Tuesday 20 October 2009

People who don't think

Between my hyperactive felines and the bloody peacocks, I didn't get much sleep last night. I don't function well sans sleep, so if none of this makes any sense, sorry. I am also fairly grumpy.

I think I just get frustrated with people who can't seem to think before they do or say something. Case in point, awhile back, my debit card started to give me issues. It was so ancient that the bit where you sign your name had worn off almost completely. So I went into the bank (which I hate doing). Nedbank has decided to simplify life and save us all time by creating a dedicated "collections counter" where people can simply pop in and pick up their cards or get a new one.

Hah! I have never waited for less than 30 minutes in this "fast" queue. On this occasion, it was no different. When I eventually got to the front, I explained my case and the woman behind the counter let me choose a new card. The actual process only took about 10 minutes. And off I went on my way.

The next day, I withdrew cash from the ATM only to discover that the card had been linked to the wrong account! Thankfully it was just linked to my other Nedbank account, not someone else's. But I still had to go back to the bank on Saturday morning (when it's busiest) and go through the whole process again. If the woman had simply checked which account she was about to link the card to, none of this would have happened.

Grrr.

Second case in point, we have a client that pays us to do PR for a specific campaign that's running. Our contact person on that end is seriously lacking in the grey matter. She calls yesterday to ask for a list of all the media placements to date. But she hasn't signed off any media releases. Which means we haven't sent them out. Which means there are no placements as yet.

One of our other clients (we do publicity for him. He's supposedly a South African celebrity, although I had no clue who he was before I met him) phoned the other day to ask my boss if she has his ID number. How do you get past the age of 30 and not take responsibility for things like this yourself? One of the other "celebs" called and asked for his own bank details. It's insane.

We have one client who phoned us after leaving our offices to tell us she was lost and ask us where she was. So we asked the logical question - what landmarks can you see or what road are you on? The answer - "I dunno... I'm at an Engen Petrol Station."

How many Engen filling stations are there in Johannesburg? Lots! And surely it would make more sense to ask someone there where you are instead of phoning us and expecting us to guess?

Apparently not.

Deep breaths, Tamara...

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Omg I'd love to know who those "celebs" are, write it here in the comments section :P

BioniKat said...

Its those little things that push your blood pressure up every day. I don't know how some people get around.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how people like that survive in this world. I intensly dislike people with no common sence!
At least if you ever have an "I feel stupid moment" you can look back at these people and smile

Anonymous said...

waha it seems to me that everyone has got end-of-the-year-itis and its setting in quite quickly. LOL. I'm sorry its affecting you; but I suppose it'll be happening a lot around now.

Which reminds me. I really should put my bank details down on my phone. Or somewhere.

Meriel said...

i am so glad i have nothing to do with celebs. they sound exhausting.

Louisa said...

I think some people are sent to test us? At my previous place of employment, case in point, was the man known as Truffle. Storms in one day asking me where his f-ing tea was?!(in a tone that I really didn't care for) So I told him, "you didn't ask for any". He wanted to know if he has to ask for every little thing then, and I said only if he wants the rest of us to know and do something about it. Pffft! idiot...

DON'T even get me started on the banks.

po said...

Good grief imagine phoning someone else for you ID number! Although I say that and I know I am guilty of asking questions without thinking to my boss all the time. Bad Po. Poor man.

Helen said...

How do you not know your own ID number? That's insane! I am guilty of asking directions ALL the time though! I woke up some guy at an Engen station at 4am once (I was on a long trip, not getting home late) and he was really helpful once we managed to figure out where I was!

Keep breathing!

And I agree, the peacocks must be stopped! My friend got attacked by one at Gold Reef City once, it wasn't pretty...

sarah said...

oh lord. do i even remember my ID number? hmmm... i have all these japanesey ID numbers in my brain now

GOD i understand your frustration. and you can imagine what its like to have a problem with your SA bank account and be in another country! they dont even bother answering emails

grrrrrr

Tamara said...

Anon: I would love to tell, but it would risk my job!

momcat: Totally! I feel my blood boiling when I have to deal with incompetent or insolent people.

Roby: Yup. Common sense is not that common anymore.

Paula: Need holiday! Now.

Meriel: Some aren't. But most of ours are. They seem to think this is Hollywood, not Joburg.

Louisa: Good comeback!

Po: Yup. Surely by age 21 you know it, nevermind when you're 30?

Helen: I have no problem with people asking for directions. It just akes more sense to ask someone who knows where you are, not wait for someone on the phone to guess with no landmarks or road names.

Sarah: But you know those Japanesey ID numbers. You're one up on the schlebs.

Tamara said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gill said...

I feel your frustration! All the banks are the same, I've recently had to call into our local Standard Bank 3 times in an attempt to get Paula's ATM card to work... I used to work for Standard Bank and believe me in those days we would have been hauled over the coals BIG time for this level of customer service.