Just what is incompetence? How does one get to be called incompetent at their job? Is it because of a lack of customer service? Is it an attitude thing? Is it just because the person doesn’t complete the task that they’re paid to do? I know this might seem obvious but to me it’s an interesting question because no one can really define incompetence, we know it when we see it but I’ll bet you anything you want that if we were to try and go into specifics on the subject that no one would ever be able to give a clear cut answer.
Is it incompetent for a store clerk to not know where a certain section is? Or if a certain items on sale? Is a lack of knowledge about a new policy incompetence? Sometimes people just take a while to learn things, it’s not their fault it just happens. There’s some times when people get confused, again not incompetence but simple forgetfulness. These are people not androids... though an android serving you in Kmart would be the coolest thing ever. No these do not, at least in my mind, count as incompetence. Incompetence is simply the person ignoring you or not helping you in the way you require them to help you.
If you go into a store and asked for DVD’s and the person said “Oh you don’t want those, let me show you the power tools” then that would be pure incompetence right? They not only refused to listen to you but they tried to get you to do something you don’t need. Not only is time wasted but, depending on how you feel that day, you may need to create an airtight alibi and buy some powerful stain remover for the trunk of your car. If I come into your store and ask for something then that is what I want, and this goes across the workforce in general.
I go to a Job Seeker company regularly, their purpose is to help me in finding employment. If they find me employment they get paid so there’s a decent incentive for them but something has been telling me lately that they just do not have the ability to do that. Let’s just begin with my own personal cold hard facts.
In my life I have had 2 job networks, I will name neither because I don’t wanna get in trouble but I will say that in that time they have only gotten me 2 job interviews, one of which led to a casual position. Meanwhile on my own without any assistance I managed to get 6 interviews, 3 of which led to a short employment.
Something about this seems off to me, I’m doing a better job than the people who are paid to find me work.
But it get’s better, as I previously mentioned I had a course in job seeking that I had to do, one that provided no information that I could use and if anything it just wasted my precious time more than it should’ve. Well today I get a call claiming I needed to go in to sign for a form that should’ve been signed last Thursday, but no one told me to do it last Thursday so I didn’t do it. I always believe that you can’t sign for something if you don’t know you have to sign for it, so I went in and signed off. That should be the end of it, but it wasn’t. Upon me leaving I headed to get lunch, throwing out the booklet I had taken with me as I went because I didn’t believe I needed it anymore. The papers should’ve been with the person who was there but they apparently weren’t, in fact they called my house about ten minutes after I left. Now I don’t know about you but I need more than 10 minutes for lunch, I’m not superman and can’t go long distances in under ten minutes.
So now not only has this person lost my paperwork but they allege that I took it with me, something that makes no sense because who actually signs a form at a job network agency and then takes it with them? It’s pointless and offensive to even think that I’m that stupid, I can be but I wasn’t today. At no point did I take the paperwork with me and I mentioned that about 4 times on the phone, but I was ignored completely. Apparently they can’t make a mistake, the only one who can do that is the customer... whatever happened to the customer is always right? My only solace in this huge amount of incompetent idiocy is the knowledge that this stupid idiot that works there had to go off and look through the garbage bin outside where I got lunch.
So after this little story what is my point? My point is to prove that incompetence is simple, it’s ignoring what the customer says and going according to protocol. When you go out into the world I want you to look for people who are ignoring your requests, I’ll bet anything you like that they’re the same ones you call incompetent. Sad thing is, they’re just following orders from higher up. Incompetence is rewarded by the boss and the only ones to truly suffer is the people who come in to try and get some damn service.
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I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland, rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me ~
John Cleese
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