There’s an app for that…

A word of warning to any Pompey citizen seeking a taxi for a St Mary’s hospital appointment on Monday afternoon (not exactly peak time). I phoned a local major firm, as I have done so many times over many years – always answered within seconds – not any more.

I suspect it’s the curse of the iPhone. Twenty minutes of persistence was rewarded with ‘download our app.’

Why? I’m phoning, not exactly a previous century’s device! Why not answer it as before?

Also this irritating message alternated with ‘Why not beat the queue by pressing button.’ Beating what queue?

It immediately put me back into the original queue. What sort of business asks you to beat their own queue?

After 30 minutes a male receptionist answered and said: ‘Due to high levels of demand blah, blah, blah...’ huge delays.

Now where have I heard that tosh from countless phone operators? Practically every day when you contact any firm ‘they are experiencing high levels of calls.’

He would not guarantee a taxi for 3.45pm despite the importance.

The final banal rubbish was the gormless repeated guff that if I utilised their app I could actually ‘trace and track’ the taxi en route to me.

How interesting, how essential will that become in enhancing my lifestyle? I phoned a friend (as they say) and saved seven quid. After my minor opp, I phoned another and saved another £7. Another item to blame on Covid!

Jon Cole Blount Road Portsmouth