In the movie, Beetlejuice, Barbara and Adam are in a horrible accident. They are both killed. When they eventually get to the administrative hub of the afterworld, they discover that all of the workers at the help centre have committed suicide on earth. I think I understand what the scriptwriter was trying to say. Being part of the bureaucracy is rarely a live giving experience. In fact sometimes it is a soul destroying experience.
From my past two and half months or so, I can understand how difficult life of a bureaucrat might be. Like most people going to a bureaucrat or a customer service representative, I usually want an easy, quick answer to my issue. Sometimes though that is not possible. Sometimes other information needs to be provided. Other times one might find gaps in the computer information. The computer from your jurisdiction might not talk to a computer in another jurisdiction. Sometimes the computer program has so many security features that it complicates an easy request.
For the most part, the bureaucrats and customer service representatives have been very kind when I have asked them my stupid question that they have already answered a thousand times before. They have not been shocked when I misread a very clear instruction on page 3 of the form. They have hidden their derision when I have been totally stupid. For the most part they have been kind.
Bureaucrats and customer service representatives have a tough job. They do try to help their clients. But rules have been designed by someone else and they must be followed. It is not the bureaucrats or customer service representatives who make things difficult. I think anyone who sits on the other side of the desk hopes that every client has their issue dealt with quickly. I am sure every client rep voices the same silent profanity that a client might say (verbally or non-verbally) when the computer says that an application cannot be approved at this time-please refer to points 2, 3, and 5c. Those on the other side of the desk do not want your issues to become their issues.
My learning from this is as follows. We live in a complex world. Some things are filed away permanently. Some seem lost in the interweb. Present forms of identity and proof. Do not be surprised when you need further proof. Be kind to the person behind the desk. They did not cause the issue that you are facing. They sometimes have the ability to help you. We are all human. It is easier to be helpful to someone who is pleasant. It is a little more understandable that a clerk is less motivated to solve an obnoxious or rude person. Third good results come in God's time not my time. Somethings are very quick. Sometings, we just need to be patient. Blessings
