THERE needs to be better customer care from Bromsgrove District Council.

Regular customers accepted, during alterations to the Dolphin Centre, months of inconvenience while tiles and walls were removed and replaced, the old changing areas falling into a state of disrepair, deteriorating standards of cleanliness, a week without the car park, even the shrill sounds of drilling, which could be felt and heard by swimmers under the water.

Not much to ask? Indeed, I wasn't complaining, just looking forward with gritted teeth to the time when we could enjoy the new facilities.

But, just after the Easter holidays, the pool closed for a week, as far as I was aware. without warning. The flexible monthly swim pass, having been withdrawn in favour of a new Direct Debit arrangement, meant I was forced to accept that I must write off the time during school holidays when I'm unable to swim each day.

Fine, I thought, and turned up on the first day of the summer term, only to find the pool closed. That meant I'd be unable to fit in enough swims in the rest of the month to warrant the subscription charge.

BDC was in pocket at my expense. Not by much, surely, you may say. True, only £6.50, but wouldn't it have been better for customer relations to have let subscribers know that the pool would be closing, and made a small goodwill gesture in compensation?

When I put this to the manager of the centre, he explained that advice had been

taken and the compensation would come at the end of the Direct Debit period, when one week's subscription would be refunded. Incredible. So, if I keep up my Direct Debit payments and swim until the day I die, my children can claim £6.50 from BDC.

Still, the pool is still there, the colour scheme is bright and cheerful and the staff are always pleasant and helpful, so I mustn't grumble. At least the water didn't have to be moved!

Hazel Lee, Wildmoor, Bromsgrove