About four months ago I wrote to Radio New Zealand and told them about one of their announcers, who was gabbling. Although they never replied - standard practice for letters these days - the gabbling did stop in due course, so they did take notice.

If one is unsure of just what gabble is, it is talking so rapidly that the subject no longer makes sense. Regrettably, it happens a lot with people leaving messages on answer phones. They speak so swiftly that little of the message is clear, but the really annoying part is that when they leave their phone number it is done so swiftly you haven't a hope of remembering it, let alone writing it down.

I have had to ring back up to four or five times to get the entire number and in one case the speaking of the number was so unclear I never did get it properly.

One should actually say it slowly and clearly and then repeat it again the same way. Failure to do this could see your business go elsewhere.

R McGuinness, Tauranga City.