Everybody receives phone calls from phone companies, trying to sell you their latest package. Some just put the telephone straight down, whilst others, in an attempt not to be rude, listen for a moment before doing the same. The Seaside Gazette is with Movistar; not because they offer the best service or conditions, but for a very different reason: face-to-face service. Let me explain.

All of our lines, be they mobile or line, we acquired through Sergio Gómez, who used to work at the Almuñécar Radiovision phone department before the shop closed down. Sergio speaks English, so there is no language barrier. When we have a problem, we go to Sergio and ask him to sort it out, which he always does.

And that’s what I (Martin) tell these other telephone companies, who offer good rates etc. I simply say, “I don’t want to spend endless time speaking to a 902 number in Madrid or Barcelona. I don’t want to have to explain the same problem time and time again, as they pass me from department to department, or because I have to phone again and I get somebody completely different – back to square one.” No, I explain, I go directly to the person who sold me the line and say, “Sort it out, please.” I know his name, he knows mine – it’s not some dehumanized, telephone-call sequence. There’s not much that they can respond to that and the call invariably terminates there – amicably, but end of conversation.

The excellent news is that Sergio now runs a Movistar office in Plaza de Madrid (next to the fisherman’s statue). If you want personal treatment, in English, then we personally recommend Sergio at the said shop. They don’t advertise with us – this is just about our own personal experience.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)