Friday, July 07, 2006

Follow the Damn Directions

Apparently, there are people in the world who have not experienced the little Follow Directions Worksheet that I received in fifth grade. This lesson taught the importance of reading the documents you are given, in full, and then actually doing what they tell you to do, the way they tell you to do it.

I am amazed at how few people follow directions. Everyone thinks he is a rebel, but I am here to tell you that not paying attention is not rebellious, it’s stupid. And if, by some weird chance, this is your way of being rebellious, then accept the consequences of your behavior.

Case Number One: An employee wanted Direct Deposit. I gave him the form, which is a simple one page affair, and what I got back was hideous. Besides not filling in the required information (he wrote his routing number and account number on a scrap of paper the size of a matchbook and submitted that to me) he had actually scribbled on it. He scribbled where he should have signed. I mean really. And he had also failed to give me a voided check or bank letter. I gave him back a clean, blank form. I high-lighted in many different colors the pertinent instructions (he obviously is a video game baby), I wrote additional instructions and gave him back his previous submissions. I got all of the papers back, the only change being that he signed the new form. He left for vacation to Vegas. I called him on his cell phone to tell him that his Direct Deposit would not be going through. He told me it was absolutely necessary that it go through as he had written checks and mailed them based on his paycheck being automatically deposited this week. I told him it couldn’t be done as he did not follow instructions. He said he didn’t know he had to follow the instructions. I asked him why he would think the instructions were unimportant, as I even highlighted them. He said he didn’t have to do any of this at his old job. Oh, and this person is in college. I am sad for our future brain trust.

Case Number Two: We fired our newest office clerk today. We fired her because every time she was asked to do something, she copped an attitude. I wrote a detailed job description for her position. I gave her the job description and went over it with her. The things she was being asked to do were on the job description. And the person with whom she got the most attitudes with the most often was the person who signed her paycheck. DUH!

Case Number Three: Another employee, long-term, called out the day after the 4th of July holiday. When she came in on Thursday, I reminded her that she would not receive the holiday pay as she did not work her scheduled day after the holiday. She had a fit (with yelling and screaming and slamming things.) This policy has been in force for over ten years. She has received numerous employee manuals where the policy is clearly written. She is still trying to get me to pay her, her excuse: she didn’t read the manual.

Not reading: not an excuse. Thinking something doesn’t apply to you: priceless.

10 comments:

  1. Wow Nessa. This is sure another side of you.

    Having said that, they all sound stupid and annoying and whiney and I wish you had bopped each on the head with an oversized sausage kept on your desk for the purpose of bopping annoying staff members who didn't know better than to think that instructions never apply to them.

    (Phew, that is the longest sentence ever!)

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  2. Jenn - Yeah, I know. I keep telling myself I have a good job, but when I have to deal with 4 or 5 of these kinds of situation a day, everyday, I get cranky. These people make my brain hurt.

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  3. I am not in the least surprised that the world of banking and finance is so staggeringly rife with idiots. What I love about these morons is that it's not their fault. It's somehow your fault and therefore your problem.

    As Bullet-Tooth Tony (from the movie Snatchsays: "You should never underestimate the predictability of stupidity." I find this comforting in that I can usually guess when people are going to behaving more stupidly than normal and can then have more fun.

    (And watch the dig on the video game generation. Which is worse: mindlessly watching television for two hours in the evening, or playing a video game in which you have to make decisions and reason solutions?)

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  4. These people are not unique to the banking and finance world, unfortunately.
    *sigh*

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  5. I 100%, completely and totally agree with you!! OMG. And to also agree with jege (jen), they are not unique to any particular world at all! It's the WHOLE world. Your stories make me want to hit these people! :( *breathes slowly*

    People tend to repel common sense. I deal with these people daily. DAILY. I just don't understand how these people survive in life. Oh, wait, I do. WE (people with common sense) are obligated to CATER to them (such as when you had to highlight the Direct Deposit form for that jackass), and make things even EASIER for them to avoid having to think for themselves. AHHHHH!!!!

    /sigh

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  6. PTB: Oh, you mean it's not my fault they are stupid? It might be. As Jadzia says, we overcompensate for them. But I'm getting better. I used to actually fill the forms out for them. Granted, I was forced intot his behavior by my boss, but still. P.S. I'm only a video game snob because I'm not good at them.

    Jege: Unfortunately, you are right.

    Jadzia: It really does make me worry about future generations. I think smart cash registers and digital clocks are to blame for this trend. Or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety.

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  7. Wow, Vanessa I hadn't looked in this little box of Treasures. Thanks for visit!

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  8. Quasar9: Thanks for stopping by all of my sites. And I must say, the pictures you post on your site are stunning and the posts and comments exercise a whole 'nuther part of my brain. Fun.

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  9. Oh gosh what a headache for you!

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  10. Jamie: Don't mind me. I'm a whiner.

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