briancbyrne
Registered User
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What world are these people living in??
I must say I got treated really well in DL SW office. They actually made being there much easier because they were so nice. At least they have a ticketing system there, other offices don't.
My only complaint with DL office is that there's one member of staff who curses an awful lot when speaking to people signing on. It's all 'sorry mate, I'm up to me .......................'. You'd never get away with talking to people like that if they were paying customers. It's really disrespectful to people who's self-esteem has already taken a bashing.
Other than that one guy I think they do a great job under pressure and do their best to make it as painless as possible for people.
FFS, this is the usual rubbish of those who are not operating in the real world....WORK HARDER. All around the country, costs are being cut in an effort to keep companies afloat. Cost cutting involves 4 day weeks and redundencies meaning that frequently the same work load needs to be carried by a reduced staff. What company decides that they are not opening mail, or answering phones because they are too busy (I've had experience of both with government depts over the last couple of years).Obviously there are not enough staff to cope with the increased numbers who unfortunately have to call to these offices.
I'd agree with your points and have every sympathy for, typically, poorly paid people doing a very tough job, however I'd have an issue with this last point.5. They are being asked to use outdated procedures that may have worked in less busy times, but cause bottlenecks now. Nobody expected the drastic increases in ther LR and nobody has reacted to it yet. Staff are left to cope best they can.
A couple of points:
1. SW offices have increased work volumes 100%+ in 12 months. They have not got the extra staff promised by the mininster last October so are trying to deal with 100% increase with same resources.
2. The offices are not physically big enough to cater with queues and there cannot man every hatch every minute of every day. Most offices open 9.30 to 4.00.
3. Staff are on flexitime and entitled to a break like every other worker. Some staff are on their feet at a hatch from 9.30 until 2.00 WITHOUT A BREAK simply because there is nobody to relieve them.
.
My friends partner was in the S.W office at 9:30 in the morning. He asked which was the most appropriate hatch for his querey. Was told hatch 1. Qued 1 1/2 hrs. Got to the hatch and was told he was in the wrong line. He said this was the line he was told to get into to which he got a reply of "theres nothing I can do".
He gets a new ticket, queues again. Gets to Hatch at 11.55am to be told "sorry we go on lunch at 12:00 so I wont be able to talk to you - you will have to come back later". He said it was 11:55 and not 12:00 and he had been queueing since early morning. The lady at the hatch then says wait a moment, goes into the back office and comes back at 12:00 and says "sorry the machine says its 12 o clock" and turns her back and walks away.
What world are these people living in? Do they not realise that the clients approaching them are stressed and often at the end of thier tether? - If this is endemic of the way the public services are run I hope they are cut to the bone in the upcoming budget!
Such behavior and attitude runs through an organisation and the front line person would not dare act in such a way unless it is overlooked by those above her.
Shame
I'd agree with your points and have every sympathy for, typically, poorly paid people doing a very tough job, however I'd have an issue with this last point.
I've worked with a lot of public sector departments. I'm speaking generally, and not specifically in relation to SW. But outdated procedures are endemic and are usually caused by:
1. Unions demanding pay increases / one off payments for implementing "efficiency". Typically computerising manual tasks.
2. Individuals treating IT training as a joke, turning up when they feel like or not attending atall.
This is my experience across a wide range of departments, though as I said not specifically SW. As such I don't find it surprising that outdated procedures and systems are still being used which prove inadequet when stretched. No effort was made to streamline these systems during the boom. Benchmarking was given with no efficiency gains achieved.
This hole is one they dug for themselves.
not wishing to be too cynical but working through lunch is hardly cause for martyrdom. especially if office hours are 9.30-4.00
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