I don’t often talk about work, but this little episode is worth recounting, if only to illustrate the stupidity inherent in mankind – and why I don’t suffer fools gladly. The following is a transcript that as closely recalls as I can remember, a telephone conversation that took place earlier today:
Client: “I wish to complain about the poor standard of service I received from your company. Please can you tell me how to go about it?”
Me: “What, exactly, is the problem?”
Client: “I received my training pack about two months ago and no one has been in contact. I have some books and paid over £500 with no service, it is very poor value for money. Also, no one explained to me that I had to register with the DSA straight away. No one said I had to register with the DSA.”
Me: “Did you receive a letter with the pack asking you to call this number?”
Client: “It was two months ago. And I didn’t find out about having to register with the DSA until I tried to take my test and now they tell me that I have to have a criminal records check.”
Me: “Yes that is the case since the 12th of March. Do you have your pack there? Can you find the letter? The letter advises you to let us know that you have received the pack and to call us to discuss what to do next.”
Client: “You should be calling me, I should not be having to call you.”
Me: “That isn’t practicable; we don’t know when you have received your pack until you tell us. Then we can advise you about applying to the DSA.”
Client: “I spoke to someone called Mark and he told me to start working on the pack…”
Me: “So you did receive the letter and call us. Why did you not follow the advice given?”
Client: “I was not told about how to apply to the DSA.”
Me: “It is the first thing we discuss before explaining the study plan, so we did cover it. Why did you not follow my advice?”
Client: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
In short, this gentleman telephoned to complain about me because he is too stupid to listen to, and take notice of, the information he had been given. Is it any wonder I have misanthropic tendencies?