My Labor Day weekend began yesterday afternoon when I took one last phone call before I turned off my office lights and walked out the door 45 minutes past closing time. As expected, it was a taxpayer wanting to discuss property tax issues. Given the fact that the deadline to file a property tax appeal is September 10, we’ve been getting a lot of calls and a lot of people coming through our offices.
This woman wanted an appeal form mailed out. I explained that we could fill that form in for her when she comes in—that we don’t require that the taxpayers provide evidence. She responded that she would be mailing in her appeal. I then tell her that she can download the form off the County website, and she says she doesn’t have Internet access.
I go on to explain that County mail has already been picked up and this will go out in Tuesday’s mail, As I am getting ready to get her address, she starts screaming that she knows the deadline is September Ten and she will not be prevented from filing a complaint. At that point she declares that I should personally take this envelope to a post office and mail it on my way home so that she will have “enough” time to file this complaint.
I explain to her that the next time mail will be picked up at our office is on Tuesday and that I will not be going to a post office on my way home. She blows up and starts SCREAMING into the phone, “You LAZY g** d**n government types just don’t GET it! You can’t even be bothered to help out a Senior citizen…”
We got disconnected at that point in time. Our conversation was over as soon as the swearing began. Just like the under assessed woman last year that called me a “F***ing heartless bitch,” this senior citizen forfeited her access to my ear by directing profanity at me.
I am acutely aware that as a government employee I work for the taxpayers—every one of them. I will (and do) work at my desk while eating my lunch, I will stay late to accommodate their schedules, and I will do all I can to make them feel comfortable while they are in my offices. I regularly supply my own pens and candy for the candy dishes because I like doing it—I enjoy watching people take advantage of these small frills.
I will even work overtime or at home just to get the job done timely and right because I think I owe you all that in return for what you pay me. I take that check every two weeks and I think you are entitled to these small things. I see it as a part of the employer / employee relationship.
What you are NOT entitled to do, however, is abuse me. I will show you every courtesy and I will do the best I can to provide good service and high quality work, and in return you will not swear at me or abuse my good will. I think that is fair, and I expect that in most civilized settings this expectation of mine is not an unreasonable one.
As I head off to celebrate the working men and women of our nation and the accomplishments of the Labor Movement, I intend to celebrate all the people who do go to work every day in spite of the stones and arrows they endure. I celebrate the professionals who show up every day in spite of the abusive bosses and abrasive people they encounter. I also celebrate the people who band together to demand their rights in the workplace. We should all be able to work in places that are safe, civilized and fair in the treatment of all the employees.
In solidarity!
Laura
Down By the Lazy River (I am a government employee!!)
Posted September 1st, 2007 at 10:48 AM by Laura Sandefur
in
I suppose you went to her house last week and tied her up and kept her from filing the proper paperwork a week early?
Well, if we lazy government types had energy enough for home invasion, she would have been tied up for almost 8 weeks by my reckoning. Complaint filing period began July One (as it has for several years.) July 22 was the date of a News Gazette article about assessment issues. Given the volume of traffic we had in our offices after that article appeared, more than a handful of people saw it.
This exact situation is why our office ALWAYS tells taxpayers file before September to avoid the rush.
Poor planning has created an emergency, I guess.
Happy Labor Day!
Laura
Hope to see you at the picnic!!
<< We got disconnected at that point in time. Our conversation was over as soon as the swearing began. Just like the under assessed woman last year that called me a “F***ing heartless bitch,” this senior citizen forfeited her access to my ear by directing profanity at me. >>
Heh. Sounds about right. My favorite way of coping with the bitter elderly who blame the world for being difficult and take it out on people who are actually trying to help them is to start with the words, "Wow. I really do understand where you're coming from. I helped my grandmother, who is in her eighties, and lives on her own, through something similar to this last year, and I think I have a solution that might help for you. In my grandmother's case, what I did was help her to (explain proper way to handle the situation). Unfortunately, it's too late to do this for you right now. What I can do is (explain best alternative). I would help you with this today, but our offices are closed for the holiday weekend. Would you like to stop by on (x)?"
I just don't leave the door open for their paranoid delusions, and I make sure that they feel like swearing at me would be equivalent to swearing at their favorite grandchild. Then I present them with a closed ended question that strongly suggests they should follow my lead, since I know what's in their best interest. "Fair enough?" is a magical question.
It works... really, really well-- even on schizophrenics and Alzheimer's patients. The calls take a while, but if you play on the psychology of fear that drives the lonely and the depressed geriatric mind, even the toughest old geezer (millionaire who doesn't want to lose a single penny and is firmly convinced that you're out to get him) can be brought down to something that can be worked with.
And if not? Well, there's always, "I'm sorry I can't do that, is there anything else I can do for you?", "Then we've come to a point where there really isn't any point in dicussing this further. If you decide you would like to stop by and pick up the necessary forms, as we discussed, our hours are x." "Yes, I understand, but unfortunately that's not an option that we have. Is there anything else I can help you with?" "Have a good day."
So much cleaner than hanging up on old people, and the satisfaction of making them feel guilty for being such miserable old jerks is priceless.
Is it wrong to enjoy manipulating people like that?
*shrugs*
Screw it. I do, anyway.
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Kem
Oh my! I just looked at your blog and I see you are a "Pastafarian!" I can tell from that alone that your mindset is just about right to enter this discussion!
(This is me waving hello!)
Excellent suggestions, I can see you are a master!
Regards!
Laura
Hello right back 'atcha. I worked the front lines in the wireless industry for 3 1/2 years prior to jumping into technical support, and I still do occasionally get to talk with that segment of the population with whom I would really rather not speak. All part of the job.
The way I figure it, I'm being paid to make them happy. I won't share the corporate secrets of our training, because I have some respect for the fact that they are in fact proprietary, but the basic idea is to let people know you care. No, really, you do. I mean, seriously. You care. So much so that people should understand that you are personally offended by their even beginning to think that you don't care. You take pride in how much you care, that's how much you care.
Heh. You get the point.
May I also assume that you, too, have been touched by His noodly appendage?
Doh... that last anonymous was me... just forgot to login.
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Kem
In my previous life as a government worker, when confronted with foul language, I did offer to refund the person their portion of my annual salary. Even though they did not have change, I gave them a penny.
There is no excuse for foul-mouthed, rude behavior, but the caller did have a somewhat valid point. Not that you, as an employee, were being lazy, but that a gov't office does not have the same incentive for "customer" service that a for-profit, private business does.
The Post Office locks its doors at closing time, sometimes literally as people are running towards it with stacks of mail. In contrast, restaurants will seat people 5 minutes before closing. It makes no difference to many gov't workers if the "customer" is dissatisfied - the "customer" really doesn't have a choice for the service. And, there is no benefit for the gov't employee in going above and beyond the call of duty. It's not like you would get a bigger raise or bonus.
My only point is that gov't run monopolies should be avoided, not encouraged - the profit motive is powerful.
"My only point is that gov't run monopolies should be avoided, not encouraged - the profit motive is powerful."
My counterpoint---Profit motive monopolies, like Ameren IP and Illinois American Water should be illegal.
For-profit monopolies are regulated, though, are they not?
Electric deregulation was an attempt to end Ameren's monopoly, at least on the electric generation part.
As for IL Amer Water, I won't say I love how they operate, but I really don't like the possibility of an eminent domain takeover of their assets.
I think that RSW's original post shows that some of the free market true believers on this site can take things to an absurd conclusion. After all, we're talking about a person that eats lunch at her desk, and on the day in question left the office 45 min after closing. I suppose that if she worked for a business she may have also taken the abuse with stoicism since "the customer is always right," and then stopped by the post office, in addition to everything else she did. Would we really be getting better service, however, because our public employees are willing to eat every slice of humble pie that is served up to them from society's bitterer corners?
It's not like you would get a bigger raise or bonus.
People don't go into governmental service for the money - same thing with most nonprofit organizations. That doesn't mean that they will work for free, but it does mean that they get something out of their work that isn't related to money.
There are some things the government does that would probably do better with an injection of market forces, education being the example that is used quite often, as well as things like highway management. But there are some things that I want my government to expressly keep to themselves - defense, policing, and tax collection (which is the larger process that gets handled at the assessor's office, after all). No need to return to the days of tax farmers just yet.
absurd conclusion
do you really think so? Who do you think is more likely to go the extra mile for you - the clerk at the bank, or the one at the Sec. of State's office? The one at the post office, or at Fed Ex?
I also applaud Ms. Sandefur for eating at her desk and staying open 45 minutes late - it doesn't sound at all like she is a lazy gov't slacker.
I fully understand that not all gov't services can or should be privatized, but we should be very cautious about letting the gov't run things that definately can be - like, say, a nursing home.
Who do you think is more likely to go the extra mile for you - the clerk at the bank, or the one at the Sec. of State's office?
Is neither an option? Seriously, I don't expect much from either of them.
Wow. I am tickled with the discussion going on here! Thanks, all of you for picking it up and running with it.
Part of the reason I put this up was to invite a discussion about attitudes about government workers (especially the local government folks who probably read here!)
I want to interject here that in my experience, most of the employees at Brookens really DO try very hard to work with and for the taxpayers of this county. I can’t speak for every office out there, but everybody I deal with as part of the tax cycle seems to carry a very professional attitude when it comes to dealing with the people who come to Brookens. There is almost a horror at the idea of doing anything less than the very best for the taxpayers.
I have been in both government and in the private sector, and I will say with certainty that the service you will get at Brookens is every bit the equal to what you’d see at any for profit entity, and in many cases suprerior. Yes, they ARE that good.
Board of Review is an odd beast because we are “appointed officials.” We have two year appointments. If we peeve the wrong people or become problematic we stand a good chance of becoming jobless. If we fail to meet the Continuing Ed requirements, that can be problematic for our re-appointment as well. Every two years we face the ultimate performance review, and we are acutely aware of that.
My frustration with this last taxpayer lies completely with the fact that she was swearing at me. It should NOT be this way for ANYONE, and I refused to deal with it even in the private sector. (Ask me at a blogger happy hour to tell you all the story of what my experience was as a cocktail waitress back in the early days when I was working three jobs. I am more opposed to being fondled than I am to being sworn at…)
I am supremely grateful for my job and I love what I do. I have never had any complaints with how I am treated by Champaign County, and I try very hard to do the best I can at it. That includes going that extra mile sometimes when people need it. I do think, however, that there is this perception that if you are a government employee, you ARE somehow less dedicated than the folks in the private sector, and I am not sure where that comes from.
So far in this thread, I have seen other governmental bodies discussed in disparaging terms and I wonder if this is based in personal experience or some sort of anecdotal or even “urban myth” sort of thing.
Anybody want to comment on that? (Oh—and governmental employees—feel free to jump in if you want to!)
Regards!
Laura
redstatewannabe:
<< Who do you think is more likely to go the extra mile for you - the clerk at the bank, or the one at the Sec. of State's office? >>
Depends entirely on the culture of the office and the ability of the managers to attract and retain good people. Dealing with the public for a living (in the private sector, thank you), I try very hard to have a neutral frame of reference with everyone I work with, and cheerfully give them my best regardless. That way I'm pleasantly surprised when I run across competence and professional skill or a genuinely relaxed and easy to work with approach to handling a situation that is not necessarily ideal, but not too disappointed when the numbers game catches up with me and I run across someone who fails to inspire or impress.
I'm a little skeptical of the notion that simply because a business is for-profit, it will attract more positive people.
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Kem
I'm a little skeptical of the notion that simply because a business is for-profit, it will attract more positive people.
I am not saying that at all - if that is how it came across, I need to clarify better. I know there are great people working in the public sector. All I am trying to say is that gov't offices generally lack the inherent motive for customer service - profit. Whether it is the tax collecter or the sec of states office, the "consumer" really doesn't have an alternative to the services being provided.
My frustration with this last taxpayer lies completely with the fact that she was swearing at me. It should NOT be this way for ANYONE, and I refused to deal with it even in the private sector.
Agreed, 100%.
All I am trying to say is that gov't offices generally lack the inherent motive for customer service - profit.
I would largely agree that profit can be a powerful motivating tool to provide good customer service (putting aside swearing, fondling, or otherwise loutish customers). But I still think that there are other motivating forces. For example, a clergy member isn't going to get rich - well, most aren't - but he or she has to provide a high level of "customer service" under very difficult situations - when someone is sick, dying, divorcing, loosing one's loved ones, and so on. They are obviously doing this for a reason other than money. The same goes for many in public service. Take a look at someone like Sect. of the Treasury Paulson or Robert Rubin - these guys could make roomfulls of money on Wall St (and they did), but they ended up getting a pittance in comparison to serve the country. Indeed, although things like tuition credits and so on may help military recruitment, in a time of war (like now) there are other, larger reasons for why someone would join up. Would our soldiers walk more patrols in Baghdad if we paid them more? Probably not - they are already tapped out, and aren't doing it for the money, although they certainly deserve every penny they get and more. Would a pastor be more compassionate or see more grieving people if we figured out some sort of bonus system for them? I wouldn't expect so - again, they aren't in it for the money.
Your example of the bank clerk vs. someone at the State Dept was a good example of the profit motive not always working. I get terrible service at banks (must be the balaclava I always wear - ha ha), when presumably they have some profit motive to serve me better. I've only visited the State Dept once, and don't remember the service being bad, but I definitely remember waiting a lifetime in bank lines.
But I still think that there are other motivating forces. For example, a clergy member isn't going to get rich
A clergy member, however, does face competition. His or her congregation can choose another church. There is feedback from "market forces".
Would our soldiers walk more patrols in Baghdad if we paid them more?
I just read a story last week about special bonuses being paid to recruits to get them to go to training immediately.
But I still think that there are other motivating forces.
I won't argue that.
redstatewannabe:
<< All I am trying to say is that gov't offices generally lack the inherent motive for customer service - profit. Whether it is the tax collecter or the sec of states office, the "consumer" really doesn't have an alternative to the services being provided. >>
No argument there. Thanks for clarifying, and sorry for the misunderstanding.
I can't help but add, though, that if profit is the only motive for providing good service, I question that person's choice of profession. In the service industry, private or public, it's about helping people and doing everything it takes to be the best at what you do. Some people have that drive, and some people don't. I'm not necessarily convinced that the ones who do tend to steer towards the private sector more often than the public.
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Kem
I have been a government employee for 30 years. I have worked at the federal level in two states, the state level in3 states and the county level in 1 state. Much of the criticism directed at government employees is warranted. I have known very few who would voluntarily stay 45 minutes on a regular basis without demanding overtime. Civil service has much the same affect of the quality of work in a govenment office as unions do. I would say the average govenement office employs about 10% excellent workers, 40 % ok to very average workers, 40% low to low average and 10% horrible workers. Thats not the kinid of office that would be successful in private industry. One phenomena that is different in civil service verses the private sector is the issue of promotions. I would say in civil service promotions are 70% political and 30% merit. In private industry I would reverse thoe numbers. I have NEVER seen an indiviudal demoted or fired in government once they reach management. IN private industry the pressure, accountability and vulnerability increase with promotions , with government it is often the opposite. People seek promotions often to avoid work (by delegating) and to get a well eaened rest. This backwards mentality about management maay be the biggest reason for the inefficencies of government.
By the way, much of this applies to teachers also. I not only have 30 years in, 80% of my friends are also government employees and between them and family memberes we have the major agencies covered from the social services, to defense, to legal, to bankrupcy, to IRS. I complement Laura on being one of the 10%. but dont generalize that to apply to the whole office as I for one doubt it.
I would say in civil service promotions are 70% political and 30% merit. In private industry I would reverse thoe numbers.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's the same way in any private company I've worked for.
Yes, there's the whole Peter Principle thing no matter where you go
And I'll add in here that the ratios on excellent--mediocre--piss poor employees sound about right for the private sector, too. Excellence is rare, no matter where you go.
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Kem
The reason some feel compelled to rag on government employees is the idea that "my tax dollars pay your salary!" That same person sees nothing wrong with wasting their employer's money by posting on blogs during work hours. :-)