Met Office: Met Office, good afternoon, how can I help?
Mktg: Hi, I'm calling to find out whether the warm weather we are experiencing at the moment means that we're going to have a hot summer. Do you predict that far ahead?
Met Office: We don't provide a season forecast any more, I'm afraid. All you can obtain is what you will find on the website, which is a five-day regional forecast, and we have one for the whole of the UK for up to 30 days ahead. Basically, we have an outlook for days six to 15, and then 16-30.
Mktg: How come you don't do a big summer prediction then?
Met Office: We haven't done that probably for more than a year. Based on customer feedback, we decided to stop doing it.
Mktg: Is that because of problems with accuracy?
Met Office: No, though obviously it's very difficult to forecast that far ahead.
Mktg: So is the 30-day forecast a bit unreliable?
Met Office: It's using the latest information that the forecasters currently have available. The weather is a very changeable subject - it's constantly changing, and the forecast does get updated daily. Do you have access to the internet? You can check online.
Mktg: Yes I do. So there are no predictions being made for the summer weather at all?
Met Office: The only forecast that you will find (from us) is what you will find on our forecast pages for the five days, for the different regions, and then the sixto 30-day outlook for the UK. I can read our 30-day forecast to you now, or if you have access you can read it online. Do you want me to read it to you now?
Mktg: No, that's OK, I can check it online.
Met Office: (Gives Met Office website address and directs Mktg to the appropriate part of the site.)
Mktg: OK, many thanks.
Met Office: Bye.
Verdict
Initially very warm, the call-handler became a little robotic as the call progressed, relying on stock phrases to answer my questions about long-term weather forecasting. However, she remained friendly throughout our conversation and provided as much information as she could.
Score: 7/10