I READ Allan C Steele's letter (November 29) with considerable sympathy, but at least he had the opportunity to speak to human beings. In the following account of my current experience, the only human contact was in the initial phone call.

The problem began, 10 days ago, with my local McDonald's outlet making an error – no crispy chicken in the Crispy Chicken order. Although I had initiated the process with the McDonald's home delivery service, McDelivery, I found myself being passed over to another company, Uber Eats to take the order. In due course Uber Eats completed the delivery faultlessly. When I phoned the McDonald's outlet, I was astonished at the response: I would have to take it up with Uber Eats. I pointed out that, as far as I was concerned my transaction was with McDonald's; McDonald's made the error, so McDonald's should fix it; I shouldn't have to deal with one of its contractors, particularly since the contractor's service had been excellent. I was told again to contact Uber Eats. I pursued the matter online with McDelivery and separately with McDonald's, and got the same responses – which I consider outrageous, particularly when their emails are padded out with platitudes about how much my "custom is appreciated" and "our aim is 100% customer satisfaction".

Since then I have tried to pursue the issue with Uber Eats, and it has turned out to be a complete farce. I have received the same "automatic" email from it seven times so far (by now it has become a matter of principle, rather than recompense). On each occasion I have replied with details of the problem. In the latter instances, I have pointed out that I have already responded. I then tried to phone them. After a considerable time searching I found a number. Each time I dialled, the phone didn't even ring – a message appeared saying "call forwarded", with no indication of where/to whom it had been forwarded.

Having been a subscriber to Which? magazine for around 50 years I thought I'd give it a try, for the first time; not to intervene in my particular trivial case, but to address the wider issue of McDonald's deflecting its customers to deal with its contractors. I soon received an automatic response, which advised that "due to the volume of feedback we receive, you probably won’t get an individual reply from us...".

Surely it is time for all customer service websites to be made to warn users "Abandon Hope All Who Enter Here".

Charles McMillan, Milngavie.

THE DIGITAL MELTDOWN

WITH reference to your report of electricity outages in Scotland ("Thousands still without electricity in aftermath of Storm Arwen", The Herald, November 29), our village has just had 53 hours without power and about 16 without water. We got both reconnected at around 2300 last night (November 28).

However, during this period, we had no internet connection (so no email, text, WhatsApp etc), no 4G, no mobile signal and because of BT policy to make our landline digital, no landline facility as soon as the power went off. SSEN was providing updates by text but they weren’t reaching the people directly affected. How does one communicate in the event of an emergency?

I was reassured that it wasn’t just my lack of expertise in digital technology, others I have spoken to in the village had the same issues.

In contrast, in 1978, when I lived further north in Sutherland where we had a five-day power cut, telephones worked for a day or two after the power went off and I had a battery-operated radio which kept me well informed throughout. Guess what I’m going to buy for Christmas?

Is this episode a salutary lesson that we are becoming too reliant on digital methods of communication? I believe folk without routers had telephone access through their landlines.

Willie Towers, Alford.

* BLESSINGS on the management team of Banchory Sports Centre for their initiative. As soon as the severity of the power cuts in this part of Kincardineshire became known, they flung open their doors, offering free showers to all.

I write this having just had a shower and shave for the first time in 66 electricity-less hours, and with the latest of many forecasts being that power might be restored in 10 hours.

Gordon Casely, Crathes.

REMEMBERING PAISLEY'S TEARS

HOW sad it was for the people of Paisley, with so many grief-stricken, when 71 children died in the Glen Cinema disaster on December 31, 1929 ("Memorial to be unveiled for 71 who died in cinema crush", The Herald, November 29). The panic was caused by smoke, not fire. How unfortunate that the doors could not be opened, which led to changes in the law, too late for these youngsters. The effects on the people of Paisley were profound, with some families losing more than one child.

How appropriate that a new memorial has been funded, created and is to be unveiled in a central position in the town.

Ian W Thomson, Lenzie.

SECRETS OF THE PERFECT DIGS

THE study identifying the “pie in the sky” requirements for the perfect job ("‘Perfect’ job has a boss who likes a pint", The Herald, November 29) reminds me of a study on the perfect “digs” conducted among fellow students in the 1950s.

There was a clear majority that they should be located above a pub run by a nymphomaniac.

To whom it may concern, I travelled daily by train.

R Russell Smith, Largs.