I am all for efficient service but sometimes it can get too much.

We all tend to moan quite a lot about big, faceless organisations that exist only to milk us dry.

But every now and then that big, faceless organisation kind of surprises you.

This week my telephone line was out of order. I have learnt through many years of complaining that one should never ever ring customer services.

Those who ring customer services in institutions are chumps. I must say banks are the worst.

If you want something doing you have to ring the sales department.

Or the option where they ask you whether you want to leave the company.

Surprisingly there is no queue and you get through to someone in seconds.

Eventually they fast track you through to this polite Indian guy.

Hey, I would rather talk to someone here but this fellow seemed pretty clued-up at what must have been three’o’clock in the morning at his end.

On this occasion I learnt that some clever clogs from an energy company had accidently cut through a whole load of cable wires.

Things would be all back to normal soon enough.

What I wasn’t expecting was the workmen to turn up at 1am at the end of my street.

I know I said I wanted things fixed pronto but a telephone line can wait, can’t it?

They started to make a racket and I then had to remonstrate with the poor guy that this was not an emergency.

This could wait until the morning. He told me someone had complained and they needed to fix the fault.

Obviously I didn’t tell him that guy was me.

Because then I would have looked stupid. But I insisted he stop the noise and go home to sleep.

Having checked with the manager he decided that it was best that he let people sleep and packed-up.

So yes, I hate how some companies behave when you ring them to complain.

And for most of the time we are left in hanging on a telephone line like zombies.

But every so often they surprise you.