"Just ask", part 3 (Tate St Ives update)

[suryaofvulcan]

So, having had no response to my email, I've just phoned Tate St Ives. I was met with an automated menu with EIGHT options, only the last of which offered the opportunity to speak to a real person.

Which took me through to the voicemail of Zara Deverueax, Business Manager, and I'm not even hesitating to name her, because her outgoing message said

Comments

[elfbert]

I do think this is a problem a lot of places now make for themselves - by putting some half-arsed information on their websites, they seem to think they have 'done their bit', and forget that people may have further questions - or, perish the thought - wish to speak to a real person!

Admittedly it isn't usually quite as problematic as this seems to be - you can usually eventually speak to someone, not just get an abrupt answerphone message.

Surely Tate have more than one person working for them?? I hope you can at least find someone to express your disgust to, via email or letter!

[suryaofvulcan]

What's really bugging me is, these are not difficult questions! I'm not asking for any special arrangements to be made for me.

I think the problem stems from the fact that most people have a picture in their head about what 'disability' is, and that informs their ideas about what disabled people need. (Case in point - when I asked for a parking space outside my office, they replied that that area 'wasn't suitable for disabled people because it has cobbles'. Never mind the fact that I'd told them I knew the area well and had determined the cobbles weren't a problem for me.) For the Tate, it's obvious they think 'disability' involves either using a wheelchair or having a visual impairment. Nearly all their generic information is geared towards that

[nx_01hreod]

Interesting that she knew when she left her message how long she was going to be off sick.

Really, not good enough for somewhere that gets 35% of its funding from the Government.

Maybe the difficulty of getting information is part of an art intallation....

[suryaofvulcan]

Yes, I thought that was interesting too.

If it is, then I won't get to see it. ;)

The whole point of going to St Ives was to relax on the beach, so I think I'll just concentrate on doing that.

[nx_01hreod]

From looking at their website it does seem as if it gets very crowded at peak times. Pity, as it looks a most interesting building.

[elfbert]

I did immediately think that it was a little odd she knew how long she'd be sick for - but then I thought that 'sick' is just a cover-all term, and perhaps she's been into hospital for something which has a 'known' (as much as it can be) end time, or something like that.

Still inexcusable to have such a message, and not someone else answering the phone.