Plusnet has used Twitter to offer apologies and reassure tweeters, it cannot use social networking as its foremost means of  communicating such important information to those affected – or its ‘boot up the arse’ to act when tweeters kick up a stink.

I would hope covering letters are now going out with any paper bills, to reassure those who are not online – and for those that are, a statement on its website would be most welcome.

And what about a newspaper advertisement or some other pro-active PR in media other than social networking? After all, the company can afford to run television ads. There’s a campaign going on right now.

I have been told I’ll get a refund – but I don’t know when.  Personally, I think every customer should also receive some kind of compensation for the distress, inconvenience and financial hardship incurred by Plusnet’s gaffe.

I hope that AoHL and Ofcom will pick up the baton from the most active tweeters and do what it can to further publicise this issue, inform affected customers and ensure that Plusnet keeps its promises.

In the meantime, I’m waiting for a personal reassurance that I will not be charged for future calls. A letter would be nice, but I’ll accept an email. Then I can plug my phone back in and reconnect with the world.

The end. (hopefully)

Latest update:

I have just (22 Sept) received an email from Plusnet offering ‘sincere apologies’ and reassuring me that I’ll receive a refund. They’ll let me know when next week.

They state: “We’re in the process of fixing the cause of the problem.”

They make it sound like a technical problem… Mmm.

Yesterday, on Twitter, someone I follow used the term “aurally handicapped”.  This was in relation to a story about deaf children in Sri Lanka.

Now, obviously, the acceptable terminology used in different countries to refer to disability is a wide and varied thing. But here in the UK (and, I would have thought, in the US where this Tweeter is from) ‘handicapped’ is a word you just don’t use – isn’t it? Is it ever acceptable?

As someone with hearing impairment (a term some people disapprove of, but my chosen descriptor) I was stunned to read that clunky phrase. It was clearly something repeated from the Sri Lankan press. But from a deaf advocate, it was insensitive to say the least.

Oh Lordy. Am I over-reacting? Am I turning into some kind of dreadful PC word watcher?

I don’t think so. I think I was just shocked. It just shows how powerful words can be. I can’t recall the last time I heard the word ‘handicapped’ being used in this way.

Things have changed a lot since the 1970s.

I’ve been really interested in these words. Are they accurate or do they fan the flames of disquiet?

Everyone seems to want a fancy-dan document to show off what’s been happening over the year, but no-one seems to want to provide you with any of the information. Apparently you can magic up the Annual Report fairies to do that. Strangely, once it is written, every man and his dog wants a say… and so begins the tortuous process of editing it by committee. There really is nothing worse.

When I worked in PCT-land (the NHS), I had to produce three at the same time for neighbouring PCTs – each of which had very different demands and personalities but the same strict set of guidelines issued by the Department of Health. It wouldn’t be exaggerating things to say that was part of the reason why I left and set up Red Cat. There just weren’t enough hours in the working day to to do the reports, plus everything else, and remain sane.

These days, annual reports are my bread and butter. And – amazingly – I enjoy doing them. Last year one of our reports won a national award, so we must be doing something right.

Anyway, now I have more time to spend on these, I thought I might share a few tips on how to write the buggers.

Firstly, it’s surprising what constitutes an ‘annual report’ today. This could be a statutory document featuring the appropriate financial accounts or it could be a kind of ‘review of the year’ for a particular team or project. Either way, they are important tools in explaining what it is you do, have achieved or hope to achieve and are worth getting right.

So, without futher ado, here are my top tips on how to write an annual report. It’s a kind of checklist really:

Before you even begin to write anything…

Know what it is you’re producing

• A formal, statutory ‘annual report & accounts’, or
• A more accessible review/public info/marketing doc
1. Identify your audience
• Shareholders, stakeholders, govt bodies etc, or
• Public, partners, colleagues, service users, potential employees, etc
2. Be clear about who is in control of the whole process ie who will ‘sign it off’
3. What is absolutely compulsory/statutory?
• Content-wise
• Procedure-wise (eg auditing; laying before parliament)
4. Check dates & draw up schedule
• When does the document need to be presented to eg AGM or submitted to auditor?
• Work backwards from that date – remembering to include time for chasing people for their contributions, copy checking, ‘signing off’, printing & delivery

Once you have a schedule, take a deep breath and… 

1. Decide on a clear theme

This, together with your target audience, will influence everything from the language you use to the look/design/feel of the report. It is your organisation’s personality in print.

2. Agree a style guide

It sounds daft, but will save time and money if you can agree how words and phrases are spelled. These should be consistent throughout.

3. Agree a process. Think about:
• How content will be provided and by whom – including financial info
• What happens to the first draft? Try to avoid editing the whole document ‘by committee’ (ie asking everyone for comments on the entire document). This will be a nightmare. Instead, ask those who provide info to check their specific  sections – and give them a deadline to respond.
4. Think visually.
• Liaise with designer to agree the look of the document and produce cover options, to be circulated to relevant parties for selection
• Arrange any photography and remember to ensure subjects agree to their image being used
5. Get writing.
6. Signing off.

Make sure a final version of the entire document is approved by the right person and officially ‘signed off’ for the designer to work his/her magic

7. Check proofs.

Go through them with a fine tooth comb before they go to print

8. …. and breathe.

I don’t know if this helps anyone, but it’s a checklist that I find invaluable. If you are commissioning someone to write the report for you, it will also form the basis of a good brief for the job.

I’m not going to do this right now as I’ve got to finish this job (and it’s Friday afternoon!), but I’ll do it next week. So this is just a teaser…

Annual reports are time-consuming jobs and mean different things to different people, yet they are one of the most important publications for any organisation so you might as well get it right – and get value for money.

I’ll post up my ‘how to write an annual report’ tips and hints next week but, in the meantime, if there’s anything you want to make sure I address, then just let me know and I’ll try my best.

Now, where was I…

Mmm. No offence was meant and I did sort of scratch my head when it was mentioned by the lovely Suzie Jones. But she is an expert in this field and I bow to her better knowledge.

So what did I do wrong, exactly?

Well, apparently the words ‘impaired’ or ‘impairment’  or ‘problem’ are a no-no …  I should just use deaf, BSL, deafened, hard of hearing (HoH) and deafblind (or dual sensory loss). This is because some BSL users (and some deafened people) hate the terms I used because it means something that doesn’t work.

Mm. Personally, I have an issue with ‘hard of hearing’ – which is technically what I am and prefer ’hearing impaired’. Hard of hearing infers that if someone spoke louder I would hear them – which I won’t. Anyway, that’s just my personal choice and it just goes to show what an absolute minefield language can be.

When it comes to making sure you don’t offend, or even break the law, it is really difficult to know what are the right words to use as not everyone agrees with certain terminology and language is so fluid. In a one-to-one situation, it’s easy: just ask someone what they prefer.

But if you’re a business or service provider, it’s worth taking specialist advice or training so you really nail the language you use so you don’t people’s noses out of joint or fall foul of legislation in your day-to day dealings with employees, partners, members of the public and so on.

With my Red Cat hat on, my advice would be:  put together a clear diversity style guide covering everything from disability to gender and cultural terminology. Don’t make people guess what words to use.

If you need any help, you know where I am!

Well, that’s what I think anyway. So – I’m going to try and set up a networking group for working professionals who happen to be hearing impaired.

The idea initially is that this would be a place to share tips, skills, ideas, moans…

If it gained any ground, then I’d like it to be somewhere that people could find support or advice on working-type things.

God knows, I could’ve done with this kind of thing at the start of the year but couldn’t find anything – hence my attempt to set something up.

I’ve bored a few people with this already on Twitter and LinkedIn and there seems to be little bit of interest. But surely there must be more?

I’ve no idea how many people with hearing problems run businesses – or work, full-stop – in the Birmingham/Sandwell area, which is pretty much my ‘catchment area’.  So I’ve no idea how large my target audience might be.

I’m hoping maybe Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the Black Country Chamber might be able to help along with the councils and other bodies such as Sandwell Deaf Community Assoc, BID Services (formerly Birmingham Institute for the Deaf) and Ideal for All – any other suggestions?

But first things first. What would this group do, exactly? From my experience, what I think it needs to do first and foremost is link up professional working people who are hearing impaired. My first experience of hearing loss was one of isolation and frustration – and that’s before adding in the issues associated with running a business.

This group would help provide mutual support, inspiration and problem-solving as well as providing a voice for those of us who work in, or provide services to, all kinds of sectors – not just the deaf/deafened/HoH community.

I don’t want it to be an online group (although there would be nothing wrong with linking up in that way) – I want us to actually meet up. Y’know – actually be sociable, breathe the same air, laugh and make new links.

I’m getting all evangelical now.

Who’s up for it? I have a couple of takers already so I’m hoping we’ll hook up in the next couple of weeks and have a chat and a coffee and repeat things an awful lot

If you want to join us, or know anyone else who might, then please get in touch or send them a link to this rambling blog post.

In the meantime, here are some facts & figures:

According to Sandwell Deaf Community Association, there are 40,000 people in the West Midlands borough who are hard of hearing and there are more than 400 British Sign Language (BSL) users.

There are around 3,000 BSL users inBirmingham. In Sept 2005 there were more than 7,500 voluntarily registered deaf, deafened or HoH people in Birmingham. The actual figure is likely to be much more if Sandwell is a guide.

Nationally Action on Hearing Loss research shows that there are now 10 million people in the UK with hearing loss of at least 25 decibel (dB) in their better hearing ear – 1 in 6 of the population.

Four million people whose hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids don’t wear them.

But, call me old fashioned, there is one thing that I do insist upon: an internet service. The clue is in the name.

On Monday May 22, my internet connection disappeared. ‘No DSL connection’ screamed my screen. My router showed one light off. The one that said ‘internet’. The rest were bright and green. A-OK.

You would think resolving this would take a couple of emails or a few phone calls maybe – resulting in a convoluted chat with a techie person who would help you  sort things out in five minutes? (‘Oh! Is THAT all it was’, you’d cry, slapping your forehead in stupidity!)

Oh. If only.

TWO weeks, dozens of expensive and frustrating phone calls later, I was still banging my head against a brick wall. Finally, yesterday, the ’2nd line technical support’ (whatever that is) bod arranged for a real live engineer to visit on Wednesday morning (tomorrow). Praise be! Thirty minutes later, my internet connection miraculously appeared. Coincidence?

Anyway, it didn’t last long. Roughly 24 hrs. My hand was hovering over the phone to cancel the engineer when – puff! Pipex UK had single-hsndedly lost the internet again.

I may sound very calm about this – nay jocular. But this last two weeks have possibly been the most frustrating ever – EVER.

It has been a combination of customer support staff failing to listen to what I was  saying (like what number to contact me on; please remove my mobile number from your records) to hollow reassurances each day that the issue would be fixed ‘in 24 hours – definitely’.

And don’t even get me on engineers: the only people in the country who appear to be unable to send a text message.

I made the mistake early on of giving an alternative (mobile) number for contact purposes. However, being hearing impaired, I can’t use it to have conversations on. The number was explicitly given so an engineer could text me with info – or a number to call him back on (using my text relay phone) – if my landline (text relay phone) was unavailable

So – what do they do? They use my mobile phone as the single point of contact and leave me voice messages. Mm. That’s really helpful to someone who can’t hear. Oh – and they also booked in calls to my landline – and then never bothered to call. So I have spent many a happy hour over the last two weeks hovering by the phone like some love-struck teenager waiting for a boy to call… only to be heartbroken.

Meanwhile, I’m running my business using my smartphone.

So – now I sit and wait for the engineer to come and fix this properly. No doubt it will be a forehead-slapping moment when he/she finally resolves the problem, but I just can’t believe that it has taken so long to achieve.

Needless to say, Pipex will no longer be my ISP after this sorry episode. They’ll receive a very long letter of complaint about the way they have handled my case which, it has to be said, has bordered on discrimination at times due to my disability.

For a communications business, they really are crap at communicating and surely they can’t expect two weeks without any internet connection to be good practice for an internet service provider?

And breathe…

**STOP PRESS** Pipex retrieved the internet for me on 8 June. So it only took them just over two weeks in the end. Has anyone else had similar problems with these guys?