XN000022-1985-06-02 — Page 14

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SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 1985

ONE MAN WHO'S NOT COMPLAINING

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IMAGINE BEING THE MAN THAT EVERYONE COMPLAINS TO ABOUT NOISE, POLLUTION, ROAD WORKS, TRAFFIC, ILLEGAL STRUCTURES AND JUST ABOUT ALL THE LARGE AND PETTY ANNOYANCES THAT ARE PART AND PARCEL OF LIVING IN HONG KONG.

NOT THE KIND OF JOB ANYONE IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD VOLUNTEER FOR RIGHT?

+WRONG, SAYS MIKE BYRNE, COMPLAINTS OFFICER WITH THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH WHO DID VOLUNTEER FOR THE JOB AND WHO IS LEAVING IT RELUCTANTLY THIS WEEK AFTER FOUR SATISFYING YEARS.

FOR A MAN WHO IS LIKELY TO BE CALLED UP AT ANY HOUR OF THE DAY AND NIGHT (AND OFTEN IS) BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WITH COMPLAINTS (WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY OUTSIDE MIKE'S AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY), THIS AMIABLE AUSTRALIAN SEEMS REMARKABLY CHEERFUL.

SINCE HE TOOK OVER THE JOB, MIKE HAS LOGGED MORE THAN 7 000 COMPLAINTS THAT HE HAS HANDLED. BUT HE EXPLAINS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE THAT HE HAS DEALT WITH BUT JUST HAS NOT RECORDED.

THE COMPLAINTS COME FROM ALL DIRECTIONS - FROM DIRECT PHONE CALLS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS, LETTERS TO THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH, CALLS TO RADIO PHONE-IN PROGRAMMES, LETTERS TO NEWSPAPERS AND COMPLAINTS FROM NEWSPAPERS THEMSELVES.

EVERYONE OF THEM GETS AN ANSWER, MOST OF THEM WITHIN HOURS OR DAYS. BUT EVEN IF IT TAKES MONTHS, AS IT HAS IN SOME CASES, MIKE NEVER GIVES UP ON A COMPLAINT AND ALWAYS COMES UP WITH AN ANSWER EVEN IF, AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, THE SUBJECT OF THE COMPLAINT IS NOT THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY OF THE SIX DEPARTMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH.

BUT AS MIKE EXPLAINED: IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO BE SEEN TO BE RESPONSIVE TO PUBLIC OPINION. IT'S GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND GOOD PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH.+

WHICH WAS ONE REASON WHY MIKE APPLIED FOR THE JOB WHEN IT WAS ADVERTISED FOUR YEARS AGO.

+THAT AND PROMOTION, SAID MIKE JOKINGLY.

+I GOT FASTER PROMOTION THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE PROFESSIONAL GRADE I KNOW.+

DEALING WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS EACH DAY, FROM THE FRIVOLOUS TO THE SERIOUS TO, ON ODD OCCASIONS, THE DOWNRIGHT MALICIOUS, MIGHT SEEM A HARD WAY TO EARN THAT PROMOTION, BUT MIKE LOOKS BACK ON HIS FOUR YEARS WITH A GREAT DEAL OF SATISFACTION.

/+THE JOB