IT'S NOT EASY BEING A SOUTHERN BELLE-EVEN AFTER YEARS OF PRACTICE!













Friday, January 23, 2009

ANSWER ME THIS!

BC & I had an appointment with one of the Federal Government agencies yesterday. I walked away once again trying to determine if the people that work there hate their jobs or just hate all of the people that walk through the door. I have NEVER seen such an unhappy appearing group. Being a retired CPA who was in public practice (Freakface says Recovering CPA-good description), I worked with the IRS for a LONG time. It took a LONG time to establish a relationship with the agents that I dealt with on an on-going basis. The "Field Auditors" were actually easier to deal with than those that worked in the office. It took hard work to get a smile and when I scored a chuckle-EUREKA!

Have they been treated badly by the public? Do their bosses make their lives miserable? Do they hate their jobs? The litany of questions always runs through my mind when I make a visit to these offices.

Perhaps I am incorrect, BUT, I believe the taxes that I pay supplies the funds that pays these folks. So in some weird-round about way, I am one of the "Bosses". For all of the funds that I supply to help make the payroll, I do not expect any say so in day to day operations nor do I want to help write policy. The ONE AND ONLY thing I expect is courtesy, maybe a kind word and perhaps even a SMILE when greeted.


REALLY-if your job is SO miserable that you can't even manage a smile-GET ANOTHER JOB! I don't expect favored treatment, but I would be delighted if when I walked out of the office I left with a smile on my face from the pleasant and kind federal employee that I had dealt with.
It really is sad that I don't dare name the agency, for fear of future repercussions from revealing the truth. My good friend, Goose Creek, works for a State of Louisiana Agency. She tells me that they treat their "Clients" with respect and kindness. Perhaps Uncle Sam should take a page from the State of Louisiana manual. We may not get many things right and we might be at the bottom of the nation in many categories, BUT we do treat people in the same manner that we expect to be treated.

HELLO, UNCLE SAM-are you listening? Do you even care?

6 comments:

Hannah Lee said...

Pretty sure ole Unc doesn't care. I feel the same way about the people at the DMV-- awful awful place. You are lucky to get a hello.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I know what you mean! But it's almost everywhere you go. It's like you've interrupted them and inconvenienced them to DO THEIR JOB. Surely that is not how they want to be treated! Some of us that work for the government do get our a** chewed out regularly though--usually by people who have no idea what they're talking about, but I try not to take it out on the next person.

Chrome Cowgirl

Anonymous said...

bon qui qui Loke it up on utube

Anonymous said...

Bon Qui Qui--- look her up on utube

Ann Miller said...

i think your expectations are too high...sorry i interupted your life and thought you might be interested in conducting your job in a semi "glad i am alive" sort of way...; expect less and you surely will not be disappointed!!

Deb said...

Get used to it....the zietgeist indicates we are gonna get a lot more of this stuff....the govt is gonna be growing in leaps in bounds if we get the CHANGE 52% of America is yearning for. It is gonna make Jaba the Hut look anorexic!