EveryMan Learning

There are many ways to find out about a particular object or scheme of things we want to purchase. There are so many outlets on the internet that is can be mind boggling to try and limit going down ‘rabbit holes’ with one idea that then gets slightly varied on this route. What sort of information the average consumer needs to have when it comes to buying a car for example will differ wildly from what he needs to buy a power drill . . . . The kind of information needed for either can be quite involved however. They will both need to provide product specification with any/all variants available with their relative pros and cons; then there is price breakdown according to the product specification and any conversions that may be available. When you’re buying anything online these days, there are always the reviews . . . . . those all essential comments from previous customers. Obviously you need to know how genuine the comments are – there is often a risk that the reviewers have been compensated for their efforts in some way. But over here the system is robust in some of the better, more reputable supply chains. The reputation of the vendor is also at stake here. When global logistics is such a huge element of our daily lives, no one can rest on their laurels and not bother about what the customer thinks of their delivery service. It’s all out there fore everyone to see on the internet.

For more serious and detailed consumer information, there are consumer groups who do very deep and well controlled consumer tests on a massive range of goods and then publish their findings in a warts’n all fashion. Because they are not tied to any one manufacturer or designer, they are generally considered to be reliable and untainted by bias. It costs money to produce this information and so the reports, formed in a monthly magazine or online blog, are chargeable on subscription and are considered a good route to get truthful and uambiguous views.

If you are in the medical profession, there are literally thousands of online training courses that can be selected to keep even a long term professional up to date and fully au fait with their disciplines. The nhs sponsor many training courses but there are other means of registering for such focused training. Taking a look through the courses available, there is such a heady mix! Take Management & Leadership skills; Myriad maternity courses, from 8 hours to whole weekends. All the participants need to view the programmes and weigh up whether number 8 of the 8 programmes will be needed but it is up to the candidate. Take maternity subjects for example. To save anyone going through the tragedies we hear about now and then, thee are refresher and update courses on maternal and neonatal deterioration; maternity and neonatal resource hub; maternity insights, closing the loop; maternity resources immediate and essential actions; maternity support worker. Another really serious subject and one that crops up in the media more than ever is medico-legal training.

A subject that frightens so many folk is the thought of demential and as they get older, the need to appoint someone to keep an eye on their affairs will become essential. However, sadly some folk head down the demential tunnel much more quickly than anticipated and sometimes a doctor is needed to ascertain whether the patient still retains mental capacity to make their own decisions. To be able to judge on this requires specific training and regular updating. Courses covering all of the above are available on the nhs learning hub.

Generally consumer information in the UK is gleaned from articles in newspapers, magazines and in the public social media.   In fact it is very easy to find ‘how to’ advice in video format on just about any subject these days.   So if the instructions with any article purchased are not quite clear enough, there will be help available on a video platform.   However, if something goes wrong and you have problems with the unit, if the supplier fails to address the issue, the manufacturer should be consulted for their expert advice.  If after these consultatons, the response is not helpful, then the only recourse is to find the nearest Citizens Advice bureau.  These are small offices, usually in the local high street or town hall, manned primarily by volunteers who are specifically trained to be able to answer a variety of questions concerning consumer law.  They can advise on how to approach the supplier again or the manufacturer and if these still don’t work, then they can help with taking the company to court.  Depending on the price of the item, this could involve the small claims court and the citizens advice staff will have information on how to start a claim.  They will also advise the would be claimant to first check whether their household insurance policy has legal protection as one of the benefits of cover.    This will make all the difference to a claim, as having the services of a legal team to check whether the problem would stand up in court, and therefore be worth their time and expenditure in supporting it through to setttlement or a win, will obviously be beneficial.