Re: Strictly. I've just had a reply to my semi-final email.

Now, I didn't actually complain about the outcome. I advised them, as soon as they opened the phone lines, that they had a mathematical dilemma and needed to do something quick!

What do I receive? Not a thank you for letting us know so we could do something about it, but a wonderful explanation to help me understand what I already know, because I was the one (with others) that told them!

How much are these monkeys paid?

.................

Thank you for your e-mail. Please accept our apologies for the delay in
replying. We know our correspondents appreciate a quick response and we are
sorry you have had to wait on this occasion.

We note your concerns regarding 'Strictly Come Dancing' on 13 December. Martin
Scott, Head of Format Entertainment, has issued the following statement.

"During the 13 December semi final, a scenario had arisen due to the judges’
scores (3, 3, 1) where one couple would always have been put forward for the
dance off regardless of the result of the viewer vote. This is because, even if
the couple with one point from the judges had received the highest number of
phone votes and been awarded the maximum three points from the audience, they
would still have been unable to avoid the dance off due to the way the scoring
system works. It was therefore felt that the fairest decision under the
circumstances was to allow all three couples to go forward to the final. We
also felt we should reflect the decision of viewers during the semi final who'd
voted without knowing there was a problem, so we carried forward the combined
results of the judges points and the point from the viewers' votes to the start
of the final."

Please be assured that we have registered your comments on our audience log.
This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all
programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their
senior management. It ensures that your points, and all other comments we
receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.

Regards

BBC Complaints

Peanuts coated with gold I supposed.

Well, I for one am more than happy that the BBC spend their time and money on making programmes and addressing complains/areas of concern rather than replying individually to complaints emails.

Great, huh? I got the same reply today.

Tbh, my eyes glazed over once I got to the bit I already knew. Still, I suppose I am grateful I got any kind of reply, even if it was stating the obvious. Merry Christmas, Beeb!

Considering the sheer volume of "complaints" (and sometimes the rather silly nature of some of them) that broadcasters will receive, it is hardly surprising that, just like other broadcasters, the BBC will send out standardised replies.

What I think is more important is that any complaint is been logged, and is reviewed and acted upon if deemed necessary.

I'm sorry. In this case they had two sets of complaints - 1. pre-result programme advising them (not complaining) that they had a mathematical dilemma and 2. the post result programme complaining about the way they dealt with it.

I do not have a problem with a standard reply. I do, however, expect my views to be read and sent an APPROPRIATE response. I do not need to know what the dilemma was - I told them. I was asked if I wanted a response. Why ask if you aren't going to send an appropriate one? Their job description is to deal with enquiry/complaint post and they should do it properly. This one smacks of 'let's get these responses out before we break for christmas'.

I'm afraid it actually shows how ignorance runs right through the BBC. From the inability to edit JR and RB, to the inability to act on it quickly after it happened, to the inability to add a variety of 1,2 and 3's up, to the inability to read my email and send an appropriate standard response, to the inability to see and ethical problem in accepting phone votes on closed competitions and add to that the inability to pre-empt the position again in the Christmas special. The employees dealing with these correspondance matters do not have a job description to 'make programmes'.

I have my own business and I know that so many things like that are not isolated incidents which happen to have all unluckily been encountered in one go. No, for every one we see there will be hundreds more swept under the carpet. It's a sign of rot within and lack of accountability, bad management or pride in a job (or mixture of all) - quite possibly running through every department.

I stand by every word in my post.

I quite agree with you. Nothing is more infuriating than organisations who claim to encourage customer feedback and respond with inappropriate standardised letters, showing feedback has neither been read nor understood, still less acted upon. I would much prefer the honesty of 'piss off, we'll do what we damn well like'. Because that's the message they actually convey!

In a similar situation, I contacted the BBC to ask, "Why haven't you come up with a back-up plan to ensure a three-couple final when somebody pulls out?" I explained what happened with Dancing With The Stars (who had a rollover week when one celeb was injured), and pointed out the various benefits of a three-couple final. I also asked what would happen if another couple pulled out - would this result in a one-couple final, or do the BBC have a back-up plan? Note, all this was before the semi-final rollover.

The response I got thanked me for my input, and said sorry that I was not happy with "the handling of John Sergeant's exit from the programme", which wasn't the point at all. They gave no explanation of the BBC's decision not to follow the Dancing With The Stars example, just saying that "the decision was taken to continue the voting process as usual"...Finally, there was no response to my question about what would happen if anyone else pulled out. Again, they said my comments would be logged/registered, but who knows what that means.

I suppose the response was marginally better than one I got from South West Trains earlier in the year, but it still wasn't great. Ho hum.

So do I.

I believe the BBC have big internal problems. Externally they have lost credibility.

Probably too few staff to field many of the rather mundane complaints that people seem to make (no digs here intended, more aimed at the Daily Mail type of complainer who complains having not even watched), allied with the burgeoning outsourcing of programme production (bringing with it greater problems of compliance and communication).


I very much doubt that - maybe a few die-hards on internet forums and a few who were already anti-BBC, but I doubt that the feeling is in any way widespread.