"We would like to offer you a gesture of averagewill.."

The phrase "A gesture of goodwill" seems to be bandied around a lot these days. It occurred to me today that more often than that it exactly what it is, a gesture, often a fairly limp one at that.

Increasingly seems like companies will continuously deliver some pretty ropey service or substandard products and wait to see what happens. I sometimes get the feeling that shop assistants know that they are essentially passing off rubbish and are just waiting, tongue in cheek, for someone to mention that the sandwich they have just bought looks like it was found behind a radiator, or that the phone they have just bought might as well be a laptop for the amount it needs charging. All to often we remain silent however.

But when things do go awry it seems like the heavens open, just look at Watchdog which has recently been revived on the BBC by the seething latent mass of customer distaste with what we get for our money. Couple that with the frustration collected from the British pass time of Queueing for everything and you make for a potent cocktail. How many times have you seen the long suffering housewife stalking the supermarket with a menacing look and a large trolley? or the suit wearing executive one mocha away from a brawl in his nearest Costa?

Yet all things considered it is funny how easily placated we are when such a gesture is offered. I have been guilty of turning from an outraged Anne Robinson to a grinning Christine Bleakly at the mere mention of a partial refund on my line rental or a free innocent smoothie.

What I would say is that it seems like you don't get if you don't ask. The silent majority are on the short end of a good deal, and even the most casual of boat rockers seems to put the wind up most retailers these days.

So next time you are mildly dissatisfied, can I suggest a strongly worded letter?