How to mess with your food stamp worker

[Slave to the Phone]

Here in the land of "we don't need no more stinkin' sunlight!" food stamps need to be renewed every 6 months. If one doesn't complete the renewal process, the food stamps stop and the application process must be done again. Food stamps are also pro-rated to the date of application, so someone applying on the 7th won't get a full month of food stamps.

Usually, clients who miss their renewal have many excuses as to why its not their fault and we should just back date everything so they don't lose any benefits. As we are not allowed to do that, this can cause some tension during the interview. Melt downs happen often over this.

So, presenting today's mind-boggling client:

Me: Guess who.
NSC: Non-SC

Me: Looks like you missed your renewal, darn. We will have to do a new application.
NSC: Yes, I missed it, I'm sorry, I hope I didn't cause any inconvenience.
Me: (takes a second to reboot mind) Did you get your letter, let me just check your address.
NSC: Yes, I got the letter, I knew I needed to do this, I just didn't seem to be able to get myself to come in.
Me: I certainly do understand not wanting to come here, I don't know anyone who does, but you do understand that with the new application, your benefits will be pro-rated and you won't get the full amount for the month, right?
NSC: So, just to be sure I understand, because its 7 days into the month, my food stamps will be cut by those 7 days?
Me: Yes.
NSC: Well, that sounds reasonable. This is my fault after all.
ME: *thud of body hitting the floor as I faint from shock*

Pretty sad that nobody at work really believes I had that conversation!

[Buzzard]

Sounds like some of the interactions I have. "I screwed up, so this is what happens."

I sometimes ask if it would magically get better if I yelled, screamed and stamped my foot. No? So I guess I won't be doing that today.

The looks of confusion, followed by mirth are well worth it.

[MoonCat]

Wow!! New favorite client, right? Can you get this person cloned?

[Slave to the Phone]

Seriously, NOBODY does that! Nobody takes responsibility for their actions, they always blame us! NSC wasn't following the script and I didn't know what to do. I was all gobsmacked and such, stammering and stuttering like it was my first interview. I don't know how to deal with reasonable people anymore.

My world was set right during the next interview, though. Someone on social security all mad because they got a Cost Of Living Adjustment, so had more income and lost a whole 3 dollars of food stamps. Lots of blaming me, the state, me, the federal government, me, heartless government workers using jack boots to stomp the poor down, etc.

Our state's minimum wage went up to 11 per hour on the 1st, so I had several "discussions" about that as well.

I will forget those people by tomorrow, can't even remember details now, but the NSC that all of my co-workers think I made up will be branded into my mind until the day after I retire, or maybe even longer.

[Nunavut Pants]

I sometimes ask if it would magically get better if I yelled, screamed and stamped my foot. No? So I guess I won't be doing that today.

I've asked that before. I've gotten chuckles a couple of times, and no reaction at all more than once. Poor CSRs must have had their senses of humor burned out by SCs.

[RealUnimportant]

NSC: Yes, I got the letter, I knew I needed to do this, I just didn't seem to be able to get myself to come in.

Sounds like a victim of Executive Dysfunction. I can sympathise, and would have reacted the same way they did; it's a real pain in the backside to work around.

[taxguykarl]

Wow. A non-SC among all the EW's you have to deal with. I can see how you were caught off guard.

[Slave to the Phone]

Sounds like a victim of Executive Dysfunction. I can sympathise, and would have reacted the same way they did; it's a real pain in the backside to work around.

I've never hear of that before, had to look it up. I just thought that she was like me, the Procrastination Queen. I can find hundreds of reasons to not do something I don't want to do and have missed deadlines that have cost money before. Going to the food stamp office is horrible and to be avoided, which I and my co-workers do as often as possible.

I had no reasonable clients today, but the one that made me laugh the most is the one who saw me leaving for lunch and demanded that I go back to work because people were waiting. It just wasn't right that the government lets us workers go to lunch after working 4 hours, we should work until there is nobody in line because the CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!

I didn't even break stride, no eye contact, no response. I'm not going to waste my precious 60 minutes listening to someone berate me. Despite his yelled threats to my back, I wasn't fired when I got back after lunch.