Huh?
Stoid, I don’t believe we’ve interacted before, but for the record, I don’t think you’re crazy. I also don’t think the reasoning or intentions behind the rant in your OP are irrational or malicious. All other things being equal, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect an answer of some sort when you ask a direct question, and to be annoyed by direct repetition of the thing you wanted clarified.
I think there’s one crucial piece, though, that you’re missing – which is no insult at all; it’s borne of years of doing bottom-tier customer service for a large organization, and is counterintuitive to many who haven’t. The fact is that, as the service-experienced posters in this this thread have attested (and I’ll throw my own on the stack for whatever it’s worth), the question “Why is Policy X in place” has absolutely no answer that will be accepted by 9,999,999 out of 10,000,000 people you deal with…and what’s more, “I don’t know” is, without a doubt, the worst answer you can possibly give.
Your average customer – and to give perspective on “average” I’ll again reference that 99.99999% figure, which I honestly believe to be no exaggeration – is more than happy to use any answer you may give to this question as an inroad to argument, and “I don’t know” is no exception. What makes it the worst answer is that saying it is, in the eyes of the combative customer, tantamount to A) admitting that you’re incompetent at your job, and/or B) stating that there is no reason for the policy at all. Both of these, when presented to your supervisors (with whom the customer will inevitably want to speak), will not exactly endear you to them.
It’s also possible that you’ve accepted this based on the experiences presented to you in this thread, and are arguing based on the fact that you would not behave like our hypothetical combative customer. I see no reason not to give you the benefit of the doubt on this point…but even so, it doesn’t matter, because customer service people have no way of knowing that. They base their interactions with each member of the public on a (rough, gut-feeling) statistical model of what’s worked in the past, or, failing that, what’s been the most efficient…whether that assumes rational conduct on the customer’s part or not. See Fenris’ top-notch contributions for an explanation of how that applies to this sort of situation.
Basically, the question posed in the OP is a common service scenario, most customers in this scenario act a certain way, and the response of the serviceperson is based on that, not on you specifically. It’d be wonderful if service professionals could treat everyone as reasonable and well-intentioned from the start, but as reality stands, most people just aren’t…and acting as though they were would quickly bring any customer service process to a standstill.
Thank you very much!
I understand the point, I do. And while I think there’s room for debate, the bottom line is that the Pit is a great place to go and say “GOD FUCKIN DAMMITALL SHIT POO GRRRR!” even and perhaps especially about things you have absolutely no chance of changing in the big picture of life, and that’s pretty much what I was doing.
But I’ll continue to try to get to the bottom of frustrating policies, because sometimes I succeed. And when I don’t I may come here and stamp my feet and pout about it.
Thanks again, truly.
Huh, what? Is the question concerning containing emotions?
Always happy to provide a space for you to act out your issues, TP.
Dude, some nuts just aren’t worth climbing the tree for. Forget about reaching this one.
There’s nothing wrong with asking why a policy exists. Many folks are saying you shouldn’t ever bother. You should just quietly do as asked. After all, you won’t get the real reason anyhow. This person doesn’t know. In the time it takes to ask, you could be done. They’re just going to repeat themselves until you stop. It’s frankly stunning to see Dopers advising to just be quiet and be a sheep.
How do you think a policy gets changed? Maybe because people complain about it. Maybe because it’s a stupid policy and the policy maker doesn’t realize it until it’s brought to their attention. Or maybe it’s not stupid. Maybe your asking never changes a thing. But there’s nothing wrong with asking. Asking may or may not be **effective ** but it’s still okay to do. If it’s not effective, that doesn’t mean you’re some kind of weirdo for having spoken up. You have a right to be annoyed that you can’t get a straight answer.
Dopers criticize every policy around here up and down and every other way. And sweet Jeebus, should TPTB give a non-responsive answer, hundreds of posters get the flamers ready to full blast.
Any policy that affects you deserves to be questioned, and deserves an honest answer. If any one but Stoid had written this OP, there would be hardly any argument. You’d have eight pages of Dopers sharing their own rants about policy drones.
Once again, it’s NOT because she asked, it’s because she wouldn’t except the answer.
Now, personally, I would have told her, “I’m sorry, but we want to make sure that we always have computers available in case someone is in need of them, no matter how many people come in. And one of the ways we have found to accomplish that is to restrict usage to a two-hour limit.” Or something like that.
Just like I used to tell express lane customers, “I understand there’s no one here now, however, if someone were to come along shortly with only five items, it would not be fair to them.” (And trust me, THAT would happen quite frequently!)
However, she was simply told it was policy, didn’t like that answer, and kept on asking why. Perhaps that’s what they were instructed to say. Who knows? The point is, she comes off as extremely obnoxious about it.
(From Stoid’s posting history around here, I DON’T think she would have accepted “no” for an answer, no matter what she says. -Remember the whole, “advice/information” crap?)
The point is, IF she wants to get a policy changed, complaining to the clerks at the desk ISN’T the way to get it done. That’s when you ask to talk to someone higher up, and give suggestions. Bitching at someone who has no control over the policies only pisses them off, and makes them even LESS likely to help.
That’s your interpretation.
She claims that either of these would have been fine answers.
That’s your interpretation.
Oh I remember. A few of the most entertaining hours of reading I’ve ever had here. Your mention of it supports my point that if anyone but Stoid had posted the OP there would have been different reactions.
“Bitching at someone” is your interpretation. I think asking the frontline people is always the first step. And if they are completely non-responsive (which is Stoid’s interpretation), you have a right to be annoyed and start a pit thread about it.
I kinda did except the answer, in that I took exception to it. nyuk nyuk.
Accept.
Really? You were there? Why didn’ yu say Hi? (Actually, I wasn’t really told it was policy, the clerk just repeated what he already said in different words, as though I had failed to understand him the first time).
“No” to what? I didn’t ask any yes/no questions. (Nor was the info/advice thread about yes vs. no, and remember: for me, message boards and RL are different, requiring different responses.)
Which would be why I didn’t complain to the clerk at the desk. (And in fact the real point was that it’s obnoxious as hell to have people restate the same thing in a different way when asked a perfectly civilized question.)
Done. Got his name.
Not yet. Haven’t talked to him.
Very true. That’s why I don’t bitch at people who have no control. My tone might have some snip when the no-control people don’t answer me in a manner that makes sense, but I don’t bitch.
Please try to stay on track with the truth and stop re-writing the story every other page so you can justify YOUR bitching.
Once more, with feeling: if you need to make shit up to complain about, then maybe I’m not as bad as you seem to believe. The truth should suffice to demonstrate my hideousness, and if it doesn’t, then perhaps my hideousness is in your mind.
Stoid, you’re insane. Hope this helps.
Yes, but why?
Regards,
Shodan
Helps with what?
You are just as irritating in real life as you are on this board, I guarantee. Your posting history shows that. You are the person who walks into a library/office/wherever and people whisper “Shit, that bitch is back.”
What the hell is wrong with you?
And now that you fancy yourself a junior lawyer, you have become positively insufferable.
I’m not so sure that’s true. I frequently find myself fondly disposed toward Stoid and often have to remind myself that she is on a Medea-like crusade to ruin all who’ve crossed her.
I don’t know Stoid from anyone else on this board. Maybe forget the past history of a poster and listen to what they are actually saying now.
There is no one, not one person on this board who wouldn’t question some clerk about why they can’t use a computer that no one else was using. I also seriously doubt that there isn’t anyone, who if they were told that there was a two hour limit and saw a bank of empty computers, wouldn’t at least briefly think that it was a ridiculous rule and ask for a reason that the rule was in place especially if you had been using these same computers for longer periods previously. Really, what the hell is wrong with you if you think otherwise, or would act any differently? Or, when people tell you to do something, do you respond, “Bah!” and then blindly do it hoping that in the future some anonymous bureaucrat randomly changes the faulty policy that is pissing you off in your favour? Would you even stuff something in the suggestion box if one was available? Sheesh!
Do you know how to read? She questioned a “clerk” and got an answer that she found inadequate. She thought “I don’t know” was the best answer in this circumstance. You know, because she’s nuts and thinks she’s all logical and shit.
Apparently, “I don’t know” is a much better answer than a polite use of language to appease the nutter who demonstrates that any answer won’t satisfy her. Then she can ask for the supervisor! And get the same answer–namely, no one is going to change policy for her fat, sweating ass.
Jesus, if Stoid spent a tenth of the time she spends on these ridiculous vendettas exercising her fat, sweating ass then she’d be thin and people would not leave her to have fulfilling sex with other people.
ps. I hate Guin, but calling out a fucking typo is fucking weak ass shit.
So, you are saying you wouldn’t question a clerk who gives you a line like there is a two hour limit on computers not currently being used even though you’d been using the same computers for longer periods of time previously?:dubious:
Really, it is just because you don’t like Stoid, right?
Personally, I’d ask once, and then after realising that the clerk couldn’t give me anything beyond “Dunno, sorry, that’s the new policy” I’d probably just shrug, assume my own realistic reason (“Someone In Operations Decided And That’s How It Is Now”), and maybe send a letter to the Person In Charge- although, as anyone who has done that will tell you, probably 85% of the time you just get fobbed off with a form letter that says “Thank you for writing, your point has been duly noted and ignored.”
How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?
Me: Are you sure I can use the computers for only two hours?
Clerk: That is right.
Me: Why?
Clerk: Well, I’m just a peon with no actual initiative and lack an inquisitive nature, so I don’t know. Please don’t get upset with me for being such a drone. I actually want to write poetry for a living, so I can’t be bothered to actually perform a public service function due to it being beneath me. The general public can be such boors, don’t you think?
Me: But I’ve been able to use the computers as much as I’ve needed to in the past. Is this a new policy?
Clerk: Stop harassing me! It is impossible for me to tell you such things because this is a super secret library where my Masters don’t allow me such initiative and would punish me severely for imparting useful information to you about how we do business. I can show you where to find the information on how to build nuclear warheads, but to tell you about this policy is verboten. Please stand behind the line, Sir!
Me: Are you retarded?
Clerk: Yes.
Me: Ah, now the policy makes sense. Thanks. Bye.
Clerk: Thank you, come again![/Apu]
It would be easy to have a conversation where you’d potentially ask three questions of the clerk about the policy. I find it hard to believe anyone would just walk away after asking just one.