5 June (Part 2) -
Parking permit application
I briefly worked for a company which specialised in usability tests on websites. They had all the big banks and telephone companies among their clients and many household product names. It opened my eyes to how people interact with web pages and how they so easily get lost and abandon the effort. But it’s impossible to please all the people all the time. Several times I’ve watched in amazement at the convoluted path taken to reach this blog. There is a prominent link on the front page but the combination of a small screen and a browser set to 200% zoom for so long the setting has been forgotten will send it off the screen and no one seems to like scroll bars. So I have a little sympathy for whoever it is who designs the council’s web site, but even so I don’t think I was quite prepared for the unhelpful procedures adopted for purchasing a Resident Parking Permit on-line described by a reader. Over to you John…
“Skipping by the fact that two different reminders arrived by post the same
day… Oh no, I can’t do that because one contradicts the other, so on to the web to
see which might be right. OK, I see, apply on-line and pay at the library; not
too difficult, but still not sure whether to follow the instructions on my
‘Permit Renewal Reminder’ or the ‘Permit Renewal for May 2011’.
The instructions I decide to follow say type in
http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=7237 but it doesn’t say where I
should type it and I’m not too hot on computers, I’d be bound to type something
like that wrong, but Google I do know. That
does the trick and I start my application. A few minutes down the line I realise
the system is making assumptions about me and my car that I can’t edit, like the
car maker and its colour. But I don’t think that detail is on the permit so I carry
on. Then I get a payment request that has left my name off. The car registration
number is correct, the grossly inflated fee is there to frighten me, but my name
is missing! What now? It is also demanding payment by card immediately and I was
planning on paying with some cash due to me tomorrow and hand it over at the
library as the letter says. Dash upstairs for wallet and cards. Phew, the page doesn’t time out.
I’m then forced to read the Terms & Conditions, fair enough but the linked page
doesn’t have any Terms & Conditions on it so have to tick the box anyway or I shall
waste my entire day. I press the buy button and get an email by way of a receipt. Now
where is my Permit? Why doesn’t the email set my mind at rest by telling me what
will happen next?
Back to the council’s website but no joy. Take a look at the second letter
received in this morning’s post. Ah, I see, if I had followed the instructions
in the ‘Permit Renewal for May 2011’ instead of those in the ‘Permit Renewal
Reminder’ and the council’s webpage I might be less confused than I am. It will
be off to the library for me next time I am off work, if they’ve not closed it
by then. Meanwhile the council has my money but I have no Permit and Craske and
his gestapo team are ready to pounce."
Hmm, that’s bad John. I’m glad my neighbours told Craske where he could shove
the suggestion to extend the local CPZ to my road. Sorry that was before
Craske’s time but you will get my drift. Maybe you will be happy to know that
your unfortunate experience with Bexley’s ‘Parking
Permit Self-service Portal’ could be on its way out. The bad news is that it
looks like costing several million quid!
Tomorrow I shall bring you another reader‘s experience of Bexley council but far
darker and worrying than John’s. Is crookedness the norm?