Telling people how to do their job

[Victoria J]

Today we had to call the police because someone refused to go. My colleague (a sucky colleague but that's another story - she was absolutely right here) was advising the guy. When she refused to do the 2 things he wanted (one of which would have been illegal !) he refused to go. A supervisor told him that my colleague was right, and acting according to policy. My manager told him...

He just sat there for an hour until the police made him go away.

(He had a friend in the waiting room the entire time. The friend didn't speak any English, and just sat there peacefully wondering what was going on).

Few things annoy me more than people who argue with me about what my job entails. Guess what - I know best !

My personal favourite example was when I was working in a job where I assisted people make complaints about health treatment - and we did a lot of work supporting people with mental health problems, and helping them get the help they needed. One day some posh idiot rings up to complain that they're building a new mental health outreach service down the road from her. (And they can't possibly do that because "it's such a nice area")

I tell her she needs to seek advice from someone who knows about planning permission. She says she's already tried this and lost. I say it's not something I can help with and she starts quoting the complaint's procedure at me ("any interested party" can make a complaint).

In the end I said "I will speak to our policy manager and confirm whether we do this work, but please bear in mind that if she does reverse the existing policy for you I will still have absolutely no experience or knowledge about planning issues, and a background in supporting those attempting to get treatment. I really can't imagine what help I could give if I was told to assist you !"

"Well, please speak to your manager"

Strangely enough I didn't have to help her. And I hope they built a 10 floor prison for the criminally insane in the woman's back garden.

Victoria J

[Apathy]

A shining example of the whole, "As long as I keep bitching and moaning, I'll eventually get what I want."

Give it up, lady.

[powerboy]

I know how you feel. We have forms that we must send out( State Laws states that we must do this ), if they didn't pay by the 15th of the month. If we still have not receive payments by the 28th of the month, we must send out some other forms. We get some people who will not understand that. And they will try to fight us on it. One couple actually took us to BBB. We explained it to BBB that it was State Law that we had to send it.

[Victoria J]

The guy who wouldn't leave - we just switched rooms and left him sitting by himself until the police came. We were talking in the office and agreed that it was very appropriate. He threw a temper tantrum like a child, and we gave him some alone time to think about what he'd done. I've suggested introducing a naughty step.

We explained it to BBB that it was State Law that we had to send it.

I keep hearing about the BBB - and despite the use by SC's I always assumed that they also got to explain to people why they were being unreasonable customers. I'm kind of shocked you'd have to explain something was a legal requirement - I'd have expected them to know that !

My job used to involve giving consumer advice (and very very occasionally still does) - and we'd only help people if they had actually been treated badly. My favourite was always the people who would come in and argue that cell phone or satellite companies were ripping them off by not letting them break contracts. You got a free phone or free dish installation - why do you think you shouldn't have to pay for the whole year ! Advising them always led to yelling.

(And anyone who writes letters without checking out whether the person has a point should be ashamed of themselves. My favourite story is from a colleague of mine. She's worked as an adviser for 20 years plus, and back when she and the advice centre were both rather more idealistic and less cynical wrote a fiery letter to the police for a client demanding to know why they hadn't returned his property apparently held in evidence for 6 months after a case was finished. The police responded by explaining that they had no intention of ever returning the cannabis plants the client had been growing on his balcony - which overlooked the police station ! She's still slightly embarrassed about that one).

Victoria J

[Samaliel]

Today we had to call the police because someone refused to go. My colleague (a sucky colleague but that's another story - she was absolutely right here) was advising the guy. When she refused to do the 2 things he wanted (one of which would have been illegal !) he refused to go. A supervisor told him that my colleague was right, and acting according to policy. My manager told him...

What did he want in the first place ? I can't quite get how someone can bitch over something so hard that you have to call the police to have them leave...

I'm probably too nice for this world...

[Victoria J]

What did he want in the first place ? I can't quite get how someone can bitch over something so hard that you have to call the police to have them leave...

I'm probably to nice for this world...

It's all very dull. And the world's most boring and red-taped criminal offence !

He wanted us to fill a form he could quite easily do himself. (We can't fill them as we'd have no time to do anything, but check them through for people).

He also wanted us to write to the Home Office department controlling immigration for him - which was the real problem. The UK government has put all kinds of regulations in place regarding immigration advice. Allegedly to stop dodgy advice providers, but a conspiracy theorist might believe it was more to do with making sure lots of people can't get advice at all. As a result you have to be licensed to give immigration advice. my organisation holds an organisation wide "level 1" licence which means we can give advice only. You need to have a level 3 (I think) advice to make representations to the Home Office. So writing a letter for a client is a criminal offence !

We can draft letters for client's to send in their own names but never write from our organisation.

This guy refused to go until we wrote a letter from us. Ll he has done is made it much less likely anyone here will be willing to help him when he has issues we can deal with.

Bullying someone to act on your behalf seems strangely counter productive though. "Dear Home Office, this complete Jackass would like you to do this. Personally we suggest you deport him instead, we understand this would not be legal but feel it would be highly amusing. Bitterly, Adviser."

Victoria J

[Samaliel]

Not very eventful indeed, but quite mind-boggling to me.

If I had enough time, in your situation, I might have pretended to write the letter and put it the shredder as soon as they left. But if you're on a tight schedule / budget, I'd understand you want to save your time / stationery.

[Hon'ya-chan]

Bullying someone to act on your behalf seems strangely counter productive though. "Dear Home Office, this complete Jackass would like you to do this. Personally we suggest you deport him instead, we understand this would not be legal but feel it would be highly amusing. Bitterly, Adviser."

I say write the letter....only tell them that the guy is trying to do an illegal act and refuses to learn otherwise.

[Andara Bledin]

I keep hearing about the BBB - and despite the use by SC's I always assumed that they also got to explain to people why they were being unreasonable customers. I'm kind of shocked you'd have to explain something was a legal requirement - I'd have expected them to know that !

Generally speaking, the BBB receives complaints, contacts the business, and then posts stats on whether the issue was resolved or not. The DBA company that I work for gets a B rating, because the BBB doesn't really have any records on them at all with which to make a more accurate assessment.

They're actually a great resource for checking on charities and businesses that do a lot of high-value transactions (such as travel clubs/agencies) to be sure they're on the up and up.

^-.-^

[Devilot]

Bullying someone to act on your behalf seems strangely counter productive though. "Dear Home Office, this complete Jackass would like you to do this. Personally we suggest you deport him instead, we understand this would not be legal but feel it would be highly amusing. Bitterly, Adviser."

I was already leaning towards it because of the Gashlycrumb Tinies avatar... but now it's certain. You are my new god.

[Victoria J]

I was already leaning towards it because of the Gashlycrumb Tinies avatar... but now it's certain. You are my new god.

Aw,

But no. Edward Gorey is worth worshipping. Me, not so much. I love Edward Gorey.

Victoria J