By Tony Booth

What happens when an experienced estate agent takes a busman's holiday ... and becomes a prospective buyer needing estate agency services from his competitors, peers and colleagues?

My guess is it's a little like being invited out to a dinner party when you are a renowned local chef ... the experience could prove terribly disappointing and disclose inadequacies that are a little hard to swallow.

I imagine most of us that are involved in the 'service industries' feel we are delivering the best assistance we can to those members of the public who ultimately pay our wages.

Unfortunately, my recent experience of numerous estate agents has proved the service generally being offered is simply not good enough.