monkeyboy

Bad Morning!

Having just got off the phone from the CAA's PLD/FCL Dept, I am left feeling somewhat annoyed at their approach to customer care.

To cut a long story short, I meet all the reqs but am experiencing classic red tape with the unfreezing of my licence and it's rather frustrating.

Is there some kind of governing body that one can complain to about the attitude of the CAA or are they the governing body, so to speak?

In this day and age of consumer rights (I am paying for this unfreezing) surely their attitude has got to change?

I know people are going to reply and say something along the lines of "Welcome to the CAA....." or "Get used to it...." etc, and yes I have heard friends moan in the past but this is my first red tape occasion with the CAA and quite frankly it's left me riled!

Rant over!

MB

potkettleblack

The one thing that civil servants hate is when they start getting asked awkward questions from those above. I contracted to a government department for a time and you should have seen all these guys cover their ar*es when tough questions were asked. More so for PM's question time. Their greatest fear was getting booted out and losing their pension. Try your local mp and get him/her to ask questions in the house. Also I vaguely recollect there being some supposedly "aviation friendly" mp's around. A quick trawl should identify who they are and send them a note.

Spitoon

Tell us more about the circumstances - what is the red tape you feel is being invented - and maybe we can help constructively. Regulation 6 is not really for poor customer service - if your complaint is valid your first step should be a letter, explaining in detail why you are not happy, to the Head of FCL (a very fair guy if he's still the one I have met).

monkeyboy

Thanks for the replies, chaps.

Having calmed down somewhat during the day, I am more chilled about the matter.

Basically, I did an LST/ATPL Skills Test when I joined a new carrier just over a month ago and handed in all of the required paperwork for my ATPL at the CAA a few days later.

Ten days later, my logbooks were returned with a letter stating that the LST/Skills test form (SRG1119) was not the latest form (I think it changed a month before) and therefore my ATPL would not be issued. (1st red tape IMHO - why had it taken ten days to work this out? It obviously hadn't!)

To rectify this, I either had to get the TRE to redo a brand new SRG1119 form or get him to fax a letter confirming that it was an ATPL Skills Test that I had undertaken.

We chose option 2 and the letter was faxed to the CAA a few days ago.

This morning, I phoned the CAA to check that they had received the fax but was told that there was nothing in the system to confirm as such.

When I asked if the person I was speaking to could go and check the fax machine to see if it was sat there in a pile of other faxes, I was rather rudely told that he/she could not leave their desk and that I should call back next week to see if it had arrived. (2nd red tape IMHO)

Four things annoy me:

1) I paid the £216 charge for unfreezing my licence when I initially handed in my paperwork - 4 weeks ago. I still have nothing to show for that.

2) I am told that it will take another ten days to process my second submission. What do they need to do? They don't have my log books anymore to tally up my hours? All that they have is a letter from the TRE confirming the Skills Test.

3) The rudeness of the particular member of staff that I spoke to. (Their name was noted down at the time of the phone call)

4) And this is probably why I am so worked up about the whole affair - I get a £10K payrise upon getting my full ATPL! There, I've got that off my chest!

But I still stand by my original statement that the customer service of the PLD/FCL Dept is poor and could be improved somewhat.

The rest of the CAA is very good!

MB

old,not bold

How would you know that? I deal with most departments in SRG except FCL, and, to say the least, it's patchy.

There are some outstanding, competent, dedicated individuals in SRG, dragged down by a majority of timeservers whose only expertise is avoiding doing anything until forced to. The saddest thing is how easily and quickly some, not all, good industry professionals turn into the latter, when they join the CAA and acquire its culture.

ERG is exactly the same, as it happens.

A Tornado pilot was badly wounded over Iraq; the poor chap's scrotum was shot off. He joined the CAA , where ex RAF people are in great demand, and was having his induction.

"Now then, young man, we start at 0830, and then there's a tea-break at 1000. We resume at 1030, and work hard until 1230 when we go for our subsidised lunch upstairs. We resume at 1330 and work hard until 1530 when we have a little break for tea, and then we finish off the day's work, tidy our desks, and leave at 1630. It's an exacting, tough regime, but you'll get used to it. Oh, by the way, you need'nt turn up until after the first break at 1000."

"Why ever not?"

"Well, all we do in the first session is stand around and scratch our balls".

monkeyboy

ASFKAP, I am going to see what they say today when I call again, and if I get the same rude, abrupt response then yes, I shall complain via their website.

monkeyboy

Well, it looks like I'm walking away with my tail between my legs because the chap I've just spoken to within the PLD/FCL dept was very friendly, courteous and helpful.

Why can't they all be like that?

Rant definitely over

MB

Spitoon

Glad all ends well - or at least you got a good 'un in the end!

As old says, there are some really good, helpful people in the CAA...and there are many others. Maybe a letter to the Head of Department expressing your disappointment at your original experience but pointing out how much better the later call was dealt with might be welcomed - might even kill two birds with one stone.

And, just for the record, I don't work for the CAA! But I do try to make sure that good service gets mentioned as well as the bad.