I worked for my local council
as a student summer job once. I won't say which one (just in case one of them does have the mental capacity or can actually be arsed to call their lawyer).

My job was ordering companies to go and fix any council property that had broken, and then paying the invoices once it had been done.

One day, someone noticed a loose screw on a cupboard door in our very own office. Here was the procedure we had to take to fix it:

1: Get a building surveyor to look at it and assess the problem (A fucking BUILDING SURVEYOR - I think the clue was in the "there's a loose screw on the cupboard")

2: Said building surveyor then had to write an issue report describing the problem.

3: I would then be given the issue report and had to produce 3 quote requests.

4: The 3 quote requests would then be sent to 3 building/repair companies (everything had to go to tender as it was local government).

5: Eventually, 3 quotes would come back.

6: A work order would then be sent to the cheapest company.

7: Workman from said company would then come to our office with a screw driver and screw the screw back in.

8: We would then receive an invoice for said screw screwing.

9: I would then process said invoice, pay the company, file the paperwork.

10: Everyone in the office can relax now that the screw is not loose anymore.


Estimated cost of tightening a screw: £75

Lucky I was a student at the time - I didn't have to pay council tax. If I had been i'd have been fuming.
( HoratioFellatio Taking the the out of psychotherapist, Fri 27 Jul 2007, 15:11, Reply)