Ryvita Hello, Ryvita, how can I help?
Mktg Hi. I was looking to start a diet on Ryvita and I've just seen a lot about Fern Britton, and that she has a stomach band. Can you lose weight on your diet?
Ryvita Yes. As long as you eat healthily and do plenty of exercise.
Mktg Well, I just want to lose weight for the summer.
Ryvita Have you seen the bikini diet?
Mktg Well, I'm a man, so I'm not really looking to wear a bikini.
Ryvita It's just the name of the diet, but there are some good tips on losing weight.
Mktg Is there a website for it?
Ryvita Yes, if you go to www.ryvita-bikini.co.uk there is a Fit Challenge that will help you lose weight.
Mktg Is that the diet Fern Britton was on? I'm just confused because of the stomach band she has.
Ryvita Well, we took Fern on two years ago and had no idea she had a band fitted. But it has helped her reduce the amount she eats by making her stomach smaller, so she feels fuller after food. However, she has lost weight by eating healthier and exercising as well. Fern isn't on the Bikini diet because it's a two-week challenge.
Mktg Oh, OK. Will it differ for a man then?
Ryvita Well, you may need to eat slightly more because men tend to need more calories than women.
Mktg I don't really know how much I weigh at the moment. How much should I aim to lose?
Ryvita You could lose anything between 5lbs to a stone. This will differ from person to person, though.
Mktg So what do you do?
Ryvita It's basically replacing bread with Ryvita at breakfast and lunchtimes and then eating a meal in the evenings. For snacks you eat more healthily with fruit etcetera.
Mktg Are there any Ryvita snacks?
Ryvita Yes, you could try Ryvita Minis if you liked.
Mktg That's fine, thanks for your time, I'll look at the website.
Ryvita Thank you, bye.
VERDICT
The call-handler was very polite and helped me with all the questions I put to her, suggesting simple tips that were easy to follow.
With all the hype in the press surrounding Fern Britton and her gastric band, the call-handler did not try to gloss over this on the phone and was honest about it. The only slight mistake was suggesting I try Ryvita's bikini diet, which is clearly aimed at women; but in her defence Ryvita is a female-focused brand.
SCORE 7/10.